Highlanders win 10-try feast

The Highlanders cemented their place in the top six of the Super Rugby competition with an emphatic 45-24 win over the hapless Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Outscoring the home team by seven tries to three, the Highlanders moved up to fifth place – with the same points as the fourth-placed Chiefs, 39.

The bonus point was secured inside the opening half-hour, the Highlanders taking a 26-3 lead into the half-time break.

After the break the visitors quickly raced out to a 38-3 lead, before the Cheetahs got three consolation tries in the final quarter,

Debutant Ryan Tongia scored two tries for the red-hot Highlanders – a result that completed a disastrous Super 15 weekend for South African sides.

Australia-born Rugby League convert Tongia quickly made his mark as a wing at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, dotting down twice within 18 minutes of the kick-off.

The fast, inventive Highlanders toyed with the injury-ravaged Cheetahs for 60 minutes, scoring six tries while all the hosts could manage was a penalty.

Then the Cheetahs woke up to score three tries in seven minutes before Highlanders fullback and co-captain Ben Smith completed the 10-try feast

"It was great to bounce back after surrendering a big lead to lose at the Lions last weekend," said All Black Ben Smith.

"The Cheetahs rattled us in the closing stages with those three tries, but I trusted my team-mates to get the job done."

Cheetahs stand-in skipper and centre Francois Venter said: "We want to forget the first half – nothing went right for us.

"In the last 20 minutes we saw the real Cheetahs with three tries in rapid succession."

After the Tongia brace, scrumhalf Aaron Smith and wing Patrick Osborne dotted down and flyhalf Lima Sopoaga converted three while Cheetahs flyhalf Francois Brummer kicked a penalty.

The second half began disastrously for the South Africans with replacement wing Raymond Rhule sin binned on 43 minutes for a dangerous tackle.

Aaron Smith and flank Gareth Evans took advantage of the numerical superiority to cross for Highlanders tries and Sopoaga converted one to create a 35-point gap,  

Then the Cheetahs finally discovered the running rugby they are famed for and wing Rayno Benjamin, lock Carl Wegner and centre Venter scored tries that Brummer converted.

Replacement Highlanders flyhalf Marty Banks completed the scoring when he converted the Ben Smith try.

Man of the match: Willie Britz, Johannes Prinsloo and Carl Wegner tried hard, but without much support. Lima Sopoaga was the general that directed play, Nasi Manu was powerful with ball in hand, Gareth Evans was very productive and Alex Ainley also produced a huge workrate. However, our award goes to the Smiths – fullback Ben and scrumhalf Aaron – who were creative, energetic and the spark for any team they play in.

The scorers:

For the Cheetahs:

Tries: Benjamin, Wegner, Venter

Cons: Brummer 3

Pen: Brummer

For the Highlanders:

Tries: Tongia 2, A Smith 2, Osborne, Evans, B Smith

Cons: Sopoaga 4, Banks

Yellow card: Raymond Rhule (Cheetahs, 43 – foul play, tackling a player in the air)

Teams:

Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Francois Venter (captain), 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Sergeal Petersen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Johannes Prinsloo, 6 Tienie Burger, 5 Steven Sykes, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Nicolaas van Dyk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Danie Mienie.

Replacements: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Burrie Uys, 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 19 Francois Uys, 20 Carel Greeff, 21 Shaun Venter, 22 Coenie van Wyk , 23 Raymond Rhule.

Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith 14 Ryan Tongia, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Richard Buckman, 11 Patrick Osborne, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Nasi Manu (Captain), 7 John Hardie, 6 Gareth Evans, 5 Mark Reddish, 4 Alex Ainley, 3 Josh Hohneck, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Brendon Edmonds.

Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Ross Geldenhuys, 19 Tom Franklin, 20 Elliot Dixon, 21 Dan Pryor, 22 Fumiaki Tanaka, 23 Marty Banks

Referee: Stuart Berry

Assistant referees: Jaco van Heerden, Lesego Legoete

TMO:  Shaun Veldsman