The Airlink Pumas hosted the Toyota Cheetahs on Saturday and despite their desperate efforts, they could not overcome the 19-07 lead of the Toyota Cheetahs at the halftime break. The Toyota Cheetahs held on to win 29-14 after scoring their bonus-point try with the time already up.
The Airlink Pumas opened the scoring within the first eight minutes of the first half. Thereafter the Toyota Cheetahs started to dominate and scored three unanswered tries to go into the second half leading 19-07. The Airlink Pumas dominated the second half but could only add seven points from a penalty try to the ten points scored by the visitors to lose 29-14.
The Airlink Pumas had a strong start and scored their first try when Corne Fourie broke from the back of a 5m line-out and bulldozed his way over the tryline of the visitors to lead 07-00 after eight minutes of play.
Gideon van der Merwe scored his first try for the visitors following s 5m lineout mall. Minutes later trick play in the front of the lineout created space for Rewan Kruger and Marnus van der Merwe to bamboozle the defence of the Airlink Pumas. Rewan Kruger crashed over the Airlink Pumas tryline to take the lead for the first time in the match after twenty-five minutes of play.
Minutes later Marnus van der Merwe scored his first try of the match, from the back of a maul, to extend the visitor's lead to 19-07 and ten minutes to play in the first half. This was also the halftime score.
The Airlink Pumas dominated the first twenty minutes of the second half, however, resolute and desperate defence by the visitors kept the Airlink Pumas from scoring. A converted penalty by Ruan Pienaar opened the scoring in the second half to extend the Toyota Cheetahs's lead to 22-07.
Four minutes later the Airlink Pumas were awarded a penalty try. The yellow-carded Cohen Jasper (Toyota Cheetahs) prevented Airlink Pumas to fall on a ball inside the Toyota Cheetahs in-goal area.
George Cronje scored the bonus-point try for the Toyota Cheetahs with the time already up to secure a 29-14 bonus-point win.
Scorers:
Airlink Pumas: Try: Corne Fourie, Penalty Try. Conversion: Tinus de Beer.
Toyota Cheetahs: Tries: Gideon van der Merwe, Rewan Kruger, Marnus van der Merwe, George Cronje. Conversions: Ruan Pienaar (3). Penalty: Ruan Pienaar.
Teams:
Airlink Pumas: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Andrew Kota, 13 Diego Appollis, 12 Wian van Niekerk, 11 Etienne Taljaard, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9. Giovan Snyman, 8 Kwanda Dimaza, 7 Franna Kleinhans, 6 Andre Fouche, 5 Shane Kirkwood (c), 4 Deon Slabbert, 3 Simon Raw, 2 Corne Fourie, 1 Cameron Dawson. Replacements: 16 PJ Jacobs, 17 Dewald Maritz, 18 Etienne Janeke, 19 Malembe Mpofu, 20 Ruwald van der Merwe, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Gene Willemse, 23 Jaco Labuschagne.
Toyota Cheetahs: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 David Brits, 12 Reinhardt Fortuin, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Friedle Olivier, 7 Sibabalo Qoma, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (c), 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Schalk Ferreira. Replacements: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Jeandre Rudolph, 20 George Cronje, 21 Daniel Maartens, 22 Evardi Boshoff, 23 Robert Ebersohn.
