Cheetahs brush poor Sharks aside

PERFECT: Western Province flyhalf Robert du Preez IT’S been 40 years since Free State won their maiden Currie Cup and it would appear the Class of 2016 want to commemorate in style.

They remain unbeaten after five matches of this year’s competition after they yesterday brushed aside the challenge of the hitherto log leaders with a hint of disdain.

The Cheetahs played with more urgency and built their success on a dominant scrum with Ox Nche, Torsten van Jaarsveld and Tom Botha in its vanguard.

Former Bok loosehead Daan Human has shaped the Cheetahs scrum with a guiding hand over the past year and he helped suffocate the Sharks yesterday. The Sharks’ Thomas du Toit’s conversion to tighthead continues.

Mistakes blighted the Sharks’ performance at Newlands last week and yesterday too. The Cheetahs hustled well and proved ruthless when opportunity fell. They registered points almost every time they ventured into the Sharks’ 22.

It didn’t help the Sharks that their scrum was under the cosh. A dominant scrum near halfway and a resultant kick and chase earned the Cheetahs a scrum five metres out in the 10th minute. The Sharks backpedalled and collapsed and referee Rasta Rasivhenge ran arms raised towards the sticks.

A ponderous attempted clearance from Andre Esterhuizen was charged down by Michael van der Spuy, who mastered the bouncing ball and ran in unopposed. To be fair, flyhalf Inny Radebe could have positioned better and taken responsibility for the clearance.

But the Cheetahs aren’t without blemish. Fullback Clayton Blommetjies operates on his own wavelength and too often leaves his startled teammates bewildered.

The Cheetahs also conceded far too many penalties and it kept the hosts in touch through the reliable boot of Curwin Bosch.

Recidivism just after the break brought the Sharks to within two points.

The Sharks, however, were chronically prone to error. Despite the honest toil of Jean-Luc du Preez, much of their effort was undone by their failure to master the basics. Apart from their scrum, they were outfoxed at the breakdown, they were caught napping at the lineout, and they also need to catch a wake-up when they receive kick-ins. In fact, it was from the first kick-off that they suffered their first body blow.

Stand-in captain Philip van der Walt collected the ball but then collided with Justin Basson’s shoulder and then the turf. He was stunned and left the field. On it, his teammates remained dazed.