The Toyota Cheetahs survived a brilliant fight back from the NovaVit Griffons to hold on for a tight 47-45 win in their Carling Currie Cup clash at the North West Stadium in Welkom on Friday afternoon.
The hosts almost pulled off an amazing upset, after finding themselves 33-0 down at a stage in the first half, only to battle back superbly, as both teams scored seven tries each, with just one conversion separating them at the end of the day.
Full-Time:
— Toyota Cheetahs (@CheetahsRugby) July 26, 2024
🏆 @TheCurrieCup
NovaVit Griffons 45-47 Toyota Cheetahs#GRIvCHE#TheCarlingCurrieCup @ToyotaSA pic.twitter.com/TkABHM2UCG
It was a busy start to the match as both sides had early chances to get on the board but couldn’t finish after getting into each other’s 22m areas.
The Cheetahs then flew into a massive lead thanks to five tries during a 20-minute period, starting in the 13th minute when they attacked from a lineout in the Griffons 22m, with a number of pick and goes before lock Carl Wegner crashed over, converted by flyhalf Ethen Wentzel.
Nine minutes later the visitors were in for their second, with outside centre CJ Coetzee going on a fantastic run, which included bumping off two attempted tackles, to go over for the unconverted score and 12-0 lead.
The Cheetahs were now in full flow and powered on with three more quick tries, as Cohen Jasper kicked through and put in a big tackle in the Griffons 22m, with the loose ball picked up by prop Aranos Coetzee to rumble over for the converted try making it 19-0 after 25 minutes.
The Griffons had conceded a number of penalties in the half and after being warned, outside centre Keanu Vers was the unlucky man to be sent to the bin in the 29th minute.
The Cheetahs immediately took advantage, rumbling over a maul for hooker Corne Fourie to dot down from, before they found space on attack for flank Daniel Maartens to run in untouched, both converted by Wentzel, to put the visitors 33-0 up after 33 minutes.
SUPERB FIGHT
The hosts, however started, a comeback towards the end of the first half, sparked by a brilliant counterattack from inside centre Robbie Petzer who broke from his own half to the Cheetahs 22m, where he tried to pass to his support, only for Jasper to intervene with a deliberate knock down.
This saw him yellow carded, while the ref also awarded a penalty try to get the Griffons on the board, and they followed that up with captain Thato Mavundla bursting through to score after the halftime hooter, converted by wing Andrew Kota to make it 33-14 at the break.
The hosts got off to a flying start to the second half, attacking from the kick-off, with wing Gurshwin Wehr breaking into the visitors 22m and offloading to flank Rian Olivier for the converted try and to reduce the deficit to 12 points.
But the Cheetahs finally hit back in the 50th minute as they set up a lineout in the Griffons 22m, set the maul and powered it towards the line, where it was brought down illegally and held up, leading to a penalty try and yellow card to replacement hooker Chadley Wenn who had just come on.
Despite being down a man the Griffons showed superb fight to score twice in the period, first attacking from a scrum in the Cheetahs 22m, with fullback Kyle Cyster stepping over, followed by Wehr breaking from his own half to score, converted by Kota as they battled back to 40-33 after 60 minutes.
Back to their full complement the hosts completed the comeback two minutes later as they produced a fantastic attack from their own half, Cyster breaking down the wing, offloading and following up to go over for his second, with the conversion levelling the scores.
The ridiculous match continued as the Cheetahs retook the lead in the 65th minute as a big scrum in the Griffons 22m allowed eighthman Neels Volschenk to pick up and run over untouched, with the extras putting them into a 47-40 lead.
With time ticking down the Griffons stunned the Cheetahs with a terrific second try to Wehr, as he sprinted from close to his own 22m, all the way to score near the right hand corner, with Kota pulling his equalising conversion attempt just wide, which proved to be the final points as the Cheetahs held on over the final two minutes.
More action in the final moments than some games have in all 80 minutes 😲🏉#CarlingCurrieCup pic.twitter.com/deEAM3olOt
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 26, 2024
SCORERS
Griffons: Tries - Penalty Try, Thato Mavundla, Rian Olivier, Kyle Cyster (2), Gurshwin Wehr (2); Conversions - Andre Kota (4)
Cheetahs: Tries - Carl Wegner, CJ Coetzee, Aranos Coetzee, Corne Fourie, Daniel Maartens, Penalty Try, Neels Volschenk; Conversions - Ethan Wentzel (5)