Cheetahs race away from Pumas

The Cheetahs reclaimed their place at the top of the Currie Cup standings with a 42-27 win over the Pumas in their Round Five match at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The home team scored five tries to three in a game that had its moments, but was ultimately a stuttering affair.

Cheetah on the charge: Quinton Davids

The Cheetahs were temporarily moved down to third place, after Friday night victories by the Sharks and Western Province.

But, despite the fact that several of their more seasoned stars were being rested, the Cheetahs won a game in which they were always in command - despite going to sleep for large parts of the second half.

It was during one of these extended 'lazy' periods of the Cheetahs, after they had scored a bonus-point fourth try and moved into a seemingly unassailable 34-6 lead, that the Pumas played some of their best rugby and gave their scoreline some respectability.

There was even a period, with less than 10 minutes remaining, when the Pumas were within striking distance of a bonus-point, a draw and even an unlikely win.

But the fact that they left Bloemfontein without anything to show for their efforts is testimony to the Cheetahs' ultimate superiority and control.

When it mattered most, in the last five minutes, the Cheetahs stepped up a gear and scored enough point to secure a win.

The real difference between the two teams were in the forwards.

The Pumas failed to win any ball of significance in the set pieces. Their scrums were constantly under pressure, in fact a royal mess, their line-outs barely better and at the breakdown they only just competed.

With such a surfeit of possession the Cheetahs backs had a field day, often trying elaborate moves to create space out wide. Some of those moves worked and some didn't.

But ultimately it didn't matter if they messed up, because they knew they would soon have another go.

The rout - yes it was a rout, even though the scoreboard doesn't suggest so - started in the seventh minute.

Hooker Richardt Strauss scored the first of the five tries, after one of these moves that involved some intricate and elaborate passing, with the ultimate clincher being a great grubber by fullback Bevin Fortuin. Two minutes later No.8 Kabamba Floors scored the second try, which started from a counter attack deep inside Cheetah territory.

Willem de Waal converted both and at 14-0 after just under 10 minutes it was clear the home side was going to win easy.

Veteran fullback Casper Steyn gave the visitors some hope with two penalties, in the 14th and 18th minutes, but they were soon cancelled out by two De3 Waal penalties.

The Pumas' problems were compounded when tighthead prop Pierre du Toit was yellow carded in the 34th minute for repeated offences at the breakdown.

And minutes later his team paid the price. With the Puma pack already under pressure, they were never going to be able to hold their ground being a man down. And from a scrum the Cheetahs won a heel against the head, with Gavin Passens finishing off the move with a try.

De Waal's conversion made it 27-6 at the break.

The bonus-point try came in the first minute after the break, with scrum-half Noel Oelschig hacking through a loose ball, following up and collecting to fall over. With another De Waal conversion it was 34-6 and game over ... so it seemed.

And it appeared as if the Cheetahs thought it was all over, even though the second half had hardly begun.

The Pumas sensed that the Cheetahs were going to sleep and in the 50th minute the Pumas' replacement centre Sam Gerber took advantage of the Cheetahs' lack of concentration when he intercepted a poor pass and scored his team's first try.

He again scored seven minutes later, when fellow midfielder Hendrik Meyer burst through a sloppy Cheetah tackle and with both conversion going over there was a sniff - either a bonus point or even a win - for the visitors.

They scored a third try in the 71st minute, with Meyer going over after a series of penalties near the Cheetahs' line - all of which were taken quickly.

But with just seven points separating the two sides, the Cheetahs awoke from their slumber and Oelschig - who had now moved to fly-half - slotted a penalty to take the score outside of bonus point range for the visitors.

And the Cheetahs finished the stronger of the two sides as a series of late raids netted them a fifth try, after the hooter for full-time had sounded. Giscard Pieters went over in the corner to seal the win.

The scorers:

For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Strauss, Floors, Passens, Oelschig, Pieters
Cons: De Waal 4
Pens: De Waal 2, Oelschig

For the Pumas:
Tries: Gerber 2, Meyer
Cons: Steyn 2, Coetzee
Pens: Steyn 2

Yellow cards: Pierre du Toit (Pumas, 34), Jaco du Toit (Cheetahs, 68)

Teams:

Vodacom Cheetahs: 15 Bevin Fortuin, 14 Giscard Pieters, 13 JW Jonker, 12 Dale Heidtmann, 11 Gavin Passens, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Noel Oelschig, 8 Kabamba Floors, 7 Bian Vermaak, 6 Hendro Scholtz (captain), 5 Corniel van Zyl, 4 Quinton Davids, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Richardt Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Jaco du Toit, 17 Kobus Caldo, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Heinrich Brussouw, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Chris Kruger, 22 Phillip Burger.

@lantic Pumas: 15 Caster Steyn (captain), 14 Lourens Dunn, 13 Sasha Marot, 12 Hendrik Meyer, 11 Hyron Thysse, 10 Arno Coetzee, 9 Ashieq Wise, 8 Riaan van der Merwe, 7 Danzel Manuel, 6 Jonathan van der Schyff, 5 Jacques Lombard, 4 Bokkie Swanepoel, 3 Pierre du Toit, 2 Ashton Constant, 1 Jacques Muller.
Replacements: 16 Frikkie de Jager, 17 Simon-Peter Blakeley, 18 Stephan Gerber, 19 Corné Steenkamp/Paul  Schreuder, 20 Pieter Benadé, 21 BC du Plessis, 22 Sam Gerber.

Referee: Christie du Preez (Eastern Province)
Touch judges: Linston Manuels (Boland), Michael Cupido (Golden Lions)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (Eastern Province)
Assessor: Keith Hendricks (Boland)