Cheetahs end Blues hopes
The Cheetahs pulled off a shock 36-32 victory over the Blues, ending any faint hopes the New Zealanders retained of reaching the semis.
Last Updated: 02/05/10 12:54pm
The Cheetahs pulled off a shock 36-32 Super 14 victory over the Blues, ending any faint hopes the New Zealand side retained of reaching the semi-finals.
The hard-fought win was only the home side's third this season, but well deserved as the Cheetahs ran in five tries in Bloemfontein.
In all, nine tries were scored at Vodacom Park in a thrilling match that the Blues had to win in order to stay in the play-off race. But they lacked their usual intensity and may have taken the struggling Cheetahs too lightly.
The Blues only had themselves to blame as they were guilty of frequent mistakes, and the Cheetahs capitalised on those errors.
Captain Juan Smith touched down first for the Cheetahs after making the visitors pay for playing risky rugby from inside their 22. It was the best start possible for the hosts, who posted seven points with barely two minutes on the clock.
The Blues responded immediately when slick interplay between centre partners Benson Stanley and Isaia Toeava allowed the latter to sprint in from 20 metres. Fly-half Stephen Brett, playing his 50th match, levelled the scores with the conversion.
The Cheetahs then restored their lead from capitalising on two errors from the Blues. First Naas Olivier kicked a penalty after Bluesprop Tony Woodcock was penalised at the scrum., and then turnover ball resulted in a Jongi Nokwe try - Smith's deft chip setting up the speedster.
Tries
Trailing 22-13 at half-time, the Blues moved five points ahead approaching the three-quarter mark thanks to tries from wing Rene Ranger and scrum-half Alby Mathewson.
However, the five-point advantage last barely a minute before blood-bin replacement forward Philip van der Walt dived over between the posts and another try from Waltie Vermeulen pushed Cheetahs nine points clear.
Wing Anthony Tuitavake dotted down at the other end four minutes from full-time, but fly-half Stephen Brett failed to convert and a stoppage-time assault petered out in midfield.
While the Blues collected two bonus points and climbed above Chiefs and Sharks, they are seven points off the fourth play-off place with just two rounds of the Super 14 left.
The Cheetahs, second last above the Lions before facing the Blues, rose one place above Western Force, who visit Bloemfontein next weekend.
