Highlanders beat Cheetahs in Bloemfontein

Out of the last five Super Rugby matches between the Bloemfontein based Cheetahs and the Dunedin based Highlanders the Cheetahs have won one and the Highlanders four.

Match detail

We are waiting for the kick off.

The Cheetahs kick off and we are underway. 

2.00: The Highlanders show early that they want to run the ball. The game is held up as the TMO wants to have a look for some foul play. Nothing in it and an accidental knock. 

3.00: The Highlanders work the ball into the Cheetahs 22. They win a scrum and kick wide for a wide open Ryan Tongia who gets the ball and scores a try on his debut without being touched. 

5.00: Lima Sopoaga slots the conversion. 

7.00; The Cheetahs use the boot by kicking for territory. They set up a Highlanders line out in the Highlanders half. 

8.00: The Highlanders win the line out and chip the ball over the Cheetahs but there is a knock on by the Landerss. 

12.00; The Highlanders try the chip kick and chase but the Cheetahs get back. Aaron Smith is caught offside so the Cheetahs have a penalty and kick for touch. 

13.00: Penalty for going off the feet at the breakdown to the Cheetahs. Francois Brummer will kick for posts. 

14.00: Francois Brummer takes the shot and nails it. 

16.00: BG Uys comes on as a blood replacement for Danie Minnie. The Highlanders win the line out and move the ball quickly wide to Ryan Tongia who chips over the Cheetahs, regathers the ball and scores. TRY – The TMO checks. Great skill for a man on his debut. 

17.00: Sopoaga takes the conversion from almost the same place and he nails it. 

20.00: Penalty to the Cheetahs for side entry. They kick for touch and set up the line out. 

21.00: The Highlanders steal the ball at the line out and chip the ball ahead. The Cheetahs take the mark and then they win a penalty as Fekitoa did not retreat 10. 

24.00: Penalty to the Cheetahs as Tongia tackles a player on the ground – he is new to the rugby union rules. 

25.00: The Highlanders attack down the wing and they go wide. Nasi Manu almost gets there but he is tackled and gets the ball out to Aaron Smith who catches the ball from an incredible angle and slides over to score. TRY! 

26.00: Lima Sopoaga takes the conversion kick from out wide. He misses. 

29.00: The Highlanders score the bonus point TRY as Ben Smith chips the ball through and Patrick Osborne and Malakai Fekitoa pounce on the ball. Osborne scores. 

31.00: Sopoaga takes the conversion kick and nails it. 

36.00: The Highlanders show some good ball rentention skills as they work the ball through 10 phases up the field. They chip the ball through and Clayton Blommetjies kicks for territory. Ben Smith boots it back and Bloemmetjies tries to run the ball. 

38.00: Penalty to the Highlanders for not releasing. 

39.00: Lima Sopoaga takes the penalty shot but misses. 

40.00: The siren sounds. Its half time. 

The half time score was Cheetahs 3 Highlanders 26

The Highlanders kick off and the second half is underway. 

42.00: Raymond Rhule comes on for Rayno Benjamin. The HIghlanders kick high and Raymond Rhule tackles Patrick Osborne in the air and takes his feet out. The TMO is called in. Raymond Rhule is yellow carded. 

43.00: The Highlanders kick for touch and the line out. They win the line out and hit the Cheetahs in the centrefield. 

44.00: The Highlanders get to the 5m line. They change direction and get to inches out. They cant get through so they go wide again and Aaron Smith goes over for his second TRY! 

45.00: Sopoaga adds the conversion. 

47.00: Malakai Fekitoa splits the Cheetahs defence from his 22, he offloads to Ben Smith and he passes out to Gareth Evans who scores. TRY! 

48.00: Sopoaga’s conversion is missed. 

53.00: Raymond Rhule returns to the field from the sin bin. 

57.00: The game has slowed a bit now. Clayton Blommetjies kicks for touch but the ball rolls out on the full. 

61.00: The Cheetahs break out and Clayton Blommetjies races for the line. The final pass is suspect so we go to the TMO. The TMO checks and the pass is forward so no try.

65.00: The Cheetahs go through seven phases in the Highlanders 22. They go wide and Willie Britz slips the pass out to Ryno Benjamin who scores. TRY! 

66.00: Brummer adds the conversion.  

67.00: The Cheetahs slip through the Highlanders defence again and they pass the ball through the hands. Initially they can’t get over but then Carl Wegner scores. TRY! 

68.00: Brummer adds the conversion. 

71.00: The Cheetahs have either woken up or the Highlanders have gone to sleep. The Cheetahs get the ball into the Highlanders 22 and Francois Venter gets the ball at pace and he slips over and scores under the posts. TRY. The TMO checks. Its a try. 

72.00: Brummer converts. 

74.00: The Highlanders get themselves back into the game. Ben Smith toes the ball through a gap and pounces on the ball and scores. TRY! 

75.00: Marty Banks takes the conversion kick and nails it. 

77.00: The Cheetahs attack down the wing but they chip the ball ahead and Ben Smith takes the ball into touch. 

79.00: The Highlanders have a final go at the line for the bonus point try. The Cheetahs lose the ball but the Highlanders give away a penalty. The Cheetahs attack and win another penalty. 

80.00: The ball goes dead and then into touch. We will have a line out. 

81.00: The ball goes back into touch after the line out. That is it. The Highlanders have won. 

The full time score is Cheetahs 24 (3) Highlanders 45 (26)

Scorers

Cheetahs
Tries – R.Benjamin,C Wegner, F.Venter,
Pen – F.Brummer
Con – F.Brummer 3
Drop –
Cards -R.Rhule (42nd min yellow)

Highlanders
Tries – R.Tongia 2, A.Smith 2, P.Osborne, G.Evans, B.Smith
Pen –
Con – L.Sopoaga 4, M.Banks
Drop –
Cards –

Match Officials
Referee: Stuart Berry
Assistant Ref 1:Jaco van Heerden
Assistant Ref 2:Pro Legoete
TMO :Shaun Veldsman

Teams

Cheetahs

15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Rayno Benjamin, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Sergeal Petersen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Boom Prinsloo, 6 Tienie Burger, 5 Steven Sykes (captain), 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Maks van Dyk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Danie Minnie

Replacements : 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 BG Uys, 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 19 Francois Uys , 20 Carel Greeff, 21 Shaun Venter, 22 Coenie van Wyk, 23 Raymond Rhule

Highlanders

1. Brendon Edmonds , 2. Liam Coltman , 3. Josh Hohneck , 4. Alex Ainley , 5. Mark Reddish , 6. Gareth Evans , 7. John Hardie , 8. Nasi Manu (c) , 9. Aaron Smith , 10. Lima Sopoaga , 11. Patrick Osborne , 12. Richard Buckman , 13. Malakai Fekitoa , 14. Ryan Tongia , 15. Ben Smith (c)

Replacements : 16. Ash Dixon , 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown , 18. Ross Geldenhuys , 19. Tom Franklin , 20. Elliot Dixon , 21. Dan Pryor , 22. Fumiaki Tanaka , 23. Marty Banks