Photo Credit: Speedshots.co.za
Festive season Carling Currie Cup rugby action continued with the staging of the Round Five match in Bloemfontein between the Toyota Cheetahs and Cells C Sharks. The Cheetahs scored a much-needed bonus point win with 37-10.
The Toyota Cheetahs controlled much of the game on the back of their dominant scrum and the accurate boot of Frans Steyn.
00:36 A mistake from the kick-off by the Sharks saw Cheetahs' captain Carl Wegner score the first try for the Cheetahs of the match. (07-00)
03:13 Yet another mistake, however, this time by the Cheetahs lead to an intercept try by Yaw Penxe levelled the scores. (07-07)
The first ten minutes of the game was played at a furious pace after which the heat took its toll and the game settled.
13:45 Marnus vs Merwe scored the Cheetahs second try after setting up camp on the Sharks' tryline for several minutes. A lot of patience shown by the Cheetahs on attack eventually paid off after another maul.
20:00 The Sharks clawed their way back into the game on the back of some ill-discipline by the Cheetahs. The Sharks not able at that stage to convert the penalties into points as they refused several opportunities to kick at the poles.
25:31 Frans Steyn added three points to the Cheetahs score. (17-07)
29:50 Frans Steyn added three points more. (20-07)
36:10 Curwin Bosch convert a penalty. (20-10)
40:10 Rhyno Smith scored the Cheetahs third try of the game after a quick tap following a penalty. (27-10)
Half-time. The Cheetahs deservedly in the lead as they used every opportunity to score. The scrums of the Cheetahs a valuable source of penalties at that stage.
49:42 Two yellow cards against the Cheetahs reduced them to 13 players.
56:35 Frans Steyn added his fourth converted penalty. (30-10)
57:42 Cheetahs are back to 14 men.
59:42 Cheetahs are back to 15 men.
60:00 With 20 minutes to go the game degraded to an unstructured mess with the tempers flaring up every now and then.
82:41 Nothing much happened in the last 20 minutes of the game with the most excitement reserved for the last three minutes before Boan Venter scored the Cheetahs' fourth and bonus point try. (37-10)
Scorers:
Toyota Cheetahs; Tries: Carl Wegner, Marnus vd Merwe, Rhyno Smith, Boan Venter. Conversions: Frans Steyn (5). Penalty: Frans Steyn.
Cell C Sharks: Try: Yaw Penxe. Conversion: Curwin Bosch.
The teams:
Toyota Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 William Small-Smith, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Ruben de Haas, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Andisa Ntsila, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Carl Wegner (captain), 3 Khutha Mchunu, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Boan Venter. Replacements: Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Cameron Dawson, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Victor Sekekete, 20 George Cronje, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Howard Mnisi, 23 Rhyno Smith.
Cell C Sharks: 15 Manie Libbok, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Jeremy Ward, 11 Yaw Penxe, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Dylan Richardson, 5 Aston Fortuin, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 John Hubert-Meyer, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Khwezi Mona, 18 Michael Kumbirai, 19 JJ vd Mescht, 20 Thembelani Bholi, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Madosh Tambwe, 23 Aphelele Fassi.