FREE STATE ADVANCE
Pienaar stars for Cheetahs as they move to Cup final
Former Springbok Ruan Pienaar starred as the Free State Cheetahs scored six second-half tries to defeat defending champions the Sharks 51-30 on Saturday in a South African Currie Cup semifinal in Bloemfontein.
The Cheetahs will host the final next Saturday against the Golden Lions, whose set-piece superiority set up a 34-19 victory over Griquas in the other semifinal which was played in Johannesburg.
Scrumhalf Pienaar, who was part of three Springbok Rugby World Cup squads including the 2007 trophy winners, returned to SA recently after playing in Ireland and France for nine years.
A quick lineout throw on 58 minutes set in motion a move that caught the Sharks napping and Pienaar converted his try to level the semifinal at 23 points each.
Pienaar, who took over as goal-kicker after Tian Schoeman missed two conversions, finished as the Cheetahs’ leading points scorer with 15 and was voted man of the match by the media.
“It was a tough match and we made it difficult for ourselves in the opening half by wasting several good try-scoring opportunities,” said the 35-year-old, who played 88 Tests for SA.
“We fought hard in the second half and I am proud to be part of this really special team. I was impressed by how calm they were at half-time even though we were nine points behind.
“Retaining possession was a key part of our second-half strategy and we achieved that goal. We were also much more clinical than in the first half.
“Now, we must prepare from Monday to face a really good Lions side in the final. Scoring 51 points was great but we have to keep our feet firmly on the ground.”
The Cheetahs went ahead for the first time just two minutes after Pienaar scored when Joseph Dweba notched his sixth try this season. Curwin Bosch restored equality at 30-30 by converting his try, but it was the last time the Sharks scored as the Cheetahs ran in three converted tries for an impressive triumph. The late scoring spree began on 70 minutes when Junior Pokomela claimed his second try of the match,
Ox Nche and Jasper Wiese also scored. –