Rugby
The Cheetahs stem the "Red Tide" in Bloem─── 21:06 Sat, 18 May 2013
Morgan Piek
Bloemfontein - The Toyota Cheetahs beat the Reds 27-13 in to keep their play-off hopes alive in a thrilling game of rugby. Both sides ran the ball from the outset, however, the visitors were more clinical in their attack. Much against the run of play, Piet van Zyl charged down a Reds kick and exploited Quade Coopers’ somewhat suspect defence to go over in the left corner for the games first try.
A lot of credit has to go to the Cheetahs defensive effort considering the Reds controlled the majority of the possession in the first half. Although the Rod Davies did go over for a try early in the game, it was disallowed because of obstruction during the final phase of their attack.
Piet van Zyl scored his and the Cheetahs second try in the 24th minute of the game. This time however he scored in the right corner. Elgar Watts kicking form his preferred side had no problem adding the extra two.
Much of the remainder of the first forty minutes the Cheetahs were forced to defend and they did so admirably. The Cheetahs went into the half-time break leading 18-6.
Elgar Watts stretched the score early in the second stanza via his trusty left-boot, after a brilliant opening passage by the home side. The Reds controlled possession well in first 15-minutes and even went over the whitewash twice only to the have both tries disallowed by the TMO.
Elgar Watts kept the board ticking for the Cheetahs with penalties from all corners of the field.
The pressure started to show as the Reds started makes a lot of silly mistakes such as kicking the ball out on the full from the kick-off, or not finding touch from a penalty. They had some consolation when Ben Lucas went over for their only try in the 78th minute of the game. However, it was too-little, too-late for the visitors.
Lappies Labuschagné deserves a special mention for yet another solid game in both defence and attack. Surely Labuschagné should be in Heyneke Meyer’s plans for the Springboks this yet.
Elgar Watts, himself has had a brilliant game and one would never have said that this was his first-ever Super Rugby start.
Piet van Zyl probably deserved being named man of the match for this two tries, but Lappies Labuschange, Elgar Watts and Adriaan Strauss could all have been man of the match as well.
Scorers
Cheetahs – Tries Piet van Zyl 2 Conv. Elgar Watts 1, Pen. Elgar Watts 5.
Reds – Tries Ben Lucas, Conv. Quade Cooper 1, Pen. Quade Cooper 2.
Bloemfontein - The Toyota Cheetahs beat the Reds 27-13 in to keep their play-off hopes alive in a thrilling game of rugby. Both sides ran the ball from the outset, however, the visitors were more clinical in their attack. Much against the run of play, Piet van Zyl charged down a Reds kick and exploited Quade Coopers’ somewhat suspect defence to go over in the left corner for the games first try.
A lot of credit has to go to the Cheetahs defensive effort considering the Reds controlled the majority of the possession in the first half. Although the Rod Davies did go over for a try early in the game, it was disallowed because of obstruction during the final phase of their attack.
Piet van Zyl scored his and the Cheetahs second try in the 24th minute of the game. This time however he scored in the right corner. Elgar Watts kicking form his preferred side had no problem adding the extra two.
Much of the remainder of the first forty minutes the Cheetahs were forced to defend and they did so admirably. The Cheetahs went into the half-time break leading 18-6.
Elgar Watts stretched the score early in the second stanza via his trusty left-boot, after a brilliant opening passage by the home side. The Reds controlled possession well in first 15-minutes and even went over the whitewash twice only to the have both tries disallowed by the TMO.
Elgar Watts kept the board ticking for the Cheetahs with penalties from all corners of the field.
The pressure started to show as the Reds started makes a lot of silly mistakes such as kicking the ball out on the full from the kick-off, or not finding touch from a penalty. They had some consolation when Ben Lucas went over for their only try in the 78th minute of the game. However, it was too-little, too-late for the visitors.
Lappies Labuschagné deserves a special mention for yet another solid game in both defence and attack. Surely Labuschagné should be in Heyneke Meyer’s plans for the Springboks this yet.
Elgar Watts, himself has had a brilliant game and one would never have said that this was his first-ever Super Rugby start.
Piet van Zyl probably deserved being named man of the match for this two tries, but Lappies Labuschange, Elgar Watts and Adriaan Strauss could all have been man of the match as well.
Scorers
Cheetahs – Tries Piet van Zyl 2 Conv. Elgar Watts 1, Pen. Elgar Watts 5.
Reds – Tries Ben Lucas, Conv. Quade Cooper 1, Pen. Quade Cooper 2.
