Trailing 13-11 at half-time, defending Currie Cup champions the Free State Cheetahs showed their mettle when defeating Griquas 31-20 in very warm, early-spring conditions in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon.
Though the final score perhaps flattered the Cheetahs in this typically no-quarter-asked-or-given Central Region derby, few Griqua supporters could argue with the visitors’ five-to-two-tries advantage.
There was very little to choose between the teams in the first half — the back-from-injury centre Ronnie Cooke’s try to a conversion and two penalties by flyhalf Conrad Barnard for Griquas (13 points) to Free State’s try by fullback Bevin Fortuin and two penalties by flyhalf Willem de Waal (11 points).
Griquas were all over the visitors early in the second half and came very close to scoring their second try. But in the face of very determined Cheetahs defence, Griquas’ storming efforts came to nought and this cost them dearly in the end.
The Cheetahs hit back with two well-worked tries — the first inspired by some neat interpassing between eighthman Ryno van der Merwe and busy number six flank Kakamba Floors, with wing Phillip Burger receiving and sprinting down the touchline to squeeze over in the corner.
Floors was at it again two minutes later, bursting away with the ball at a Cheetahs line-out in Griqua territory, giving out to number seven flank Darren Nell, who took advantage of some poor Griqua defence to run in the visitors’ third unconverted try (21-13 Cheetahs).
Midway through the second-half and with the yellow-carded Cheetahs left-wing Gavin Passens still cooling his heels along the touchline, the Griqua forwards and backs combined delightfully for Conrad Barnard to make ground and feed Bobby Joubert on the left wing. He cut inside and scored his team’s second try. With Barnard doing well to add the conversion (off the right-hand post) it was 21-20 to the Cheetahs and still anyone’s match.
With the play now moving from one end of the field to the other, a well-placed kick down-field was chased by Passens, who forced Griqua fullback Tiger Mangweni to carry over.
From the resulting 5m scrum the Cheetahs forwards drove over the Griqua try line and after consulting the TMO, referee Linston Manuel awarded the Cheetahs’ bonus-point-earning fourth try — the credit for the five-pointer going to replacement forward Wian du Preez (Cheetahs 26-20).
Griquas now went into all-out attack mode in an effort to score a possible seven-pointer. The Cheetahs defence again held, and with the match all but over and Griquas desperately counter-attacking from their own try line, the visitors won turnover ball. Phillip Burger received and ran through from 30m to score his team’s fifth and final try. The conversion was once again missed. — Sapa