Bloemfontein - The Hurricanes slowed the Cheetahs' momentum in the Super Rugby competition by beating the Bloemfontein side 39-34 (half-time 12-12) in the Free State stadium on Friday evening.
The Cheetahs won seven of their matches this season, but had little answer to the visitors' onslaught, led by flyhalf Beauden Barrett and his contribution of 24 points.
Barrett kicked his first penalty in the fifth minute after Cheetahs' prop Coenie Oosthuizen infringed at the break down area.
Cheetahs' flyhalf Burton Francis missed a sitter of a penalty right in front in the 10th minute.
Barrett kicked another penalty shortly thereafter to give his side a six point advantage.
The Cheetahs were on the back foot after centre Robert Ebersohn got a yellow card for a deliberate knock down. Barrett kicked the resulting penalty to put the Hurricanes in front by nine.
Francis finally got the home team on the board with a penalty in the 26th minute. He added another three minutes to reduce the deficit to three points.
Barrett answered in kind to increase the Hurricanes' lead back to six points, before Francis kicked a brace to level the scores at 12 heading to the interval.
The first try of the match came in the 51st minute, when Barrett scored in the corner.
The visitors crossed the line again a minute later. Winger Julian Savea chased his own kick and gathered to score the Hurricanes' second five pointer of the evening.
The Cheetahs persevered and both Coenie Oosthuizen, with two tries, and Ebersohn, with one, kept the home side in the game.
The Hurricanes added two further tries as scrumhalf TJ Perenara and eighth man Victor Vito scored. Barrett sealed the result with penalties with his accurate kicking.
Scorers:
Cheetahs:
Tries: Coenie Oosthuizen (2)
Conversions: Elgar Watts (2)
Penalties: Burton Francis (4), Elgar Watts
Hurricanes:
Tries: Beauden Barrett, Julian Savea, TJ Perenara, Victor Vito
Conversions: Beauden Barrett (2)
Penalties: Barrett (5)
Teams:
Cheetahs:
15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johan Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Phillip van der Walt, 7 Frans Viljoen, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Substitutes: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Landman Ligtoring, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Elgar Watts, 22 Ryno Benjamin.
Hurricanes:
15 Andre Taylor/James Marshall, 14 Alapati Leiua, 13 Reynold Lee-Lo, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito (captain), 7 Jack Lam/Karl Lowe, 6 Faifili Levave, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben May, 1 Ben Franks, 2 Ash Dixon
Substitutes: 16 Reggie Goodes 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 James Broadhurst 19 Brad Shields 20 Chris Smylie 21 Tusi Pisi 22 James Marshall/Karl Lowe
The Cheetahs won seven of their matches this season, but had little answer to the visitors' onslaught, led by flyhalf Beauden Barrett and his contribution of 24 points.
Barrett kicked his first penalty in the fifth minute after Cheetahs' prop Coenie Oosthuizen infringed at the break down area.
Cheetahs' flyhalf Burton Francis missed a sitter of a penalty right in front in the 10th minute.
Barrett kicked another penalty shortly thereafter to give his side a six point advantage.
The Cheetahs were on the back foot after centre Robert Ebersohn got a yellow card for a deliberate knock down. Barrett kicked the resulting penalty to put the Hurricanes in front by nine.
Francis finally got the home team on the board with a penalty in the 26th minute. He added another three minutes to reduce the deficit to three points.
Barrett answered in kind to increase the Hurricanes' lead back to six points, before Francis kicked a brace to level the scores at 12 heading to the interval.
The first try of the match came in the 51st minute, when Barrett scored in the corner.
The visitors crossed the line again a minute later. Winger Julian Savea chased his own kick and gathered to score the Hurricanes' second five pointer of the evening.
The Cheetahs persevered and both Coenie Oosthuizen, with two tries, and Ebersohn, with one, kept the home side in the game.
The Hurricanes added two further tries as scrumhalf TJ Perenara and eighth man Victor Vito scored. Barrett sealed the result with penalties with his accurate kicking.
Scorers:
Cheetahs:
Tries: Coenie Oosthuizen (2)
Conversions: Elgar Watts (2)
Penalties: Burton Francis (4), Elgar Watts
Hurricanes:
Tries: Beauden Barrett, Julian Savea, TJ Perenara, Victor Vito
Conversions: Beauden Barrett (2)
Penalties: Barrett (5)
Teams:
Cheetahs:
15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johan Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Phillip van der Walt, 7 Frans Viljoen, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Substitutes: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Landman Ligtoring, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Elgar Watts, 22 Ryno Benjamin.
Hurricanes:
15 Andre Taylor/James Marshall, 14 Alapati Leiua, 13 Reynold Lee-Lo, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito (captain), 7 Jack Lam/Karl Lowe, 6 Faifili Levave, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben May, 1 Ben Franks, 2 Ash Dixon
Substitutes: 16 Reggie Goodes 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 James Broadhurst 19 Brad Shields 20 Chris Smylie 21 Tusi Pisi 22 James Marshall/Karl Lowe