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Brenden Nel - SuperSport
Bloemfontein - The Cheetahs buried many of their own demons to show composure and maturity in their 47-36 victory over the Brumbies in Bloemfontein on Friday night.
After producing an amazing opening 20 minutes – where they led 25-0, they succumbed to old habits, slipping tackles on defence and allowed the Brumbies to come right back into the game.
At 32-26 at the break –with both sides having already secured a bonus point, it seemed the Cheetahs were reliving their match against the Hurricanes a fortnight earlier, where they attacked with glee only to lose the game through shoddy defence.
It didn’t materialise, thankfully and whatever coach Naka Drotske said in the changeroom made a major difference, as they came out a more composed – perhaps not as adventurous – but more mature team in the second half to close out the game in style.
After the first half fireworks it may not have been the spectacle we expected to see, but Sias Ebersohn’s boot provided 15 second half points to ensure a famous victory for the Bloemfontein side.
Scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius had another magnificent game – but this time he was not alone, as prop Coenie Oosthuizen had his best game in more than a year. Cameo performances by Frans Viljoen, Corne Uys, Riaan Viljoen and WP Nel all made for positive reading while Heinrich Brussow’s 40 minutes of magic may not have provided many turnovers, it showed a defensive superhero as the flanker made tackle after tackle to stop the advancing Brumbies.
The Cheetahs though, couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game. Opening with a monstrous – if not obscene – 60 metre drop goal by Riaan Viljoen, they showed they were a team with a point to prove.
The point was driven home with three tries by the 11 minute mark as first Pretorius broke through from a lineout to take the ball 60 metres upfield and force an attacking lineout on the Brumbies line. Adriaan Strauss’ pinpoint accuracy was spot on with the throw, and seconds later Oosthuizen went over in a powerhouse drive that would never have been stopped.
Pretorius added his name to the scoresheet minutes later after a superb offload in the tackle by Uys sent Robert Ebersohn away and while he could have scored on his own, decided to gift the try to his hard working scrumhalf.
The game was hardly 11 minutes old when Pretorius broke around the fringes again, this time offloading in the tackle to the other Ebersohn, Sias, who in turn gave WP Nel an easy run in for the try.
Viljoen added another drop – although not as far as the first, this one a mere 45 metres as the first quarter came to a close, and the Brumbies were stunned, 25-0 behind without much ball to speak of.
However, while they may be in a slump, the Australian side’s phase play is still among the best, and they built pressure before Francis Fainifo took an easy inside ball to carve open the Cheetah defence for the first try.
Pretorius’ support play rectified matters briefly as on a turnover ball, Riaan Smit and Uys split the defence to lob the ball inside and give the scrumhalf his second try of the night.
But then the defensive demons played up again. From the kickoff the Cheetahs lost the ball, conceded a penalty and immediately watched as Ben Alexander powered over for a try in a move where tackling seemed optional.
Pat Phibbs seemed to waltz through the defence in the 34th minute with utmost ease, sending Michael Hooper away before Adam Ashley-Cooper secured the bonus point with a try just before halftime.
But in the second half, instead of adding to the try fest, the game became tighter - with the Cheetahs deciding to rush up in defence as a counter to the Brumbies play.
Scorers:
Cheetahs:
Tries: Sarel Pretorius (2), Coenie Oosthuizen, WP Nel
Conversions: Sias Ebersohn (3)
Penalties: Ebersohn (5)
Drop goals: Riaan Viljoen (2)
Brumbies:
Tries: Francis Fainifo, Dan Palmer, Michael Hooper, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Robbie Coleman
Conversions: Matt Giteau (4)
Penalty: Giteau
Teams:
Cheetahs:
15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Philip Burger, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Corne Uys, 11 Ryno Benjamin, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen
Substitutes: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Lourens Adriaanse, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Leon Karemaker, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Naas Olivier, 22 Hennie Daniller
Brumbies:
15 Pat McCabe, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Andrew Smith, 12 Matt Giteau (captain), 11 Francis Fainifo, 10 Christian Lealiifano, 9 Pat Phibbs, 8 Colby Faingaa, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Mitchell Chapman, 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 Peter Kimlin, 3 Dan Palmer, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander
Substitutes: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 Jono Owen, 18 Ben Hand, 19 Julian Salvi, 20 Josh Valentine, 21 Tyrone Smith, 22 Robbie Coleman
Bloemfontein - The Cheetahs buried many of their own demons to show composure and maturity in their 47-36 victory over the Brumbies in Bloemfontein on Friday night.
