/ 30 April 2011

Cheetahs bag second win

The Free State Cheetahs secured their second Super Rugby victory of the season by out-scoring the Brumbies 47-36 in Bloemfontein on Friday.

The Free State Cheetahs secured their second Super Rugby victory of the season by out-scoring the Brumbies 47-36 in Bloemfontein on Friday.

A brace by scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius and a 21-point haul by flyhalf Sias Ebersohn helped the Cheetahs to victory in a high-scoring match in which both sides were guilty of missing crucial tackles.

Frontrow pair Coenie Oosthuizen and WP Nel also scored for the home side, but the Cheetahs were almost caught out by a determined visiting team, who came close despite trailing by 25 points at one stage.

The home side started well with Riaan Viljoen landing a 60m drop goal inside the opening 90 seconds.

His effort was followed by the opening try when Davon Raubenheimer won a lineout five metres out and popped the ball to Oosthuizen, who charged over the line.

Ebersohn missed the conversion, but twin brother Robert wasted no time in setting up a second try after he broke the line and drew the defence before off-loading to Pretorius for his seventh try of the season.

This time the number 10 converted and then combined with his halfback partner Pretorius down the middle to send Nel away for a third try, which was converted by Sias Ebersohn for a 22-0 lead inside 13 minutes.

Another outrageous drop goal by Viljoen — the fullback letting fly from close to the halfway line — saw the lead stretched even further, before the visitors finally scored when Francis Fainifo capitalised fully on a hole in the home defence.

Matt Giteau converted, but the fight-back was immediately jolted as the Cheetahs turned defence into attack and Pretorius ran in a 27th minute bonus-point try.

The points continued to come thick and fast as Ben Alexander and Michael Hooper both scored in quick succession after good work from the forwards around them with Giteau converting on both occasions.

Adam Ashley-Cooper crossed the line just before the halftime break.

That left the score at 32-26 after 40 minutes.

Shortly after the interval Ebersohn gave his side some breathing space by landing two penalties.

Giteau ensured the Australians were still in the contest with 20 minutes to go by converting a penalty of his own.

Then Christian Lealiifano was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on Ashley Johnson.

Sias Ebersohn converted the subsequent penalty, before Josh Valentine sold a dummy to two Cheetahs defenders to send fellow replacement Robbie Coleman away to score — Giteau converting to bring the gap down to five.

Ebersohn then ended any hope of a comeback with two further penalties as Naka Drotske’s men held on. – Sapa