29 September 2026
The Castilla y León Iberians ignited a furious opening assault to overpower the Toyota Cheetahs in a high-octane encounter. A blistering three-try blitz in the opening quarter set the foundation for a clinical performance from the hosts. Despite a fierce second-half fightback from the South African franchise, the Iberians held their nerve at the death to secure a memorable 22-19 victory.
The Iberians caught the visitors sleeping, crossing the whitewash after just ten minutes. Flanker Vicente Boronat crashed through the defensive line for the opening try, with flyhalf Augustin Cittadini adding the extras. Before the Cheetahs could regroup, winger Martiniano Cian gashed the defence wide open to dot down in the 18th minute, stretching the Iberians' early lead.
Boronat was unstoppable in the early exchanges, bagging his brace in the 23rd minute after a powerful rolling maul demolished the Cheetahs' lineout defence. Cittadini’s boot made it 19-0, leaving the visitors staring down a massive deficit. The Cheetahs finally found their teeth in the 27th minute when Erich Visser rumbled over, with Ntokozo Makhaza slotting the conversion to keep them within touching distance at halftime.
The second half turned into a gruelling war of attrition as both coaches rang the changes from the bench. Makhaza breathed life into the Cheetahs' comeback trail with a brilliantly taken try in the 51st minute. He then turned provider and finisher in the 72nd minute, sniping through to score and convert his own try, pulling the Cheetahs to within striking distance.
With the game hanging on a knife-edge, the Iberians dug deep into their defensive reserves to halt the Cheetahs' late onslaught. Under immense pressure, Cittadini stepped up in the 79th minute to slot an ice-cool penalty, sealing the game for the hosts. The final whistle sounded at 80 minutes, confirming a hard-fought and tactical victory for the Iberians.
Scorers:
Iberians: Tries: Vicente Boronat (2), Martiniano Cian. Conversions: Augustin Cittadini (2). Penalty: Augustin Cittadini.
Toyota Cheetahs: Tries: Erich Visser, Ntokozo Makhaza. Conversions: Ntokozo Makhaza (2)
Teams:
Iberians: 1 Lucas Santamaria, 2 Santiago Ovejero, 3 Iker Aduriz, 4 Ignacio Pineiro, 5 Antonio Suarez, 6 Vicente Boronat, 7 Matthew Foulds, 8 Valentino Rizzo, 9 Estanislao Bay, 10 Augustin Cittadini, 11 Pau Aira, 12 Yago Fernandez, 13 Inaki Mateu, 14 Martiniano Cian, 15 John-Wessel Bell Ibe. Replacements: 16 Diego Gonzales, 17 Raul Calzon, 18 Ariol Franch, 19 Imanol Urraza, 20 Alex Saleta, 21 Nicolas Infer Arias, 22 Alvar Gimeno, 23 Beltran Ortega.
Toyota Cheetahs: 1 Tielman Nieuwoudt, 2 Jaundre Schoeman, 3 Ben Pitout, 4 Aidon Davis, 5 Juan Venter, 6 Siyemukela Ndlovu, 7 Siya Ningiza, 8 Mihlali Mosi, 9 Erich Visser, 10 Ethan Wentze, 11 Ntokozo Makhaza, 12 Daniel Maartens, 13 Marco Janse Van Vuren, 14 Litha Nkula, 15 Shaun Ray. Replacements: 16 Stefan Venter, 17 Sibabalwe Booi, 18 JK Okonkwo, 19 Carl Wegner, 20 Arno van der Merwe, 21 Jandre Nel, 22 Darius Erwee, 23 Sisonke Vumazonke.