Challenge Cup: Cheetahs pounce on Springbok-laden Sharks

The hosts enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, but a breakaway down the right channel for the Sharks would lead to a penalty. However, Curwin Bosch missed the attempt.

After 17 minutes, the hosts finally had just reward for their domination of possession and territory. A nifty lineout move off the front saw hooker Marnus van der Merwe crash over the top of Grant Williams for the opening try, while the effervescent Ruan Pienaar added the extras.

A series of infringements from the Cheetahs gave John Plumtree's charges an opportunity at lineout time. Using their bigger pack, the maul got rumbling and Springbok hardman Eben Etzebeth fell over the whitewash. Bosch found his kicking radar and tied things up.

The hosts continued to kick deep on the Sharks' back three and when Aphelele Fassi failed to deal with a tricky ball, the cheetahs pounced. Earning a penalty, Pienaar took a quick tap and spread the ball wide to flanker Gideon van der Merwe for an opportunistic try.

After some enterprising play from deep, Cheetahs winger Kasende Daniel was in full flight but a superb cover tackle from Francios Venter denied him the score.

Every time the Sharks escaped, their lineout would let them down. Camped in the Sharks' half the Cheetahs earned a late penalty and Pienaar opted for poles, sending the ball through the uprights and players down the tunnel with the hosts in the lead 15-7.

The Sharks struck first in the second stanza, getting turnover ball and sending it wide, with Fassi and Makazole Mapimpi combining well on the wing to eventually put Venter away on the inside. No sooner than the Sharks had scored though, they gave a gift three points back at the breakdown, making the score 18-12.

With the lineout woes seemingly a thing of the past, the Sharks' maul began to be a weapon again. Rumbling almost to the line, Springbok scrumhalf Williams snatched the ball out the back then jinked and jived his way under the poles.

The visitors continued to ride the momentum, earning a penalty on the halfway line which Bosch bombed over to extend their lead to 18-22.

The Cheetahs' defensive line speed had been causing some issues in the Sharks™ backline. This time, rushed hands saw the ball hacked through and replacement Daniel Maartens would scoop it up and score next to the uprights.

The try-fest continued when Phepsi Buthelezi broke through with the help of a tidy pass from Ntuthuko Mchunu. At the next ruck, Bosch would execute a pinpoint kickpass to Mapimpi to gather and trot over in splendid isolation. Minutes later, the Sharks would have a chance to put the game away after camping on the try line, but a gutsy Cheetahs defence held out

With five minutes to go at the other end of the park, winger Cohen Jasper finished off a counterattack from the Cheetahs to steal the game.

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