Ken Borland

Wing Willie le Roux scored a brilliant second try, which was converted by replacement flyhalf Sias Ebersohn, as the Cheetahs snatched a 35-34 (half-time 21-31) victory over the New South Wales Waratahs in their SuperRugby match at the Free State Stadium on Saturday.

Le Roux’s 57th-minute try, which followed a try by prop WP Nel just three minutes earlier, came after the Cheetahs attacked from the restart, Ebersohn chipping over the defence and Le Roux then gathering and chipping again before reclaiming the ball and dashing over the tryline.

The Waratahs, who led 34-21 in the 48th minute after scoring four tries in the first half, can look back on a disappointing second half and their failure to use two late chances to claim victory. Flyhalf Berrick Barnes was short with an angled 55-metre penalty in the 76th minute and, as regular time came to an end, they had a maul inside the Cheetahs 22 and Barnes lined up for the drop goal. But they could not get the ball out as Cheetahs loose forwards Ashley Johnson and Heinrich Brussow did great work in keeping the ball off the ground.

The Cheetahs can threaten the best of sides with ball in hand, but their defence can be porous and the Waratahs took advantage of 18 missed tackles in the first half and particularly poor defence around the fringes to rush to the four-try bonus point in 33 minutes.

Flank Dave Dennis, who would be a thorn in the Cheetahs’ side all game, scored the first try in the fourth minute when he pounced on a loose ball behind the tryline, and he would be instrumental in the Waratahs’ next try just two minutes later when he burst clear from the kickoff and was only stopped inside the home side’s 22. From the resulting ruck, scrumhalf Brendan McKibbin found lock Sitaleki Timani on the charge and he powered through for the try.

The Cheetahs then drew level at 14-14 with two tries in four minutes. The first came from a wonderfully-worked move off a lineout as lock Izak van der Westhuizen fed Brussow, who linked up with Johnson charging through on the angle. The bushy-haired eighthman then found scrumhalf Piet van Zyl, who dotted down in the tackle.

Le Roux’s brilliant attacking running then started and finished a move in the 19th minute, with flyhalf Riaan Smit’s second successful conversion tying the scores at 14-14.

The Waratahs edged ahead again in the 22nd minute when McKibbin kicked a penalty after the Cheetahs took him out at a ruck, but his satisfaction turned to horror four minutes later when his pass was intercepted by hooker Adriaan Strauss and the Cheetahs captain ran in the try from halfway.

But the Cheetahs’ terrible defence saw them concede two tries in the last seven minutes of the first half.

Wing Drew Mitchell showed great skill to keep a kick in play, after which centre Adam Ashley-Cooper chipped ahead, the bounce was kind and the quick hands of McKibben put outside centre Rob Horne away on a 45-metre run to the tryline.

Timani then scored his second try, after good work by fullback Bernard Foley down the left touchline and eighthman Wycliff Palu at the kickoff, leaving the Cheetahs in need of a major turnaround.

Nel went low and hard to score for the Free Staters in the 54th minute, before Le Roux floored the Waratahs with another moment of brilliance three minutes later.

His moment of inspiration gave the Cheetahs their fifth win this season, the most they have achieved in a SuperRugby campaign.

Scorers

Cheetahs – Tries: Piet van Zyl, Willie le Roux (2), Adriaan Strauss, WP Nel. Conversions: Riaan Smit (4), S. Ebersohn.

Waratahs – Tries: Dave Dennis, Sitaleki Timani (2), Rob Horne. Conversions: Brendan McKibbin (4). Penalties: McKibbin (2).

Flyhalf Freddie Michalak posted 19 points as the Sharks won the physical battle and beat the Cheetahs 34-20 (half-time 21-14) in an all-South African SuperRugby match at the Free State Stadium on Saturday.

In a bruising battle between two powerful forward packs, it was the Sharks who enjoyed a slight edge as their direct running took them over the advantage line and allowed their backs the space to run in four tries and notch a vital bonus point.

Frenchman Michalak scored a try and kicked four conversions and two penalties to keep the Sharks on the front foot.

The Sharks laid down an early marker as they kept the ball from the kickoff for 12 phases and two minutes and 25 seconds, loosehead prop Tendai Mtawarira and hooker Bismarck du Plessis carrying the ball strongly to fracture the Cheetahs defence and provide outside centre JP Pietersen with the space to dot down.

Michalak converted to give the Sharks an early 7-0 lead, but their ill-discipline at the ruck and the strong running of Cheetahs forwards Philip van der Walt, Adriaan Strauss and George Earle led to two penalties for flyhalf Riaan Smit.

