It may have been a low-key pre-season outing, but the Cheetahs put all their attacking prowess on display to beat Shimlas 66-19 on Friday.
And in a later game, also at Shimla Park in Bloemfontein, Griquas accounted for the Cheetahs’ second string 21-19.
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However, it was in the first half of the early match – with the Cheetahs fielding their most likely first-choice XV – that they showed why they will again be Super Rugby play-off candidates this year.
The Cheetahs scored four unanswered tries to take a 26-0 lead at the break.
And while the Cheetahs scored six more tries after half-time, a rash of changes allowed Shimlas to score three of their own – a second half that went 40-19 in favour of the Super Rugby franchise.
Sevens Springboks Kevin Luiters, in his ‘debut’ for the Cheetahs, and Cornal Hendricks each scored two tries.
* In the later game Cheetahs took a 12-7 lead at the break, but Griquas’ greater experience restricted them to just one second-half score – with the boot of Francois Brummer clinching the win for the men from Kimberley.
The scores and scorers:
Cheetahs 66-19 Shimlas
For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Luiters 2, Hendricks 2, Prinsloo, Uys, Watts, Venter, Gates, Rhule
Cons: Watts 8
For Shimlas:
Tries: Koster, Pretorius, Kruger
Cons: Mason 2
Griquas 21-19 Cheetahs
For Griquas:
Tries: Westraadt, Schoeman, Dames
Cons: Brummer 3
For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Cook, Gates, Mnisi
Cons: Smit 2
Teams:
Cheetahs v Shimlas: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Rayno Benjamin, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Kevin Luiters, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Lappies Labuschagné, 6 Johannes Prinsloo, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements – from: Hercu Liebenberg, Rossouw de Klerk, Rynhard Landman, Andries Ferreira, Teboho Mohoje, Inus Kritzinger, Riaan Smit, Cornal Hendricks, Shane Gates.
Shimlas squad: Marco Mason, Maphuta Dolo, Robbie van Schalkwyk, Joubert Engelbrecht, Sethu Tom, Gouws Prinsloo, André van der Walt, Neill Jordaan, Henco Venter, Johan van der Hoogt, Neil Claassen, Fanie van der Walt, Luan de Bruin, Elandré Huggett, Rudolf Botha, Vaatjie van der Merwe, Marco Klopper, Justin Pappin, Armandt Koster, Franna du Toit, Arthur Williams, Divandré Strydom, AJ Coertzen, Divandré Strydom, Tertius Kruger, Arthur Williams, JJ de Klerk, Niel Marais, Zee Mkhabela, Ruan van Rensburg, Armandt Koster, Murray Bondesio, Ockie van Zyl, Pieter Matthee, Justin Pappin, Jacques du Toit, Gideon Bruwer, BJ Koortzen, Marco Klopper, Johan van Niekerk, Justin Basson, Sihle Ngxabi, Kay-Kay Hlongwane, Beyers Louw, Don Mlondobozi, Ludwig Erasmus.
Cheetahs v Griquas: 15 Shane Gates, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Piet Lindeque, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Norman Nelson, 10 Riaan Smit, 9 Inus Kritzinger, 8 Hilton Lobberts, 7 Teboho Mohoje, 6 Rynier Bernardo, 5 Rynhard Landman, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.
Replacements – from: AJ le Roux, Max van Dyk, Chris Ehlers, Waltie Vermeulen, Martin Sithole, Kevin Luiters, Elgar Watts, Rayno Benjamin, Hennie Daniller.
Griquas: 15 Jacquin Jansen, 14 Ederies Arendse, 13 Jonathan Francke, 12 Wayne Stevens, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Burger Schoeman, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Jaco Nepgen, 4 Boela Serfontein, 3 Stephan Pretorius, 2 Matt Dobson, 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements – from: Simon Westraadt, Gerhard Roux, Ewald van der Westhuizen, Cornel Hess, Carel Greeff, Ntando Kebe, Danie Dames, Hilford Clarke, Thabang Molefe, Nico Scheepers.
Referee: Jaco Kotze