Heroic Sharks pip Cheetahs in thriller

The Hollywoodbets Sharks XV – reduced to 14 men on two occasions in the second half – pipped the Toyota Cheetahs 25-20 in an untidy but dramatic Carling Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein on Saturday night.

The Sharks, who received two yellow cards for infringements, maintained their interest in reaching the semifinal stage of the competition with a gritty performance that eventually saw them narrow winners against a frustrated Cheetahs who were, for long periods, prevented from playing their natural free-flowing game.

Scrumhalf Jadon Hendrickse and flyhalf Lionel Cronje both played important roles for the visitors, winning the kicking game against a team that dominated possession and territory but were unable to make those virtues count.

The Sharks were particularly impressive in the first half, slowing the game down and forcing the Cheetahs to play a game that was alien to them. Cronje and Ethan Wentzel shared penalties in the scrappy early going before the Sharks scored two tries in four minutes with winger Yaw Penxe first diving on a superb dink through by Cronje and then intercepting a long, looping pass from Aidon Davis to run three-quarters of the length of the field to dive over for his second.

Yaw Penxe bags a brace against the Toyota Cheetahs 🏉🏉

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As the first half ran down, the Cheetahs struck back with Corne Fourie touching down off a rumbling lineout drive. The conversion from Wentzel was good and the gap was only five, but on the whistle, Cronje converted a penalty from the halfway line to give the Sharks an eight-point gap at the break (18-10).

The second half began scrappily but the Sharks quickly lost loose forward Tino Maversere for a cynical offside infringement, a loss for the visitors that the Cheetahs quickly exploited as replacement forward Vernon Paulo touched down after a rolling maul following a lineout.

The play swept from end to end with both teams showing stern defence before the Sharks received another yellow card with nine minutes to go when Tiaan Swanepoel was adjudged to have knocked down a Cheetahs pass as they attacked down the Sharks’ left flank.

At last the Cheetahs were able to attack and a pop pass from lock Carl Wegner was taken by Wentzel who sprinted over. He missed the conversion, so with five minutes to go, the Cheetahs led 20-18.

Back came the Sharks, still with 14 men, and a reverse pass from Cronje released winger Eduan Keyter who showed great determination to burst through the Cheetahs’ defence to dot down under the posts. Cronje converted and the Sharks led by five, a lead they hung onto as the Cheetahs desperately sought a last score.

SCORERS

Cheetahs (10) 20, Sharks (18) 25

 Cheetahs: Tries – Corne Fourie, Vernon Paulo, Ethan Wentzel. Conversion – Wentzel. Penalty – Wentzel

 Sharks: Tries – Yaw Penxe (2), Eduan Keyter.

Conversions – Lionel Cronje (2). Penalties – Cronje (2)