Cheetahs fend off WP

during the Currie Cup Rugby match between the Toyota Cheetahs and the Western Province at the Free State Stadium on 28 August 2015 ©Gerhard Steenkamp/BackpagePix

during the Currie Cup Rugby match between the Toyota Cheetahs and the Western Province at the Free State Stadium on 28 August 2015 ©Gerhard Steenkamp/BackpagePix

Published Aug 29, 2015

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Bloemfontein – Western Province failed to bounce back from the humiliation suffered at Loftus Versfeld a week ago as they suffered a 28-21 defeat at the hands of a revived Free State Cheetahs on Friday in Bloemfontein.

In a high-tempo match in which both sides showed great promise with ball-in-hand, it was the men from Bloemfontein who prevailed despite a valiant fightback from the visitors who only got into the game during the second half.

In a perfect start, the Cheetahs scored in the second minute of the match after Niel Jordaan charged down a Demetri Catrakilis kick. In one of his very few mistakes he made in the match, Fred Zeilinga missed the conversion.

The lead was, however, stretched to 8-0 in the sixth minute when Zeilinga converted a penalty.

Western Province were pinged again a few minutes later for being off-side, but Zeilinger missed his second relatively easy kick of the evening.

After an encouraging start by the hosts, Province eventually managed to put a few phases together and Catrakilis made no mistake with the penalty his men earned after the Cheetahs defence drifted offside.

Cheetahs' scrumhalf Shaun Venter then produced a brilliant break to score his team's second try of the evening. And with the conversion, the hosts enjoyed a 15-3 lead in the 16th minute.

Chasing the game, Province opted to go for a line-out, as opposed to the points, when they had some momentum on their side, but their effort from the attacking line-out was squandered and instead Zeilinga added three more points on the other end with a penalty. Province again charged deep into Cheetahs territory but knocked-on and had to watch as Raymond Rhule raced up-field before off-loading to Ryno Benjamin who scored his team's third try in the 26th minute.

With the conversion, the home side enjoyed a 25-3 lead. Seabelo Senatla initiated the fight-back when he scored just after the half-hour mark to make it 25-8 - Catrakilis missing the conversion.

A quick tap by Jano Vermaak ensured that Reinhardt Elstadt could go over for his team's second try in the 38th minute and on this occasion Catrakilis made no mistake with the conversion to make it a 10-point game.

The quick pace of the match was maintained in the second half, but neither side were able to finish the chances they created.

Replacement flyhalf Kurt Coleman chipped away at the Cheetahs lead in the 54th minute when he kicked a penalty to make it 25-18. This seemed to lift spirits and the Cape Town squad responded five minutes later when Coleman made it 25-21, and it was anyone's game at that stage.

Coleman later tried to make it a one-point game with an attempted drop-goal, but his shot drifted to the left of the posts.

To seal the score and possibly the match, replacement flyhalf Sias Ebersohn slotted a penalty in the 73rd minute, but his kick did not come without some controversy.

Ebersohn missed his first attempt but was given another chance after referee Stuart Berry ruled an offence by Province as the Cheetahs' kicker lined up his effort.

Scorers: Cheetahs 28 (25): Tries: Niel Jordaan, Henco Venter, Ryno Benjamin. Conversions: Fred Zeilinga (2). Penalties: Zeilinga (2), Sias Ebersohn. Western Province 21 (15): Tries: Seabelo Senatla, Rynhardt Elstadt. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis. Penalties: Catrakilis (1), Kurt Coleman (2) - African News Agency (ANA)

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