Cheetahs rip Pumas apart
It was men against boys as the Cheetahs ran riot in the first half
The Phakisa Pumas got off to the worst possible start to their Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked championship campaign with a 53-29 loss to the Toyota Cheetahs at the Free State Stadium this afternoon.
The visitors were outscored eight tries to five over 80 minutes, but it was the first half in which the Pumas were smashed out of the match, which earned the Cheetahs a well-deserved victory.
The Pumas were a team in the dark for the first 40 minutes. There was no defence, no discipline and no cohesion. The Cheetahs made the most of the Pumas’ inability to string 60 seconds of constructive rugby together.
Malcolm Jaer scored after 90 seconds, with the Cheetahs creating a two-man overlap on a backline attack and Jaer going over in the left corner.
The Pumas’ only first half points came in the fifth minute when Eddie Fouche nailed a penalty home.
From there on it was a massacre with the Cheetahs running in tries at will.
A knee injury on 14 minutes to the Pumas’ captain, Ryan Nell, did not help. Le Roux Roets took over the captaincy.
Jaer claimed a second try through a non-existent Pumas defence. Flanker, Junior Pokomela dotted down next, once again thanks to poor defence.
Former Pumas speedster, Rosko Specman scored after chasing a Frans Steyn grubber and got a second try, running 50 metres from an offload with just Devon Wiliams to beat.
He should have claimed a third, but gifted the try to his captain Ruan Pienaar in the in-goal area.
Pienaar took the responsibility of the conversions and the Cheetahs led 41-3 at half-time.
The Pumas’ first half defence cannot be criticised – because there was none. Their set pieces were poor. Their heads were hanging 15 minutes into the match.
The Pumas looked like a team without spirit or a plan. The first 40 minutes were dismal, possibly the poorest first half the Pumas have played for many years.
Jimmy Stonehouse was not a happy coach and whatever words he chose to utter at half-time must have been the right ones. The Phakisa Pumas were a different team in the second half.
The Cheetahs scored in the first minute of the restart with a William Small-Smith try and Pienaar conversion giving the home team a 48-3 lead. The Pumas were staring a vicious defeat in the face.
Then they got good.
Ginter Smuts ignited the Pumas fightback. He snatched a knocked-on ball from Pienaar to score. Fouche’s boot put the Pumas into double figures.
Jaer claimed another try to take the score to 53-10.
Pumas loosie Daniel Maartens scored from a maul and Fouche converted.
Roets scored next after the Pumas’ best passage of play in the game. They attacked over multiple phases before scoring. Fouche’s boot took the score to a more respectable 53-24.
Neil Maritz scored on 79 minutes, breaking and sprinting 40 metres after catching the Cheetahs defence napping. It was one of the winger’s few touches of the ball in the match.
The final score was 53-29, a fair reflection of the game.
The Phakisa Pumas outscored the Toyota Cheetahs 26-12 (four tries to two) in the second half.
The Mpumalanga boys were much better for value in the second 40 minutes.
But over the entire 80, the home team were in a class of their own. The Pumas could not match their speed and precision.
The Pumas have only themselves to blame.
If they want to compete in the Super Rugby Unlocked competition they must be prepared to get into the belly of the fire for 80 minutes. Anything less and they will be the bashing boys of the bigger unions’ teams.
