Bloemfontein - The Cheetahs are back to their winning ways after they beat the Reds 27-13 in a Super Rugby encounter at the Free State Stadium on Saturday evening.
The victory meant the Cheetahs had completed a clean-sweep against their Australian opposition thus far, beating the Force and Waratahs away, and the Rebels and Reds at home.
The Reds started at a frenetic pace and a possible try by winger Rod Davies in the first minute went astray after obstruction in midfield.
VIDEO: Cheetahs v Reds, highlights
The Cheetahs stepped up a gear and scrumhalf Piet van Zyl scored in the corner, in the fourth minute, after charging down a clearing kick from his opposite number Will Genia.
Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper, who put in the eventual chip kick for Davies to follow, put the Cheetahs under pressure with some good tactical kicking. However, he slipped the tackle which lead to Van Zyl's try.
Flyhalf Elgar Watts kicked a penalty in the 13th minute to give the Cheetahs a eight point lead after they turned over possession.
The visitors had at least three chances in the first 20 minutes to score tries, but despite challenging the hosts in defence, they kept losing possession at the break down area.
Cooper finally put some points on the board when he kicked a penalty after Cheetahs flanker Lappies Labuschagne infringed on the ground.
Cooper reduced the deficit to just two points with his second penalty of the evening shortly thereafter.
Their joy was short-lived as man-of-the-match Van Zyl scored his second try, cutting through the visitors' defence from first phase possession.
Watts converted to elevate the Cheetahs to a nine-point lead and followed up with a penalty after the Reds collapsed the Cheetahs' driving maul.
The Cheetahs had the momentum in the last five minutes of the first half and went into the break with an 18-6 lead.
At the restart, they set up camp in the Reds' half and Watts slotted home a penalty which resulted from the Reds grounding a driving maul.
A clever inside pass by Quade Cooper from a scrum on the Cheetahs goal-line looked like a good try for fullback Luke Morahan, but the replay showed a forward pass from the Wallabies' playmaker.
Both teams started playing a more expansive game which led to more penalties with the visitors opting to use the lineout. It put the Cheetahs under immense pressure but, again, a forward pass smothered their chance of a five pointer.
The Cheetahs, meanwhile, scored points almost every time they progressed into the Reds' half with Watts adding another six points to his tally.
Replacement back Ben Lucas scored in the corner three minutes from time for the Reds but it was too little too late for the visitors.
Scorers:
Cheetahs:
Tries: Piet van Zyl (2)
Conversion: Elgar Watts
Penalties: Watts (5)
Reds:
Try: Ben Lucas
Conversion: Quade Cooper
Penalties: Cooper (2)
Teams:
Cheetahs:
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 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 Rynhardt Landman, 19 Johannes Prinsloo, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Riaan Smit, 22 Ryno Benjamin
Reds:
15 Luke Morahan, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Liam Gill, 6 Ed Quirk, 5 James Horwill (captain), 4 Rob Simmons, 3 James Slipper, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Greg Holmes
Substitutes: 16 James Hanson, 17 Albert Anae, 18 Ed O'Donoghue, 19 Beau Robinson, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Ben Lucas, 22 Ben Tapuai
The victory meant the Cheetahs had completed a clean-sweep against their Australian opposition thus far, beating the Force and Waratahs away, and the Rebels and Reds at home.
The Reds started at a frenetic pace and a possible try by winger Rod Davies in the first minute went astray after obstruction in midfield.
VIDEO: Cheetahs v Reds, highlights
The Cheetahs stepped up a gear and scrumhalf Piet van Zyl scored in the corner, in the fourth minute, after charging down a clearing kick from his opposite number Will Genia.
Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper, who put in the eventual chip kick for Davies to follow, put the Cheetahs under pressure with some good tactical kicking. However, he slipped the tackle which lead to Van Zyl's try.
Flyhalf Elgar Watts kicked a penalty in the 13th minute to give the Cheetahs a eight point lead after they turned over possession.
The visitors had at least three chances in the first 20 minutes to score tries, but despite challenging the hosts in defence, they kept losing possession at the break down area.
Cooper finally put some points on the board when he kicked a penalty after Cheetahs flanker Lappies Labuschagne infringed on the ground.
Cooper reduced the deficit to just two points with his second penalty of the evening shortly thereafter.
Their joy was short-lived as man-of-the-match Van Zyl scored his second try, cutting through the visitors' defence from first phase possession.
Watts converted to elevate the Cheetahs to a nine-point lead and followed up with a penalty after the Reds collapsed the Cheetahs' driving maul.
The Cheetahs had the momentum in the last five minutes of the first half and went into the break with an 18-6 lead.
At the restart, they set up camp in the Reds' half and Watts slotted home a penalty which resulted from the Reds grounding a driving maul.
A clever inside pass by Quade Cooper from a scrum on the Cheetahs goal-line looked like a good try for fullback Luke Morahan, but the replay showed a forward pass from the Wallabies' playmaker.
Both teams started playing a more expansive game which led to more penalties with the visitors opting to use the lineout. It put the Cheetahs under immense pressure but, again, a forward pass smothered their chance of a five pointer.
The Cheetahs, meanwhile, scored points almost every time they progressed into the Reds' half with Watts adding another six points to his tally.
Replacement back Ben Lucas scored in the corner three minutes from time for the Reds but it was too little too late for the visitors.
Scorers:
Cheetahs:
Tries: Piet van Zyl (2)
Conversion: Elgar Watts
Penalties: Watts (5)
Reds:
Try: Ben Lucas
Conversion: Quade Cooper
Penalties: Cooper (2)
Teams:
Cheetahs:
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 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 Rynhardt Landman, 19 Johannes Prinsloo, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Riaan Smit, 22 Ryno Benjamin
Reds:
15 Luke Morahan, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Liam Gill, 6 Ed Quirk, 5 James Horwill (captain), 4 Rob Simmons, 3 James Slipper, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Greg Holmes
Substitutes: 16 James Hanson, 17 Albert Anae, 18 Ed O'Donoghue, 19 Beau Robinson, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Ben Lucas, 22 Ben Tapuai