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Currie Cup
News |  Fixtures & Results |  Standings |  History

Cheetahs end WP's dream again

De Waal seals another win for Bloem boys

Rock solid defence and Willem de Waal saw the Cheetahs through to their second successive Currie Cup Final, when they beat Western Province 16-11 in their semi-final at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.


Naka Drotske and Hanyani Shimange

Not only is it the second time they have played in back-to-back Finals, but it was also  a repeat of last year's semi-final when the Cheetahs also ground out a well-deserved win.

This time round De Waal scored a try, converted it and kicked three penalties for a personal contribution of 16 points - all his side's points.

In 2004 the score was 17-11 to the Cheetahs, which some cynics see as an improvement by Western Province! It may take a number of years to produce a victory!

It was certainly a game Western Province could have won if they had decided they were at Newlands for a rugby match 55 minutes earlier than they did.

It was not a great match at all. Nil-nil may have been a fair score as neither side produced rugby worthy of accolades. But the Cheetahs did some things better than Western Province did. And tactically they were again better equipped.

They were much better in the line-outs even after losing Boela du Plooy to a broken jaw. Here, and in other places, Barend Pieterse was excellent. The Cheetahs were considerably better in the scrums and put pressure on the Western Province scrums. First phases were no good for Western Province which meant that their chances of playing wide were limited, as the Cheetahs fanned into a wall of defence when the phases were on. But even at the phases, the fewer Cheetahs had greater direction and purpose, thanks in no small measure to Ryno van der Merwe.

Western Province's answer to the Cheetahs' brickwallism was to charge one at a time in the hope of knocking a brick or two out of line, but the brave Cheetahs' defence stood firm.

Bad first phase ball for Western Province levelled the difference in skill and experience between the two backlines. Western Province had five players who were Springboks, the Cheetahs just Michael Claassens, a tourist. But if any back looked really good it was Barry Goodes at inside centre for the Cheetahs, but then he was playing off better ball.

Western Province have much better wings than the Cheetahs have, especially without Eddie Fredericks. But Egon Seconds and Zahier Rylands may as well have been mannequins in a shop window was far as chances to play were concerned. Oh, they did have the odd chance, but mainly from defensive positions, never from a backline movement.

Ryland was brilliant on one occasion as he scuttled away and may well have scored but for a desperate tackle by Hendro Scholtz inside the Cheetahs' half.

The Cheetahs also mauled better, driving Western Province many metres back on occasion while Eddie Andrews danced about, more used to playing fly-half after tackles than doing a prop's graft.

There was a crowd of 35 123 spectators, fewer than one would have hoped on a sunny spring afternoon. The Kaapse klopse had a marching band, Balloons in blue and white were released and children marched with swirling flags. The crowd had been given slapsticks which they enjoyed using for a while, for any hope of laughter and merriment died away as the match ground on and the Cheetahs added to their lead.

Early in the match there were many stoppages. The Cheetahs had a man called BIO who was often on with more advice, it seemed, than sustenance. Os du Randt was there with 27 on his back, carrying water - and, no doubt, advice.

The Cheetahs won the second Western Province line-out and shoved their first scrum back - the sign of things to come.

The Cheetahs had the first chance to score a try when they had an overlap on the left, but squandered it. Then they had a double overlap on their right but Rylands intervened.

Willem de Waal tried a drop from just to left of the posts as he looked at them. He hooked the kick and the ball rolled out just short of the cornerflag on his right.

After eight minutes Boela du Plooy went off, a blow to the Cheetahs in this match and in the final to come. He was in a pushing match with Ross Skeate and seemed to grab Skeates's face and scrum cap from behind, before getting a blow and leaving the field with his jaw injured.

Peter Grant scored the first points of the match when he goaled a penalty for a scrum infringement.

De Waal made it 3-all after 19 minutes with a penalty and then Grant had an easy one after Claassens played Schalk Burger without the ball, but Grant's kick was awry.

De Waal also missed one when Hendrik Gerber was off-side at a knock-on.

For this half Western Province were kicking a great deal, no doubt wanting to keep De Waal out of range. But the Cheetahs also kicked. The difference was that the Cheetahs had enthusiastic chasers and kicked to places where the chasers had a chance to put the pressure on.

At this stage Sinehthemba Zweni left the field to be replaced by tall, 21-year-old Alwyn Hollenbach. This suggests that quotas are indeed over as the Cheetahs were left with just Bevin Fortuin to represent those regarded as black.

Grant was in midfield and just between 22 and half-way when he kicked. Goodes charged the kick down and hared after the ball. He got it as Rose got him but Goodes managed to get the ball to De Waal who was close to him. De Waal juggled, caught and raced over under the posts to score. He converted and it was 10-3. There was a suggestion that Goddes's give to De Waal was forward.

Just before half-time Scholtz trampled on Joe van Niekerk near the eighthman's neck/head. For this he was given a yellow card. He may have been lucky to have been allowed back onto the field. Later in the match De Wet Barry may well have been lucky to stay on the field when he tackled Hollenbach around the neck.

Half-time came after Scholtz's indiscretion with the Cheetahs lead 10-3.

It became 13-3 ten minutes into the second half when Pat Barnard was penalised at a scrum and 16-3 for Barry's high tackle. There were still 27 minutes left - Western Province's best period of play but not productive enough to take them to the final.

Bolla Conradie replaced Niel de Kock at this stage, ending De Kock's 50th appearance for Western Province.

Western Province came close to scoring as try when they went wide. Jean de Villiers had a man outside of him but decided to go himself. Tackled he rose up with the ball and stretched to place it over the line. Euphoria switched to indignation when the referee, quite rightly, penalised De Villiers.

Western Province made a penalty into a six-metre line-out and played it down to Conradie who dummied and broke sharply, whirling away from defenders to score in a handy position. Rose missed the conversion which could have taken Western Province to within a converted try of the Cheetahs.

With eight minutes left Rose goaled a penalty to make it 11-8.

And still Western Province attacked. And still the Cheetahs defended.

When De Waal fumbled Province got close on attack. From the next scrum Van Niekerk was close. They had a penalty five metres out. Despite having lost six line-outs in the match they opted for a five-metre line-out but lost that as well.

Still they tried but the siren went, Gerber knocked on and the Cheetahs were again off to the final - at Loftus Versfeld, where they will face the Blue Bulls.

The scorers:

For Western Province:
Try:
Conradie
Pens: Grant, Rose

For the Cheetahs:
Try:
De Waal
Con: De Waal
Pens: De Waal 3

Yellow card: Hendro Scholtz (Cheetahs, 37)

Teams:

Western Province: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Egon Seconds, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 De Wet Barry, 11 Zhahier Ryland, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Neil de Kock, 8 Joe Van Niekerk, 7 Hendrik Gerber, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Gerrie Britz, 4 Ross Skeate, 3 Pat Barnard, 2 Hanyani Shimange, 1 Eddie Andrews.
Replacements: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 JD Moller, 18 Rob Linde, 19 Adri Badenhorst, 20 Bolla Conradie, 21 Werner Greeff, 22 Gus Theron

Cheetahs: 15 Bevin Fortuin, 14 Phillip Burger, 13 Chris Kruger, 12 Barry Goodes, 11 Sinethemba Zweni, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Ryno van der Merwe, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Boela du Plooy, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Naka Drotskè (captain), 1 Wian du Preez
Replacements: 16 Ollie le Roux, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Corniel van Zyl, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Falie Oelschig, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Alwyn Hollenbach

Referee: Tappe Henning (SARU)
Touch judges: Marius Jonker (KwaZulu-Natal), Shaun Veldsman (Boland)

By Paul Dobson



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