Cheetahs spectacularly stun Springbok-laden Sharks as Montpellier make light work of Ospreys

Dylan Coetzee
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Cheetahs veteran Ruan Pienaar setting the ball.

Cheetahs veteran Ruan Pienaar setting the ball.

It was an afternoon to savour for the Cheetahs and their fans as they triumphed 32-29 over a Sharks side loaded with Springboks in Sunday’s Challenge Cup game in Bloemfontein.

The clash was a thrilling one with the Cheetahs getting a foothold in the game early on by simply executing their fundamentals well and they were rewarded with a Marnus van der Merwe try in the 17th minute. Veteran Ruan Pienaar was on hand to add the extras.

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The Sharks responded almost immediately through Springbok superstar Eben Etzebeth with Curwin Bosch making no mistake from the tee this time. Any hopes the Durbanites had of growing into the game took a big hit as Gideon van der Merwe scored for the Cheetahs just before the half-hour mark.

Centre Francois Venter managed to ease the Sharks’ concerns with a try on the stroke of half-time that went unconverted before Pienaar snuck in a penalty before the break.

The veteran scrum-half kicked another penalty four minutes after the interval to push the Cheetahs further ahead. However, momentum began to swing with Rugby World Cup winner Grant Willams stepping his way over the line after 54 minutes for a try. Bosch added the extras and a penalty two minutes later to bring his side back into it.

The two sides traded tries around the hour mark through Daniel Maartens for the Cheetahs and Makazole Mapimpi for the Sharks, while both kickers nailed their conversions.

It looked as if the Durban side were going to sneak a result before Cohen Jasper shattered those dreams with six minutes to play. Pienaar made no mistake from the tee and then managed the game beautifully to secure a memorable win for his team.

Montpellier down ill-disciplined Ospreys

Morgan Morse, George North and Harri Houston all saw yellow as Ospreys slumped to a 38-5 Challenge Cup defeat at Montpellier.

It was New Zealander George Bridge who was out of the blocks first with a 21-minute brace for Montpellier with Paolo Garbisi missing one of the two conversions. Scrum-half Leo Coly crossed on the half-hour mark for a converted try to round out a strong half for the French side.

Ospreys scored their only points after 49 minutes through Reuben Morgan-Williams’ try. After that, normal service resumed with Vano Karkadze and an Auguste Cadot brace powering the hosts to an unassailable lead. Garbisi added one conversion in the second period as did replacement Louis Bourdette.

READ MORE: Duhan van der Merwe stars for Edinburgh while Lions beat Premiership opposition in Challenge Cup

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