The Free State Cheetahs scored seven tries in their 45-34 win against the Pumas in Nelspruit on Wednesday. SIMON BORCHARDT reports.
It was the log leaders’ third bonus-point win in as many Currie Cup matches, while the Pumas suffered their second defeat in three outings.
Six tries saw Free State lead 38-3 after 38 minutes, and while the Pumas responded well with five of their own, the damage had already been done.
Justin van Staden kicked an early penalty for the hosts, but the Cheetahs raced out to a 21-3 lead, thanks to tries by Reniel Hugo, Makazole Mapimpi and Rayno Benjamin.
Free State’s second try came from a Pumas knock-on near halfway, and the hosts would also regret failing to score from two successive 5m scrums when they trailed 14-3. From the first, Stefan Ungerer was held up over the line, and from the second, Marko Janse van Rensburg conceded a free kick by not attempting to hook the ball.
Free State lost flyhalf Niel Marais to a dislocated shoulder, which resulted in a backline reshuffle, but that didn’t hinder Free State’s first-half progress.
Pumas wing Jerome Pretorius was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on in the 28th minute when the Cheetahs had an overlap out wide, and the visitors scored three tries while he was off. Jacques du Toit went over from a lineout driving maul and replacement wing Malcolm Jaer grabbed a double in quick succession.
Ruwellyn Isbell’s failure to ground the ball behind his tryline had resulted in Jaer’s second, but the Pumas wing made amends by scoring just before the break.
The Pumas came out firing in the second half and were rewarded with two tries to Kwezi Mona.
Niell Jordaan scored the Cheetahs’ seventh try, before the Pumas responded with another two through Frank Herne and Pretorius.
The hosts lost Devon Williams to the sin bin late in the game for a deliberate knock-on. Mapimpi should have scored in the last play to get Free State to 50, but grounded the ball on his foot over the tryline and lost control of it.
Pumas – Tries: Ruwellyn Isbell, Kwezi Mona (2), Frank Herne, Jerome Pretorius. Conversions: Justin van Staden (2). Penalty: Van Staden.
Free State Cheetahs – Tries: Reniel Hugo, Makazole Mapimpi, Rayno Benjamin, Jacques du Toit, Malcolm Jaer (2), Niell Jordaan. Conversion: Niel Marais (3), Clayton Blommetjies (2).
Pumas – 15 Devon Williams, 14 Jerome Pretorius, 13 Gerrit Smith, 12 Hennie Skorbinski, 11 Ruwellyn Isbell, 10 Justin van Staden, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Lambert Groenewald, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Francois Kleinhans, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Jeremy Jordaan, 3 Pieter Scholtz, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Kwezi Mona.
Subs: 16 Frank Herne, 17 De-Jay Terblanche, 18 Cameron Lindsay, 19 Chris Cloete, 20 Reynier van Rooyen, 21 Kobus Marais, 22 Neil Maritz.
Free State Cheetahs – 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Rosco Speckman, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 Rayno Benjamin, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Niel Marais, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Niell Jordaan (c), 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Justin Basson, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Ox Noche.
Subs: 16 Erich de Jager, 17 Joseph Dweba, 18 Rynier Bernado, 19 Junior Pokomela, 20 Zee Mkhabela, 21 JW Jonker, 22 Malcolm Jaer.
Photo: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
