The Cheetahs travel to Witbank to take on the Pumas tonight, a match that they will have to win if they are to have any chance of a home semi final. The Pumas though will do the Sharks and more importantly the Bulls, a huge favour in term of final placings, as a win for the Bulls could level matters for the two teams.
The Cheetahs have had a few players ruled out through injuries, but have been fortunate in the quality of backup, with WP Nel coming in for Coenie Oosthuizen and Sias Ebersohn replacing Johan Goosen in the flyhalf jersey.
We have seen the Cheetahs rip apart the minnow teams this season so far, so I would not be surprised by a mammoth margin. That said, the Pumas have improved since their first round encounter, and with them being at home, this could turn out to be a close match.
Pumas: MJ Mentz; Wilhelm Loock, JW Jonker, Dewald Pretorius, Johan Jackson; Carl Bezuidenhout, Shaun Venter; Doppies le Roux, Jaco Bouwer, Corné Steenkamp (capt), Eduan van der Walt, JP Mostert, Ashley Buys, Pellow van der Westhuizen, Dawie Steyn.
Replacements: Torsten van Jaarsveld/Mike De Nieully-Rice, Brett Nel, Nicol Mostert, RW Kember, Hendrik van der Nest, Coenie van Wyk, Siviwe Magaba.
Cheetahs: 15. Hennie Daniller, 14. Rayno Benjamin, 13. Robert Ebersohn, 12. Philip Snyman, 11. Cameron Jacobs, 10. Sias Ebersohn, 9. Piet van Zyl, 8. Ashley Johnson, 7. Philip Van der Walt, 6. Pieter Labuschagne, 5. Izak van der Westhuizen, 4. Francois (FS) Uys, 3. WP Nel, 2. Adriaan Strauss (Captain), 1. Marcel Van Der Merwe
Replacements: 16. Hercu Liebenberg, 17. Trevor Nyakane, 18. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19. Boom Prinsloo, 20. Tewis de Bruyn, 21. Riaan Smit, 22. Andries Strauss
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There is quite a few potholes on the field
Pumas looking good on attack, just knocking the ball on
Puma Pk, just to the left
Pumas 0 – 0 Fs Cheetahs
4minutes
Pumas get another Pk, over
Pumas 3 – 0 Fs Cheetahs
9minutes
Cheetahs scrum looking good
For the 2nd time the cheets play themselfs into a position to scored knocks the ball
Pumas awarded another penalty but the kick is miss again
Pk Bezuidenhout miss
Pumas 3 – 0 Fs Cheetahs
22minutes
cheetahs awarded a penalty, takes the line out. Turnover by pumas
Cheetahs gets another penalty for the Pumas slowing the ball down, and for the 3rd time they choose the line out
Cheetahs try, vd Walt
Sias converts
Pumas 3 – 7 Fs Cheetahs
29minutes
Pumas 5metres out
Pretoriu 🙂 s gets a try for the Pumas down
Pumas 10 – 7 Fs Cheetahs
34minutes
Pk Bezuidenhout miss
Pumas 13 – 7 Fs Cheetahs
37minutes
Pk Bezuidenhout
Pumas 13 – 7 Fs Cheetahs
37minutes
I like this so far… I like it a LOT
Cheetahs on the attack again but again they loose the ball..
I wish it was shown here. 🙁
Half time
Pumas 13 – 7 Fs Cheetahs
HALF TIME
Man. Life without Johan Goosen isn’t easy.
@beet (Comment 25) : can you believe that they miss that guy that much
2nd half on the way
Pumas straight on attack again
@Franshark (Comment 26) : Vrystaat aren’t gonna miss Ryno Benjamin’s visionary long pass esp after he hesitates a bit before making it.
Pumas pulling the scrum down and Cheetahs gets releave from a penalty kick
Cheetahs over line to score….. Forward pass…
TMO for vd Merwe try, awarded
Marcel vd Merwe has amazing upperbody strength.
Sias convert
Pumas 13 😯 – 14 Fs Cheetahs
47minutes
Sias convert
Pumas 13 – 14 Fs Cheetahs
47minutes
@Franshark (Comment 32) : And as expected the Cheetahs will not let this slip away and will open a gap in the 2nd half.
I’m doing the scoring on a new device and its going all bonkers..
@KSA Shark © (Comment 36) : to win by 26 😉
@Franshark (Comment 38) : watch!
Penalty for Cheets @ scrum, sias to stretch the lead
Sias PK
Pumas 13 – 17 Fs Cheetahs
52minutes
@KSA Shark © (Comment 39) : don’t know how you do proper blogging on a tablet
Pumas get some points back thru a PK
Pumas 16 – 17 Fs Cheetahs
56minutes
Pumas 5 meter out
Pumas penalty straight in front, quick tap and try for Bouwer
Very good passage of continuity by the Pumas. All started in their own red zone by a mistake by their scrummy Venter who then made amends with a good break.
Convertion over
Pumas 23 – 17 Fs Cheetahs
60minutes
A well executed counter-ruck and turnover is still one of the most enjoyable sights on a rugby field.
Cheetahs running from their 10 meter line
@beet (Comment 48) : and the pumas did it well, just to loose the ball via a knockon
Uncontested scrums coz Ashley Buys is off
Cheetahs pinned in their own half by the pumas
@Franshark (Comment 52) : playing against themselves? 🙂
Cheetahs held up over the try line of the pumas
@KSA Shark © (Comment 53) : 😳
Pumas warned, and now a yellow card for vd walt
Cheetahs held up again..
Waves of attack on the Pumas try line… Forward pass by Ashley..
Uncontested scrums and cleared by venter
And again the cheetahs on attack
5 meters out, and Sias score
Good pop pass by Boom
Beautifully struck kick out of the left corner by Sias E.
Conversion over, brilliant kick from the side line
Pumas 23 – 24 Fs Cheetahs
77minutes
Cud still be a good evening for us if the Cheetahs don’t get the BP.
@Franshark (Comment 64) : check they have 24, I almost had the 26 spot on. 😛
Pumas have been unlucky the entire season
Crap. The bonus point.
Sias is my FL captain 😎
Cheetahs now going for bonus point .. And Andries score it
@beet (Comment 65) : with 2minutes left. i doubt there is any chance of them getting the BP. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 71) : 😳
I managed a margin point, I think.
Conversion missed
Pumas 23 – 29 Fs Cheetahs
FULL TIME
@beet (Comment 65) : how many tries have they now?
@JarsonX (Comment 73) : Not! 🙄 Because the conversion was missed. Had Cheetahs by 12.
The Pumas no 8 undid all his good work in the last 10min with his lack of focus and poor composure under pressure.
Ah crap 🙁
4 tries by the Cheetahs. 2 in the last 10. That KSAS sure knows how to bring on the smooch of death.
This basically means that we need to get winning BPs tomorrow and 1 against the Lions at home next week to be guaranteed a home semi.
If WP can knock over the Lions tomorrow (highly unlikely, we cud get a home semi just by beating both the Leopards with a BP and the Lions.
However if WP do win in Jozi against the odds, chance are they will end with 45 points or one more and if the Bulls get 10 points vs Griquas and Leopards, they will be on 43, so to be save as an absolute minimum, we need 5 points tomorrow + at least 1 point vs the Lions to get into the semis. 😐
Exciting fortnight ahead. 🙂
Goeie game, te veel driee FS
@Sharkster (Comment 81) :
eish
Well done FS now lets just hope we win our game