Bloemfontein – Free State Cheetahs coach Rory Duncan welcomed the two points earned after the intense 30-30 Currie Cup draw against the Sharks in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Cheetahs dominated early courtesy of two tries by veteran scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius at the Free State Stadium.
But the home side saw their lead overturned four minutes from full time after Sharks captain Tera Mtembu jotted down for a brilliant try.
Trailing by three points it was left up to flyhalf Willie du Plessis to salvage the draw with a last-minute kick after the hooter sounded.
“We got some points at the end of the day. We had opportunities to put them away and we didn’t take them. For Willie to step up and take the penalty under huge pressure was courageous,” Duncan said.
An aspect of the Cheetah’s game Duncan was pleased with, was their running game which they would look to continue against the Eastern Province Kings in their next match.
“We wanted to come out against the Sharks and play more with the ball. Obviously we take every game on it’s own merit, but we felt that we can do that against the Sharks and it almost paid off for us.”
Sharks coach Brad McLeod-Henderson accepted the draw but admitted that victory would have been much sweeter.
“With the 80 minutes we had four points in the bag and then gave it away. Obviously I am happy with the way the guys came back. For the last 20 minutes there was just one team on the field and to end with a draw is really gut-wrenching,” McLeod-Henderson said.
Against the Blue Bulls next weekend, the Sharks need to be play better, he said.
“There are some positives to build on. Obviously they are still a threat as the competition is still wide open and we can’t afford another loss.” – Sapa