Crusaders lay bare Cheetahs’ fragility

at the Free State Stadium THE Cheetahs may not have put up the white flag just yet but their Super Rugby inadequacies were ruthlessly exposed by the unbeaten Crusaders.

Franco Smith’s side put up a better fight than the Stormers but the crowd of 12 244 was treated to an exhibition of counterattacking rugby by the South Islanders and the hosts’ torpid tackling.

Of the Cheetahs’ six consecutive defeats, this one put their bleak Super Rugby future in perspective.

Teams are judged on how they perform against the top sides. On the basis of their insipid showing, there’s no place for them at Super Rugby’s top table. They didn’t even have their customary first-half paper fire before predictably smouldering out.

The Crusaders proceed to Tshwane, on the back of nine consecutive wins, where the fragile Bulls await.

Pathetic tackle attempts by Raymond Rhule, Sergeal Petersen and Clayton Blommetjies all had a hand in the Crusaders’ three first-half tries.

However, they all had a hand in the Cheetahs’ first try and a contender for try of the season in the season.

Having collected the ball from a stray kick in his 22, Blommetjies combined with his back three members at various points to slice up the normally solid Crusaders defence.

Rhule crossed the whitewash in the 20th minute and aside from Retshegofaditswe “Ox” Nche’s 55thminute try, the Crusaders lacked defensive benevolence.

Fullback David Havili opened the Crusaders’ try account in the 17th minute after Seta Tamanivalu bumped off Rhule before offloading.

George Bridge’s 34th-minute try was a case of characteristically slack fringe defending from the hosts while his 39th-minute touchdown was a thing of beauty.

The leftwing collected Richie Mo’unga’s cross kick and scooted past three would-be defenders. That try ended the game as a contest after Petersen’s 37th-minute effort was disallowed because of a questionable decision from TMO Johan Greef to rule Nche’s pass forward.

The loosehead prop put in a superb shift and once his scrumming is sorted out, must be sounded out as the heir to Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira’s throne.

The leftwing collected Richie Mo’unga’s cross kick and scooted past three wouldbe defenders

Scott Robertson’s side shifted gears in the second half and made the Cheetahs pay for Armandt Koster’s needless 43rd-minute yellow card. Mo’unga, Havili and Mitchell Drummond diced up the ripe Cheetahs defence while stretching the lead to 43-14.

Bridge completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute but the Cheetahs at least found some strength to score an 80th-minute try through Petersen to save themselves the indignity of not scoring against a 13-man side after Mitchell Hunt and Sam Whitelock were yellow-carded.