The Cheetahs backs also have plenty of flair with ball in hand and outside centre Robert Ebersohn’s marvellous break from the restart led to powerful hooker Strauss muscling his way over for a try in the 32nd minute.

But Michalak struck back almost immediately with his try after a booming kick by fullback Riaan Viljoen had been allowed to bounce inside their 22 by the Cheetahs defence. The 29-year-old leapt up to get a hand to the ball, re-gathered and scored just his second SuperRugby try.

Wing Paul Jordaan then obstructed the Cheetahs chase at the restart and conceded a penalty, which Smit kicked to level the scores at 14-14.

But the Sharks attacked again with renewed vigour and, with the half-time hooter having just gone, they ran a penalty, with eighthman Keegan Daniel and Jordaan impressing with their handling to give wing Lwazi Mvovo the chance to beat the cover defence with dancing feet and a strong hand-off.

Michalak converted and then stretched the Sharks’ lead to 24-14 with a penalty six minutes into the second half.

Replacement flyhalf Sias Ebersohn kicked a penalty for the Cheetahs in the 53rd minute, as the Sharks, with Du Plessis in the sin-bin after a second shoulder charge earned him a yellow card, had their hands in the ruck.

The Cheetahs went into the final quarter just 20-24 down after Mtawarira infringed in the scrum and Sias Ebersohn kicked his second penalty.

The Sharks dominated the closing stages, however, as Michalak increased the lead to 27-20 with a penalty and the bonus point try came in the 73rd minute after Pietersen had stolen the ball on the right wing, Mvovo jinked his way deep into the Cheetahs 22 and replacement centre Meyer Bosman dived over the tryline.

Michalak added the conversion as the Sharks kept themselves inside the top six and the playoff places in the southern hemisphere competition.

Scorers

Sharks – Tries: JP Pietersen, Freddie Michalak, Lwazi Mvovo, Meyer Bosman. Conversions: Michalak (4). Penalties: Michalak (2).

Cheetahs – Try: Adriaan Strauss. Penalties: Riaan Smit (3), S. Ebersohn (2).

Flyhalf Morne Steyn became the third player to score 1000 SuperRugby points as he converted all six of the Northern Bulls’ tries and added three penalties in their impressive 51-19 hammering of the Central Cheetahs at Free State Stadium on Saturday.

Steyn joined Canterbury Crusaders star Dan Carter (1,272 points) and Australian Stirling Mortlock (1,031) as he became the first South African to reach 1000 points. He has now scored 1012 points in 91 games, all for the Bulls.

The Bulls played with 14 men from the 64th minute after Francois Hougaard, who had moved from scrumhalf to wing, was harshly red-carded by referee Craig Joubert for a tip-tackle, and finished the match with 13 men as flank Jacques Potgieter was yellow-carded for a shoulder-charge in the 78th minute.

But it was the Cheetahs who ended the match in a distraught state as, try as they might, they could not get through a fierce Bulls defensive line, led by their highly-physical but mobile tight five.

Props Dean Greyling and Werner Kruger, both capped for the Springboks last year, scored the first two Bulls tries from close range, the visitors’ potency on attack being largely due to their ability to secure quick ruck ball.

Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen again kicked immaculately, succeeding with three penalties to keep the home side in touch heading towards half-time at 9-17 down.

But tremendously aggressive defence by the Bulls led to turnover ball, which Hougaard kicked deep into Cheetahs territory. Wing Akona Ndungane then managed to win possession, before the ball was spread wide for the other wing, Bjorn Basson, to beat a prop on the outside for another try.

The Bulls then scored on the half-time hooter to open up a commanding 31-12 lead. Centre Wynand Olivier’s lovely step inside created space on the outside for Ndungane, who burst clear before passing inside for fullback Zane Kirchner to score.

The Cheetahs dominated in the opening minutes of the second half, but incredible defence saw the Bulls resist 16 phases close to their own line, before Steyn landed his second and third penalties to stretch the lead to 37-12 after 58 minutes.

“We’re very disappointed, but credit to the Bulls, tactically they were better than us and credit to their defence. We were on their line for a while, but we couldn’t get through,” Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss said.

Hougaard was then red-carded, despite centre Robert Ebersohn twisting around in the tackle and deliberately going to ground head-first, and concerted pressure inside Bulls territory eventually saw hooker and captain Adriaan Strauss cross for the Cheetahs’ only try.

But the inspired Bulls remained in control and scored two more tries in the last 10 minutes, replacement centre JJ Engelbrecht pouncing on an intercept inside the Cheetahs 22 and Kirchner scoring a fine individual try.

“It’s easy to play well when 15 players are so willing to work hard for each other,” outstanding Bulls hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle said, before adding “Morne Steyn is a special athlete, well done to him.”