After producing an amazing opening 20 minutes – where they led 25-0, they succumbed to old habits, slipping tackles on defence and allowed the Brumbies to come right back into the game.
At 32-26 at the break –with both sides having already secured a bonus point, it seemed the Cheetahs were reliving their match against the Hurricanes a fortnight earlier, where they attacked with glee only to lose the game through shoddy defence.
It didn’t materialise, thankfully and whatever coach Naka Drotske said in the changeroom made a major difference, as they came out a more composed – perhaps not as adventurous – but more mature team in the second half to close out the game in style.
After the first half fireworks it may not have been the spectacle we expected to see, but Sias Ebersohn’s boot provided 15 second half points to ensure a famous victory for the Bloemfontein side.
Scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius had another magnificent game – but this time he was not alone, as prop Coenie Oosthuizen had his best game in more than a year. Cameo performances by Frans Viljoen, Corne Uys, Riaan Viljoen and WP Nel all made for positive reading while Heinrich Brussow’s 40 minutes of magic may not have provided many turnovers, it showed a defensive superhero as the flanker made tackle after tackle to stop the advancing Brumbies.
The Cheetahs though, couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game. Opening with a monstrous – if not obscene – 60 metre drop goal by Riaan Viljoen, they showed they were a team with a point to prove.
The point was driven home with three tries by the 11 minute mark as first Pretorius broke through from a lineout to take the ball 60 metres upfield and force an attacking lineout on the Brumbies line. Adriaan Strauss’ pinpoint accuracy was spot on with the throw, and seconds later Oosthuizen went over in a powerhouse drive that would never have been stopped.
Pretorius added his name to the scoresheet minutes later after a superb offload in the tackle by Uys sent Robert Ebersohn away and while he could have scored on his own, decided to gift the try to his hard working scrumhalf.
The game was hardly 11 minutes old when Pretorius broke around the fringes again, this time offloading in the tackle to the other Ebersohn, Sias, who in turn gave WP Nel an easy run in for the try.
Viljoen added another drop – although not as far as the first, this one a mere 45 metres as the first quarter came to a close, and the Brumbies were stunned, 25-0 behind without much ball to speak of.
However, while they may be in a slump, the Australian side’s phase play is still among the best, and they built pressure before Francis Fainifo took an easy inside ball to carve open the Cheetah defence for the first try.
Pretorius’ support play rectified matters briefly as on a turnover ball, Riaan Smit and Uys split the defence to lob the ball inside and give the scrumhalf his second try of the night.
But then the defensive demons played up again. From the kickoff the Cheetahs lost the ball, conceded a penalty and immediately watched as Ben Alexander powered over for a try in a move where tackling seemed optional.
Pat Phibbs seemed to waltz through the defence in the 34th minute with utmost ease, sending Michael Hooper away before Adam Ashley-Cooper secured the bonus point with a try just before halftime.
But in the second half, instead of adding to the try fest, the game became tighter - with the Cheetahs deciding to rush up in defence as a counter to the Brumbies play.
Scorers:
Cheetahs:
Tries: Sarel Pretorius (2), Coenie Oosthuizen, WP Nel
Conversions: Sias Ebersohn (3)
Penalties: Ebersohn (5)
Drop goals: Riaan Viljoen (2)
Brumbies:
Tries: Francis Fainifo, Dan Palmer, Michael Hooper, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Robbie Coleman
Conversions: Matt Giteau (4)
Penalty: Giteau
Teams:
Cheetahs:
15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Philip Burger, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Corne Uys, 11 Ryno Benjamin, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen
Substitutes: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Lourens Adriaanse, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Leon Karemaker, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Naas Olivier, 22 Hennie Daniller
Brumbies:
15 Pat McCabe, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Andrew Smith, 12 Matt Giteau (captain), 11 Francis Fainifo, 10 Christian Lealiifano, 9 Pat Phibbs, 8 Colby Faingaa, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Mitchell Chapman, 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 Peter Kimlin, 3 Dan Palmer, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander
Substitutes: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 Jono Owen, 18 Ben Hand, 19 Julian Salvi, 20 Josh Valentine, 21 Tyrone Smith, 22 Robbie Coleman
