The Cats slumped to a second straight Vodacom Super 12 defeat when the Waratahs from New South Wales put them to the sword to the tune of 40-19 at Ellis Park on Saturday evening.
The Waratahs led 17-8 at half-time.
The loss means South Africa’s performance over the weekend had a familiar feel about it with all four teams losing, although the Stormers came close against the Brumbies in Canberra.
The Waratahs never seemed to hit top gear, yet ran in five tries to two to maintain their unbeaten record this season and leap to the top of the table on 15 points ahead of the Hurricanes and Brumbies (both 13 points).
Although both teams had promising chances to score in the helter-skelter opening exchanges, the Waratahs played the patience game superbly and were rewarded handsomely. Handling errors were also a problem, particularly for the home side, in the first quarter of an hour.
Flyhalf Andre Pretorius attempted to break the deadlock with a drop goal in the 12th minute but he pulled it to the left.
Wayne Juries and Jacque Fourie had ignited the Cats effort with telling runs early on, but solid defence from the visitors meant those moves came to nothing.
The scoring drought came to an abrupt end with three quick tries — the first to the Cats — in a breath-taking six-minute burst midway through the half.
Os du Randt finished a fantastic move that saw flanks Cobus Grobbelaar and Wikus van Heerden — who were both having blinders — prominent with a powerful run to crash over out wide.
The advantage did not last long, however, as the Waratahs responded with two brilliant, converted tries in as many minutes shortly thereafter.
First, flyhalf Shaun Berne was put away for a simple try under the poles, after excellent build-up work by Peter Hewat, Lote Tuqiri and number eight David Lyons. Tuqiri then showed his class, after Hewat made the initial break, to power past hapless Cats defenders and score close in.
Pretorius and Hewat traded penalties to take the teams to the break, with the visitors ahead by nine points.
Lyons and flanker Phil Waugh were cleaning up at the breakdown, which afforded the pace men out wide — Hewat and Tuqiri in particular — time and space to work their magic.
And, after Pretorius pulled his side back in it with a brace of penalties soon after the restart (20-14 to the Waratahs), Hewat cut through the Cats’ line for his team’s third try in the 51st minute.
That score saw the Cats’ resistance crumble as the Waratahs scored two further tries to secure their third bonus point and stay on course for a semifinal place.
The Cats, on the other hand, were well below par and only a late consolation try by Jacque Fourie saved them from further blushes. — Sapa
Point-scorers:
Cats 19 (8): Tries: Os du Randt, Jacque Fourie. Penalties: Andre Pretorius (3).
Waratahs 40 (17): Tries: Shaun Berne, Lote Tuqiri, Peter Hewat, Morgan Turinui, Stephen Hoiles; Conversions: Hewat (3). Penalties: Hewat (3).