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Highlanders' 100 percent record intact

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:02

Big game: Highlanders flank Adam Thomson

The Highlanders maintained their 100 per cent Super 14 record against the Cheetahs when they beat them 31-24 in dramatic fashion in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

It was even tighter than may be indicated by the final score and TMO Shaun Veldsman had a busy day, being called on to give a series of adjudications on whether tries had been scored.

In the end the Highlanders outscored the Cheetahs by three tries to two - ensuring they have won all five encounters between the two teams since the inception of the Super 14.

It was a game which the Cheetahs could have won, but if they are to win more than a handful of matches in the competition they will have to impose their tempo on the opposition and make fewer errors - especially in conceding entirely avoidable penalties and in not missing crucial tackles.

They allowed the Highlanders to disrupt their pattern too easily and it was only in bits and pieces that they succeeded in achieving the continuity in attack that makes them such a dangerous team. A few times gilt-edged opportunities to score tries were lost through bad options and not looking after the ball, by knocking on or losing the ball forward in contact.

The Highlanders will be happy with their first win and especially with their three tries, each of which was impressive in different ways - the first for continuity and support, the second for creating something out of nothing and the third for wonderful skill.

It was nowhere near a complete performance by the Highlanders but it does represent progress as a team and for number of their individuals, and it will serve to give them confidence for their tough encounter with the Stormers at Newlands next weekend.

The Cheetahs drew first blood when Naas Olivier goaled a long, angled  penalty in the fifth minute when from a line-out a group of Highlanders forwards started chasing Jimmy Cowan's box-kick before they had been put onside (3-0).

The Highlanders struck back two minutes later when they kept the ball in hand and close support allowed excellent continuity - with flyhalf Michael Hobbs, hooker Jason Rutledge and tighthead Clint Newland setting up outside centre Kenny Lynn for an excellently constructed try. Hobbs converted and the visitors were ahead 7-3.

In the 21st minute loosehead prop Jamie Mackintosh failed to release a tackled player and Olivier reduced the lead to one point with another angled penalty-goal (7-6).

The Cheetahs made costly errors in the 28th minute when hooker Adriaan Strauss lost the ball forward in contact inside the Highlanders' half, and with the Cheetahs leaving the blindside unguarded, left wing Fetu'u Vainikolo picked up and ran a long way with no defender anywhere close enough to challenge him. Hobbs's kick flew wide but the Highlanders led 12-6.

Towards the end of the half, the Cheetahs managed at last to up the tempo and string a series of passes together but a promising movement died when Jongi Nokwe kicked the ball dead.

With the now increased pace of the game suiting their attacking sorties the Cheetahs came close to crossing the tryline but had to be satisfied with a Naas Olivier close-range penalty as reward for their sustained attack (12-9).

But a dangerous tackle by Olivier on Lynn gave Israel Dagg a shot at goal from in front of the posts and 40 metres out. He made no mistake and the visitors led 15-9 going into the break.

Neither side had gained meaningful ascendancy in the half, but the game had been played more at the slower tempo which suited the Highlanders than at the quick pace at which the Cheetahs like to play, and the only two tries had come from the Highlanders - the first from continuity and the second from Cheetahs errors.

The Highlanders had spent more time in the Cheetahs 22 but the seven penalties awarded to the home team had kept them in touch. The Highlanders had been awarded only two penalties.

At the start of the second half Highlanders' No.8 Adam Thomson's attempted no-look pass through his legs was intercepted by Naas Olivier. The Cheetahs failed to score the try in the offing but when the visitors were penalised in front of their posts, Olivier goaled his fourth penalty and the Highlanders' lead was reduced to 15-12 after 43 minutes.

But two minutes later Cheetahs' flank  Heinrich Brussow was penalised at breakdown and Dagg stretched the lead to 18-12.

Coenie Oosthuizen replaced Wian du Preez at loosehead and soon gave away a penalty for off-side as, on the wrong side of a ruck on his 22, he stood up slowly from the ground and strolled back at even more pedestrian pace. He got in Cowan's way and Dagg slotted the kick from in front of the posts (21-12).

The Cheetahs launched a strong attack, keeping ball in hand and Nokwe came close but was tackled into touch just short of the goal-line. Cowan's relief kick sent the Cheetahs' a long way back.

In the 56th minute Brussow crashed over the tryline after a strong 25 metre run in which he handed off two defenders.

Cowan and James Paterson (on as substitute for Vainikolo) tackled him as he attempted to ground the ball over the line and there was doubt as to whether the ball had been held up, but after repeated viewing TMO Shaun Veldsman ruled that a try had been scored. Olivier converted and at 21-19 to the Highlanders it had become a tight game.

Olivier had a chance to take the Cheetahs into the lead two minutes later but his penalty kick was wide of the uprights.

All the pressure was being exerted by the home team but a golden chance to score a second try went awry when after a strong burst down the middle by skipper Juan Smith, Strauss knocked on.

In the 66th minute Oosthuizen made another error which could have cost his team points when he failed to bind at a scrum but Dagg's penalty attempt drifted across the posts.

However, Dagg took the Highlanders into a 24-19 lead three minutes later when the Cheetahs were pinged for failing to release on the ground.

Hobbs showed real class as an attacker two minutes later when he carved the home team's defence wide open with a skilful, elusive run down the middle of the field. He passed to his inside centre Jason Shoemark, who was tackled just short of the line, but Hobbs was on hand to pick up and dot down next to the left upright. Dagg converted and the Highlanders led 31-19.

With less than three minutes to play, Juan Smith got over the line after a powerful run and TMO Veldsman again looked at a series of slow-motion replays before advising referee Pro Legoete to award the try. The conversion attempt was missed and it was 31-24 to the visitors with two minutes to play.

The TMO was called into action for another tough decision when Cowan tapped and ran from a penalty and attempted to ground the ball for a try but this time Veldsman ruled that the ball had been grounded short of the line.

The hooter sounded less than a minute later, leaving both the Highlanders and Cheetahs with one win from their three games.

Man of the Match: The star for the Cheetahs, as so often, was Juan Smith, undoubtedly one of the world's great loose-forwards. Brussow, too, is so effective as a flank, stronger than his size would indicate and marvellous in his workrate. For the Highlanders, Vainikolo was always an attacking threat, Dagg showed class at fullback, and Thomson showed why he is an All Black loose forward. Cowan is a wily scrumhalf and masterful director of operations, but for us the class act on the field was Highlanders' flyhalf Michael Hobbs. He has great skills and is an emerging star in New Zealand rugby.

The scorers:

To the Cheetahs:
Tries: Brüssow, Smith
Con: Olivier
Pens: Olivier 4

For the Highlanders:
Tries: Lynn, Vainikolo, Hobbs
Cons: Hobbs, Dagg
Pens: Hobbs, Dagg 3

Teams:

Cheetahs: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Danwel Demas, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Naas Olivier, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Frans Viljoen, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Nico Breedt, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Waltie Vermeulen, 19 Ashley Johnson, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Hennie Daniller.

Highlanders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Kenny Lynn, 12 Jason Shoemark, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Michael Hobbs, 9 Jimmy Cowan (captain), 8 Adam Thomson, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 John Hardie, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Replacements: 16 Jason Macdonald, 17 Chris King, 18 Hayden Triggs, 19 Tim Boys, 20 Sean Romans, 21 Mat Berquist, 22 James Paterson.

Referee: Pro Legoete (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry (South Africa), Andrew Lees (Australia)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

By Len Kaplan

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