Cheetahs get another full-house in rout of Griffons
MATCH REPORT: The Cheetahs, one of three teams with a full house of 10 points after two rounds, gave the Griffons another timely reminder of the enormous step up from the First Division to the Currie Cup.
The Cheetahs outscored the Griffons by eight tries to nil, a 52-12 rout in Welkom on Sunday.
It saw the Cheetahs join the table-topping and defending Champion Pumas, as well as Western Province at the top.
The Cheetahs claim first place on the standings based on their superior points difference.
The Cheetahs, dominating the opposition physically from the outset, raced into a 19-3 lead by the end of the first quarter - with tries by hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg, flank Friedle Olivier and wing Munier Hartzenberg.
The home team's response was a solitary penalty by scrumhalf Jaywinn Juries.
Hartzenberg got the bonus-point try just on the half-hour mark, as the Griffons continued to struggle with the pace and intensity of the visitors from Bloemfontein.
Captain Victor Sekekete and Hartzenberg (his hat-trick score) added two more as the Griffons (with another Juries penalty their only response) continued to fumble their way through the opening half, with the occasional flurry of energy - the Cheetahs leading 40-6 at the half-time break.
Juries added two more penalties in the opening stages of the second half, before Hartzenberg got his fourth to single the end of any hope of a comeback for the hosts.
Running out of puff, as they did last week, the Griffons employed constant delaying tactics, fording the referee to talk to them about players 'sitting down' at every stoppage.
The Cheetahs cleared their bench, giving fringe players some valuable game time.
One of those, Cohen Jasper, got the visitors' eighth try - taking them past the 50-point mark, and setting up a winning margin of 40 points (52-12) the final winning margin.
Man of the match: There are several candidates on the Cheetahs' side. Wing Munier Hartzenberg, with his ?? tries, is certainly in the frame. Our award goes to veteran two-times World Cup-winning Springbok Frans Steyn, who showed there is so much more than just a booming boot and powerful carries. He produced some sublime offloading, after drawing defenders, and also organised the defence effectively. His true class was shown when he ignored the childish and amateur chirping by out-of-shape Griffons centre Marquit September - who thought it good to continue with a tackle long after the referee had blown his whistle.
The scorers
For the Griffons
Pens: Juries 4
For the Cheetahs
Tries: Janse van Rensburg, Olivier, Hartzenberg 4, Sekekete, Jasper
Cons: Pienaar 5, Fortuin
Yellow card: Michael Benadie (Cheetahs, 9 - cynical foul, not retreating 10 metres)
Teams
Griffons: 15 Domenic Smit, 14 Duren Hoffman, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 12 Marquit September, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Duan Pretorius, 9 Jaywinn Juries, 8 Sokhuphumla Xakalashe, 7 Jean Pretorius, 6 Mitchell Carstens, 5 Michael Benadie, 4 Jaco Willemse, 3 Doctor Booysen, 2 Dandre Delport, 1 Stephan De Jager.
Replacements: 16 Hendrik Van Schoor, 17 Xolani Jacobs, 18 Buhle Nojekwa, 19 Wikus Nieuwenhuis, 20 Thato Mavundla, 21 Richman Gora, 22 Robbie Petzer, 23 Keanu Vers.
Cheetahs: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 Evardi Boshoff, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Munier Hartzenberg, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Andisa Ntsila, 7 Friedle Olivier, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Mzwanele Zito, 3 Coenraad Janse van Vuuren, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Alulutho Tshakweni, 17 Louis van der Westhuizen, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Rynier Bernardo, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Robert Ebersohn, 23 Cohen Jasper.
Referee: Paul Mente
TMO: Christie du Preez
@king365ed
@rugby365com