The Brumbies headed to Bloemfontein to open their two match tour of the Republic against the Cheetahs.
The Cheetahs would have had last years quarter final result in the back of their minds and out for revenge for that loss.
The Match
The Brumbies have come up just short in the City of Roses, going down to the Cheetahs 27-21. In the end goalkicking was the difference with early misses at goal proving costly with at least nine points left on the field with both sides scoring two tries.
The Cheetahs started the game with all the ball and and were showing their physicality at the breakdown and opened the scoring with a penalty to Johan Goosen inside two minutes.
The Brumbies thought they had hit back straight from the restart from a set move with a try to the returning Henry Speight but that was denied by the TMO for an obstruction from Tevita Kuridrani in the build up. Instead of taking the lead, the Brumbies then went down anther penalty from a lineout infringement.
The Brumbies had a chance to open their account but a tough chance at penalty goal from Christian Lealiifano from wide out was missed.
They then found themselves on the back foot with the Cheetahs with all the ball on attack in the Brumbies 22 and the weight of possession started to take its toll with the forwards under pressure at the ruck. A series of penalties against them became too much for referee Marius van der Westhuizen who sent Scott Fardy to the bin for repeated infringements and Goosen added his third penalty inside the opening 20 minutes.
Lealiifano’s kicking woes continued with another missed chance at penalty goal but Nic White stepped up with the next chance from near halfway to finally get the Brumbies on the scoreboard and trail by six with only around 30% of possession to that point.
Their next chance came from a 5 metre scrum on attack but were pinged for an early push with the scrum becoming a real battle and the Cheetahs were off the hook.
Another missed penalty from the Brumbies, this time from White, let the Cheetahs off but the visitors hit back in the 32nd minute with a move down the left wing with a grubber kick from White was picked up by Robbie Coleman and he dived over in the left corner to get the Brumbies back in the game at 8-9.
The game had a bit of niggle and things boiled over just before half time with the Brumbies had a penalty 5 metres out that was over turned after Nic White and Heinrich Brussow got close and personal. All this despite the Brumbies having advantage and Brussow kicking the ball away to deny the Brumbies a quick tap and Adriaan Strauss lying all over the ball, the Cheetahs could consider themselves lucky.
As the half time siren sounded, the Brumbies got on top of the Cheetahs scrum again and Nic White stepped up with a long range penalty attempt that was good and sent the Brumbies to the sheds in front 11-9 with the territory and possession stats starting to level out after early dominance from the home side.
The Brumbies started the second half with all the ball but were let down by a poor penalty kick to touch by White on one occasion that lost some great field position.
They had employed a grubber kick option to stop the rushing Cheetahs defence during the match and it almost came unstuck for them with the Cheetahs counter attacking from their own 22 on one chance.
The home side hit the front again with their first try after a set move with winger Willie le Roux going over in the left corner, despite question marks over the final pass from Venter.
They went further in front just minutes later from a cross field kick from Elgar Watts that was collected by Johan Goosen after out jumping Robbie Coleman and he went over in the right corner. Goosen converted his own try to make it 21-11 after 10 minutes of the second half.
Both side traded penalties with the game entering the final 20 minutes and the substitutes starting to take to the field but the Brumbies couldn’t get the left they needed as they chased the game.
They received a lifeline when Brussow was sent to the bin for kicking the ball away after being penalised, for the second time, with the Brumbies on attack. From the resulting lineout, the Brumbies rumbled to the line and Stephen Moore came up with the five pointer. White’s conversion made the difference just three points with five minutes to go.
Johan Goosen had the final say and sealed the win with a huge 55m drop goal that just fell over the crossbar to make the lead six points that would end ultimately up being the final margin.
The Brumbies stay in second place on the ladder after picking up a bonus point and head to Pretoria to play the Bulls next week who are coming off the bye.
[one_third last=”no”]
The Game Changer
The two tries from the Cheetahs early in the second half turned a deficit into a ten point lead.
[/one_third]
[one_third last=”no”]
The G&GR MOTM
Boom Prinsloo from the Cheetahs was a menace and the Brumbies struggled to contain him.
[/one_third]
[one_third last=”yes”]
Wallaby Watch
Stephen Moore was one of the Brumbies best and deserved his try.
[/one_third]
The Details
Score & Scorers
[one_half last=”no”]CHEETAHS 27
Tries: le Roux, Goosen
Conversions: Goosen
Penalties: Goosen 4
Drop goal: Goosen
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]BRUMBIES 21
Tries: Coleman, Moore
Conversions: White
Penalties: White 3
[/one_half]
Cards
15 min – Fardy (Brumbies) – Yellow
72 min – Brussow (Cheetahs) – Yellow
