The Sanlam Boland Cavaliers broke the hearts of the Toyota Cheetahs on Sunday as Donovan Don scored in the 8th minute of injury time to secure a spectacular 37-35 win. This is the Cavas’ first time back in the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division since 2016.
Boland made a fast start, pinning the Cheetahs in their half and taking the early reward after six minutes as James Tedder slotted a penalty goal.
A second Tedder shot at goals put the Cavas up 6-0 after 11 minutes as the home side kept the pressure on the Free State visitors.
Capitalising on Cheetahs ill-discipline and with some smart pick and goes, Boland then scored the games opening try as Ashlon Davids fell over after in the left after an attacking lineout.
A lineout mistake on their throw, however, spoiled Boland’s great start, as a loose throw saw Marko Janse van Rensburg fall over to give the Cheetahs their first points of the half.
The visitors then hit the lead as Boland’s discipline also started to let them down as Rewan Kruger sniped and scored with Cohen Jasper adding the extras for a 14-13 lead.
However, Boland regained their early momentum in the final quarter of the first half as David Brits finished off the home team’s second try.
And after the Cheetahs’ bad discipline finally gave the referee no option but to brandish a yellow card, Boland took advantage straight from the kick-off as Sibusiso Sangweni busted the defensive line and offloaded to Gift Dlamini to run up field, before some swift passing saw Davids dive over for his second five-pointer.
Another attack saw Boland threaten to score again, but a handling error made coach Hawies Fourie’s Cavas settle for a 27-14 halftime lead.
The Cavalier then lost their way again as the Cheetahs took full advantage after deploying a few impactful bench replacements.
And after converted tries by Carel-Jan Coetzee and Gideon van der Merwe, the Cheetahs took a one-point lead, setting up a dramatic final 10 minutes in Wellington. But it was the visitors who looked as if they would break Boland’s hearts after Vernon Paulo scored the visitors’ fifth try for a 35-27 lead.
The Cavas however never gave up hope and believed a win was still possible with five minutes left as a try by Marcqiewn Titus in the 79th minute ignited the home side to launch an attack from the kick-off and after forcing to make the Cheetahs make tackles they found themselves five metres from the line.
A cross kick by Juan Mostert found Xavier Mitchell out wide, who offloaded to Don, who dived over to score in the corner.
SCORERS:
SANLAM BOLAND CAVALIERS 37 (27) – Tries: Ashlon Davids (2), David Brits, Marcqiewn Titus and Donovan Don. Conversions: James Tedder (3). Penalties: Tedder (2)
TOYOTA CHEETAHS 35 (14) – Tries: Marko Janse van Rensburg, Rewan Kruger, Carel-Jan Coetzee, Gideon van der Merwe and Vernon Paulo. Conversions: Cohen Jasper (2) and Ntokozo Makhaza (3).
SANLAM BOLAND CAVALIERS: 15 James Tedder, 14 Marcqiewn Titus, 13 David Brits, 12 Lunathi Nxele, 11 Donavan Don, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Sibusiso Sangweni, 7 Khwezi Mafu, 6 Gift Dlamini, 5 Marlyn Williams (c), 4 Michael Benadie, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Wayrin Losper
Replacements: 16 HP van Schoor, 17 Lamla Nunu, 18 Laurence Victor, 19 Ameer Hendricks, 20 Thurlow Marsh, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Juan Mostert, 23 Xavier Mitchell
TOYOTA CHEETAHS: 15 Cohen Jasper, 14 Ntokozo Makhaza, 13 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Banie Britz, 10 Ethan Wentzel, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Neels Volschenk, 7 Pierre Uys, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (c), 4 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 3 Frankie dos Reis, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Hencus van Wyk.
Replacements: 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Cameron Dawson, 18 Ben Pitout, 19 Sisonke Vumazonke, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Jandré Nel, 22 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 23 Clayton Blommetjies.
Report compiled by Francois de Wet