BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa May 26 (Reuters) – Wing er Willie
le Roux scored a brilliant try to lift the Central Cheetahs to a
35-34 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs in a fluctuating
Super Rugby clash on Saturday.
Le Roux’s 57th-minute try, which quickly followed a try by
prop WP Nel, came after the Cheetahs attacked from the restart,
replacement flyhalf Sias Ebersohn chipping over the defence and
Le Roux gathering and kicking again before reclaiming the ball
and dashing over the tryline.
The Waratahs, who led 34-21 in the 48th minute after scoring
four tries in the first half, can look back on a disappointing
second half and their failure to convert two late chances to
claim victory.
Flyhalf Berrick Barnes was short with an angled 55-metre
penalty in the 76th minute and, as regular time came to an
end, they had a maul inside the Cheetahs 22 but they could not
get the ball out to Barnes for a drop goal after great work by
Cheetahs loose forwards Ashley Johnson and Heinrich Brussow.
The Waratahs took advantage of 18 missed tackles in the
first half and particularly poor defence around the fringes to
rush to the four-try bonus point in 33 minutes.
Flanker Dave Dennis scored the first try in the fourth
minute when he pounced on a loose ball behind the tryline and he
set up the second for lock Sitaleki Timani.
The Cheetahs drew level at 14-14 with two tries in four
minutes, the first coming from a wonderfully-worked move off a
lineout finished off by scrumhalf Piet van Zyl.
Le Roux’s brilliant attacking running then started and
finished a move in the 19th minute with flyhalf Riaan Smit’s
second successful conversion tying the scores.
The Waratahs edged ahead again in the 22nd minute when
Brendan McKibbin kicked a penalty after the Cheetahs took him
out at a ruck, but soon afterwards his pass was intercepted by
hooker Adriaan Strauss and the Cheetahs captain ran in a try
from halfway.
Continued…
