It was mission accomplished for the Toyota Cheetahs on Friday night, but not before a dramatic finish nearly shattered their Currie Cup ambitions in a gripping SA Cup derby against the Suzuki Griquas in Bloemfontein.
In a match packed with intensity, momentum swings and late drama, the Free Staters held on for a heart-stopping 32-31 victory to officially secure their place in the Currie Cup Premier Division. The result, however, hung by a thread right until the final moments.
The Cheetahs looked to be cruising for large parts of the contest after a dominant first-half display laid the foundation for victory. They carried a commanding 25-12 lead into the break after producing some clinical attacking rugby against their old rivals from Kimberley.
The hosts exploded out of the blocks with hooker Chucky van der Westhuizen and winger Cohen Jasper both crossing early as the Cheetahs raced into a 17-0 advantage. Flyhalf Jaco van der Walt kept the scoreboard ticking with two conversions and an additional penalty as the men in orange dictated proceedings.
The Peacock Blues eventually found their rhythm towards the end of the first half, with hooker Tiaan Lange and winger Connor Mahoney both dotting down to keep the visitors in touch before half-time.
Griquas carried that momentum into the second half when centre Damian Markus crashed over shortly after the restart to narrow the deficit and pile pressure on the hosts. But the response from the Cheetahs was immediate and decisive as Munier Hartzenberg sliced through for a crucial try that ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides.
Even then, the visitors refused to go away. Carel van der Merwe’s late try set up a grandstand finish before winger Dylan Maart crossed after the full-time hooter to leave the outcome resting on a conversion from young fly-half Liam Koen.
With tension gripping the Toyota Stadium, Koen’s kick drifted narrowly wide, sparking massive relief among the home supporters and the Cheetahs camp.
Cheetahs captain Neels Volschenk admitted afterwards qualifying for the Currie Cup brought enormous relief to everyone involved with the union.
“It’s not just a big relief, it’s a massive relief for the players, coaching staff and everyone involved with the union,” Volschenk told Bloemfontein Courant.
“I told the guys over the past two weeks this has to become our standard – how we play, how we train, and how we carry ourselves on and off the field. It doesn’t matter who the opposition is.
The challenge now becomes even tougher for the Cheetahs as they head to Nelspruit on Friday to face the defending SA Cup champions, the Pumas, in the first semi-final at Mbombela Stadium. Kick-off is at 18:00. – MORGAN PIEK
