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The Cheetahs showed some early promise and then had a wobble without Juan Smith on the road but have hit some form in recent week picking up scalps against the Blues and the Force.
Three weeks ago they even drew against the Chiefs in Hamilton. In the last six matches they have won two, drawn one and lost three.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick off.
0.01: The match is underway.
2.00: Neither team start particularly strongly and then suddenly the Lions use some width and get over the gain line and look highly likely to score but the pass is forward so we are called back for a scrum.
4.00: The Cheetahs start to swing the ball around but the pass goes out.
5.00: Bjorn Basson chip kicks up and behind the Lions defence and he chases, regathers the ball and scores!
6.00:Naas Olivier fails to add the conversion.
7.00: As the Lions go forward the Lions give away a penalty for holding on. Daniller clears.
10.00: The Cheetahs drive over the line and there are bodies everywhere. We go upstairs to check. The try is awarded to Sarel Pretorius.
11.00: Naas Olivier adds the conversion.
14.00: The Cheetahs give away a penalty so Herkie Kruger takes a shot at the posts and nails it putting the Lions on the board. Wikus van Heerden is off.
15.00: The Cheetahs work the ball into the Lions 25. Sarel Pretorius finds a huge gap next to the posts and scores!
16.00: Naas OIivier adds the conversion.
17.00: The Cheetahs swing the ball out through the backline and Bjorn Basson finds another hole and takes it and scores the bonus point try.
19.00: Naas Olivier adds the conversion.
23.00: The Cheetahs start to attack the Lions again.
24.00: The Cheetahs string together five phases in the Lions 25. Then 7, then 8 phases. 9 Phases. 10 Phases and they get to the line. Then on the 13th phase they go over the line and on the 14th phase Barend Pieterse scores.
27.00: Naas Olivier takes the conversion and misses.
30.00: The Cheetahs put together 6 phases which gets them up to the line but on the 7th phase the Lions give away a penalty.
31.00: The Cheetahs choose the line out. They win the line out but knock on.
32.00: The Lions front row gets a warning for standing up. The Cheetahs run the penalty but Daniller knocks on.
35.00: The Cheetahs run the ball into the Lions 25 and they get over the gain line and Corne Uys scores the sixth Cheetahs try.
36.00: Naas Olivier adds the conversion.
38.00: If the Lions concede 74 points they will reach the 600 point mark for the season.
39.00: The game is held up as a player from each side gets some medical attention. The game resumes and the Cheetahs attack.
40.05: The siren goes for half time. Cheetahs keep the ball alive but they kick up and Chavhanga catches the ball and then kicks it out. It's half time.
The half time score is Cheetahs 38 Lions 3
The second half is underway.
41.00: The Cheetahs start strongly stringing together 6 phases. Then 7 and then 8 but they have to run the ball out.
Cheetahs maintain the attack and work the ball into the Lions 25. They put together 7 phases but the Lions get to the ball and whack it away.
43.00: The Lions chase the ball and Michael Killian who has just come on scores the Lions first try.
44.00:Herkie Kruger adds the conversion.
47.00: The Cheetahs use the pick and go to good effect through 11 phases but then the Lions give away a penalty. The Cheetahs swing the ball out to Daniller who reaches and scores.
48.00: Naas Olivier takes the conversion and nails it.
52.00: The Cheetahs start to work the ball forward. They get into the Lions 25 the Lions give away a penalty. The Cheetahs run the ball from the penalty and they get over the line but are held up. 5m scrum.
The tackle count is so far Cheetahs 19 Lions 102.
55.00: The Cheetahs win their scrum and move the ball to their backline who run the ball up to and then over the line. Held up.
56.00: The Cheetahs swing the ball through the backline and two Lions players slip off their tackles and Daniller scores his second try.
57.00: Naas Olivier adds the conversion.
61.00: The Lions try to run the ball out of their half and Coenie Oosthuizen gives away a penalty so the Lions kick to the half way line.
66.00: Naas Olivier kicks up and across the field but Michael Killian takes a solid "mark".
70.00: The Lions are now sitting on a points difference on -308. The Cheetahs need seven more points to go ahead of the Chiefs on the table.
74.00: The Cheetahs come close to scoring the next try but some desperate defence from the Lions stops them.
75.00: Sarel Pretorius makes some good ground and then after a couple more phases Coenie Oosthuizen scores !
76.00: Louis Strydom adds the conversion.
78.00: There is a scrum in the centrefield which winds the clock down.
80.00: The siren goes for full time as the Lions keep the ball alive. The Cheetahs boot the ball out but we are called back for a penalty to the Lions. They drive forward.
81.00: The ball finally gets knocked on and that is it.
The final score is Cheetahs 59 Lions 10
Scorers
Cheetahs
Tries - B Basson 2, S Pretorius 2, B Pieterse,C Uys, H Daniller 2, C
Oosthuizen
Pen -
Con - N Olivier 6, Louis Strydom
Drop -
Cards -
Tries - B Basson 2, S Pretorius 2, B Pieterse,C Uys, H Daniller 2, C
Oosthuizen
Pen -
Con - N Olivier 6, Louis Strydom
Drop -
Cards -
Lions
Tries - M Killian
Pen - H Kruger
Con - H Kruger
Drop -
Cards -
Tries - M Killian
Pen - H Kruger
Con - H Kruger
Drop -
Cards -
Att: 10345
Match Officials
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Joey Salmans (South Africa), Stefan Breytenbach (South Africa)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
Teams
Cheetahs - 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Corne Uys, 11 Wilmaure Louw, 10 Naas Olivier, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Juan Smith (c), 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Izak van der Westhuizen, 3 WP Nel, 2 Skipper Badenhorst, 1 Wian du Preez.
Reserves: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Waltie Vermeulen, 19 Davon Raubenheimer, 20 Marnus Hugo, 21 Louis Strydom, 22 Riaan Viljoen.
Lions - 15 Carlos Spencer; 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Marius Delport, 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Deon Van Rensburg; 10 Herkie Kruger, 9 Jano Vermaak; 8 Derick Minnie, 7 Franco Van der Merwe, 6 Wikus Van Heerden, 5 George Earle, 4 Nico Luus, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Charles Emslie, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Reserves - 16 Hannes Franklin, 17 Gert Muller, 18 David Bulbring, 19 Jonathan Mokuena, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Michael Killian, 22 Bernardo Botha.
