Cheetahs inviting trouble
Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:37
The Cheetahs failed to impress as their near full-strength team struggled to beat an Eastern Province invitation selection 13-9 in a Super 14 pre-season outing in the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elisabeth on Saturday.
Based on their opening match of the year, the men from Bloemfontein will be inviting trouble and could finish last in the competition if they don't show a dramatic improvement in form.
Fielding a powerful combination - made up of the best from the Free State Cheetahs and Griquas, including five Springboks - the Super 14 outfit were troubled throughout by an invitation selection fielding just one Bok in captain De Wet Barry.
The Eastern Province team, who were hoping to gain entry into the Super Rugby arena in the guise of the Southern Kings, would have been heartened by a performance in which they showed plenty of guts.
Based of a rock solid defence the EP outfit found it easy to disrupt a Cheetahs team struggling with cohesion.
The high error count of the visitors would have done nothing for the confidence of the Cheetahs, just three weeks ahead of their opening Super 14 encounter with the defending champion Bulls.
The highlight of the Cheetahs' performance was their all-Springbok loose trio of Ashley Johnson, Juan Smith and Heinrich Brussow.
Apart from Barry, who showed that he had benefitted from training with the Bulls the last couple of months, flank Zolani Mofu again showed that he could be destined for higher honours.
The Scorers:
For the Eastern Province XV:
Pens: Peach 3
For the Cheetahs:
Try: Ebersohn
Con: De Bruyn
Pens: De Bruyn 2
Teams:
Eastern Province Invitation XV squad: Justin Peach, Christopher Juries, Jaco Bekker, Luvuyo Mhlobiso, Howard Noble, Ryan Brown, Marlon Lewis, Sivuyile Kobokana, Yves Bashiya, Zolani Mofu, Hein Potgieter, Brendan Snyman, Sangoni Mxoli, Robert Dyer, Pumlani Nodikida, Neil Jacobs, Patrick Mulamba, Nolan Clark, Andries Smit, Siyanda Grey, Sinethemba Jack, Jacques Potgieter, De Wet Barry (captain).
Cheetahs: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Corné Uys, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Tewis de Bruyn, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Nico Breedt, 3 WP Nel, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Albertus Buckle, 17 Skipper Badenhorst, 18 Walti Vermeulen, 19 Frans Viljoen, 20 Sias Ebersohn, 21 Danwel Demas, 22 Hennie Daniller.
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referees: Phillip Bosch, Christie du Preez
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