Lunathi Nxele’s hat-trick of tries gave the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers the perfect start to their SA Cup campaign in Wellington on Saturday as they beat the Toyota Cheetahs by 45-29 at Boland Stadium.
The home side made a strong start to the match and took on the Toyota Cheetahs with some direct play before shifting it to their electrifying backs to exploit space out wide.
At set-piece time coach Hawies Fourie’s men also outsmarted the visitors by disrupting the Toyota Cheetahs’ lineouts and putting the Bloemfontein side’s scrum under pressure. The pressure led to Nxele scoring his first try within the first 10 minutes of play for a 7-0 lead as flyhalf Ashlon Davids converted the score.
The left-winger scored his second after more enterprising play from Sanlam Boland Cavaliers’ forwards and backs to go 12-0 up after 15 minutes.
At the 20-minute mark outside centre Xavier Mitchell thought he had scored the home side’s third five-pointer, as the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers turned over a Toyota Cheetahs line out and quickly played out wide, with Mitchell kicking the ball ahead but just not getting enough control as he tried to grab it while diving over the white line.
However, the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers did not have to wait too long for their third try after hooker Sidney Tobias crashed over from a powerful lineout drive – setup from a penalty they won in the scrum in the 23rd minute – to put his team 19-0 ahead.
The home side ended the opening half by conceding two consecutive tries, first, it was winger Prince Nkabinde and then loose forward Pierre Uys that saw their lead cut to just seven points as the teams hit the sheds with the halftime score 19-12.
After the break, an early penalty goal by Davids put the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers 22-12 ahead. Director of Rugby for the Toyota Cheetahs, Frans Steyn must have had a stern talking to his players because they came out firing in the second stanza and took the lead for the first time. Two tries apiece by replacement scrumhalf Jandré Nel and pivot George Lourens handed the Toyota Cheetahs the lead for the first time in the match, 25-29.
The sending off (yellow card) of replacement scrumhalf Godlen Masimla also added to the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers’ mid-game stutter as the Toyota Cheetahs threatened to start running away with the game.
Nxele’s third five-pointer, however, came against the run of play and turned the tide for the home side. The hosts regained the lead when the speedster pounced on a loose ball from a threatening Toyota Cheetahs attack, to dot down, completing his hat-trick.
Rejuvenated by Nxele’s third try the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers dominated the final quarter as replacement playmaker Garth April slotted two penalties to put the game out of reach for the visitors, before right winger Duren Hoffman delivered the final blow by scoring the home side’s fifth five-pointer, April adding the extras, 45-29
SCORERS (Halftime score between brackets):
SANLAM BOLAND CAVALIERS 45 (19) – Tries: Lunathi Nxele (3), Sidney Tobias and Duren Hoffman. Conversions: Ashlon Davids (2) and Garth April. Penalties: Davids (2) and April (2)
TOYOTA CHEETAHS 19 (12) – Tries: Prince Nkabinde, Pierre Uys, Jandré Nel (2), George Lourens. Conversions: George Lourens and Cohen Jasper.