Ken Borland

The MTN Golden Lions regained first place on the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division log as they put away the Toyota Free State Cheetahs 38-23 (half-time 20-16) in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The Cheetahs weathered an early storm from the Lions to actually lead 16-13 after half-an-hour, but the Lions scored two tries in three minutes either side of half time to give the Gautengers a 27-16 lead and thereafter there was nothing that could rescue the Free Staters from a fourth defeat in six matches.

Flyhalf Elton Jantjies instituted some early control for the Lions as his short kick-off caught the Cheetahs napping, was claimed by flank Willie Britz and led to a penalty which Jantjies kicked, followed by another penalty in the sixth minute.

The one area where the Lions did struggle was at the breakdown and referee Sindile Mayende set the tone with an early call against fetcher Cobus Grobbelaar, allowing Cheetahs wing Nico Scheepers to kick a penalty (3-6).

The Cheetahs had a much bigger problem, however, and that was their insistence on trying to run their surfeit of possession in their own territory and the mistakes that came as they tried to run under pressure was what eventually brought them to their knees.

It was the cause of the Lions’ first try as flyhalf Tewis de Bruyn swung the ball from inside his own 22, but his intentions were beautifully read by Lions lock Franco van der Merwe, who put himself between the pivot and the midfield receivers and claimed an easy intercept try.

De Bruyn will probably claim he did not see Van der Merwe lurking because both teams were playing in predominantly white jerseys, with the Cheetahs changing to orange four minutes later, but the pass should never have been given in the first place.

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The Stormers failed to pitch up for the second half but an enormous defensive effort meant they hung on for a 16-14 victory over the Free State Cheetahs in their all-South African SuperRugby match at Newlands on Saturday.

The first half was one-way traffic as the Stormers cruised into a 16-0 half-time lead.

Flyhalf Peter Grant kicked three penalties in the first 16 minutes as the Cheetahs’ repeated infringements caught the eye of referee Steve Walsh and, after concerted pressure inside the opposition 22, lock Eben Etzebeth then muscled his way through three defenders to score the Stormers only try, in the 24th minute.

The Cheetahs came out inspired in the second half and a series of top-class drives by their forwards took them deep into the Stormers’ 22, where a slick pass by wing Willie le Roux allowed fullback Hennie Daniller to score in the corner.

Replacement flyhalf Riaan Smit kicked a fine conversion from the touchline to close the gap to 7-16 after 48 minutes.

Stormers flank Rynardt Elstadt then received a yellow card for a knee to the back of the head of Cheetahs wing Cameron Jacobs and a massive brawl then broke out between both teams, with a white card being issued for further investigation.

The Stormers defence held true, however, as the Cheetahs bombarded their line through 26 phases without reward.

Ironically, the visitors did score a second try in the 66th minute, but it came from deep within their own territory.

Right wing Gio Aplon sparked one of the Stormers’ few second-half attacks but, when scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage tried to pass to him again from a ruck, Le Roux pounced for the intercept and sprinted clear for a try from 90 metres out.

The accurate boot of Smit once again succeeded with the touchline conversion (16-14), but the Stormers prevented any further damage on the scoreboard and held on for a win that keeps them just one point behind the Bulls at the top of the South African Conference.

Scorers

Stormers – Try: Eben Etzebeth. Conversion: Peter Grant. Penalties: Grant (3).

Cheetahs – Tries: Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux. Conversions: Riaan Smit (2).

Flyhalf Chris Noakes scored 17 points in 20 minutes as the Otago Highlanders’ replacement players snatched a dramatic 36-33 (half-time 9-23) victory over the Free State Cheetahs in their SuperRugby match in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Noakes, who replaced regular flyhalf Mike Delany midway through the second half, scored a try and kicked three conversions and three penalties, including an angled, long-distance match-winning effort in the 79th minute.

The Highlanders rebounded from a 9-30 deficit and the yellow-carding of hooker Andrew Hore and flank James Haskell to record their seventh win in nine matches and stay five points behind leaders and New Zealand Conference pace-setters, the Waikato Chiefs.

The Cheetahs seemed to have the match sown up when flyhalf Johan Goosen, rapidly becoming one of the legends of Free State rugby, scored a jinking try from 70 metres out to stretch their lead to 28-9. But the 19-year-old injured his shoulder in the process of scoring the try and had to leave the field, the Cheetahs suffering a spectacular meltdown thereafter.

The Highlanders began throwing the ball around and attacked like a Sevens side and were rewarded with three tries in six minutes, two by replacement scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan, as they ripped the stunned Cheetahs apart.

The home side had used strong driving play and the boot of Goosen to put themselves in a powerful position through tries by prop Coenie Oosthuizen and lock Andries Ferreira, as well as Goosen’s fine solo effort early in the second half.

Goosen was replaced by Sias Ebersohn, who missed three penalties, including an easy effort from in line with the right upright that could have made his team the victors.

Scorers

Cheetahs – Tries: Coenie Oosthuizen, Andries Ferreira, Johan Goosen. Conversions: Goosen (2), Sias Ebersohn. Penalties: Goosen (3), Ebersohn.

Highlanders – Tries: Chris Noakes, Jimmy Cowan (2). Conversions: Noakes (3). Penalties: Mike Delany (3), Noakes (2).