Super Rugby Wrap: Good week for SA teams
The Toyota Cheetahs withstood a fierce late surge by the Vodacom Bulls to win their first Vodacom Super Rugby match of the season by 34-28 at home in Bloemfontein.
Overall, it was a splendid Saturday for local fans who saw five of the six South African teams emerging victorious from their Round 2 fixtures.
The Emirates Lions won for a second week in a row, as did the DHL Stormers, while the Cell C Sharks and also the Southern Kings registered morale-boosting away wins.
In Bloemfontein, the Toyota Cheetahs held a commanding 28-14 halftime lead and they stretched their advantage to 31-14 with just 15 minutes left on the clock, but they had to work hard on defence to halt a late rally from their Pretoria rivals. The home side outscored the visitors by five tries to three, with Springbok flanker Oupa Mohoje scoring twice in their 34-28 win.
The DHL Stormers made it two from two with their hard-fought 32-25 success over the Jaguares in their later-afternoon fixture at DHL Newlands. The Jaguares had 13 players on the field at one stage due to yellow card offences, while they also conceded a penalty try.
At Emirates Airlines Park in Johannesburg, the Emirates Lions showed glimpses of the splendid form which carried them to the 2016 final when they ran in eight tries to outscore the Waratahs by 55-36.
Burly midfielder Johan Janse van Rensburg, the young Springbok centre who chose to play in the match after his mother passed away earlier in the week, scored two tries for a second time in a row. He dotted down the winning try last week in Bloemfontein.
Left wing Malcom Jaer was the star performer for the Southern Kings in their well-deserved 37-23 win over the Sunwolves in Singapore on Saturday afternoon. The speedy Junior Springbok flyer had two try-assists and scored a fine try himself to cap an impressive individual performance. The Kings led from the start and scored four tries to three in their first win of the campaign.
Earlier in the day, centre Lukhanyo Am scored the winning try in the last minute of the match when he dived onto a rolling kick from replacement Curwin Bosch to clinch a dramatic 27-22 win for the Cell C Sharks over the Brumbies in Canberra.
Springbok flyhalf Pat Lambie slotted five penalties and he also converted the try of Beast Mtawarira. The Durban side now returns home after their two-match tour of Australia.
Toyota
Cheetahs 34, Vodacom Bulls 28
Scorers
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Oupa Mohoje (2), Clinton Swart, Fred Zeilinga, Justin Basson. Conversions: Zeilinga (3). Penalties: Zeilinga (2)
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Jason Jenkins, Piet van Zyl, Jamba Ulengo. Conversions: Tian Schoeman (2). Penalties: Handré Pollard (3).
DHL Stormers 32, Jaguares 25
Scorers
DHL Stormers – Tries: EW Viljoen, Jano Vermaak, SP Marais; Penalty try; Conversions: Jean-Luc du Plessis 2; Penalties: Jean-Luc du Plessis 2 (Note: Conversions no longer taken for 7 point penalty try).
Jaguares – Tries: Augustin Creevy, Santiago Cordero 2; Conversions: Nicholas Sanchez and Santiago Julio Iglesias; Penalties: Nicholas Sanchez 2.
Emirates Lions 55, Waratahs 36
Scorers
Emirates Lions – Tries: Warren Whiteley, Ruan Ackermann, Rohan Janse van Rensburg (2), Andries Coetzee, Ross Cronje, Courtnal Skosan, Malcolm Marx; Conversions: Elton Jantjies (6). Drop Goal: Jantjies.
NSW Waratahs - Tries: Rob Horne, Michael Hooper, Bryce Hegarty, David McDuling, Israel Folau; Conversions: Reece Robinson (4). Penalties: Robinson (1).
Sunwolves 23, Southern Kings 37
Scorers
Southern Kings 37 – Tries: Rudy van Rooyen, Chris Cloete, Ruan Lerm and Malcolm Jaer; Conversions: Lionel Cronje 4.
Sunwolves 23 – Tries: Timothy Lafaele, Fukenki Fukuouko and Takaaki Nakazuru; Conversion: Hayden Cripps; Penalties: Cripps (2).
Brumbies 22, Cell C Sharks 27
Scorers
Cell C Sharks – Tries: Beast Mtawarira and Lukhanyo Am; Conversion: Patrick Lambie; Penalties: Patrick Lambie (5).
Brumbies – Tries: Henry Speight, Scott Fardy and Josh Mann-Rea; Conversions: Wharenui Hawera; Penalty: Wharenui Hawera.
Other Round 2 results:
Thursday, 2 March:
Force 26, Reds 19;
Friday, 3 March:
Chiefs 41, Blues 26;
Saturday, 4 March:
Hurricanes 71, Rebels 6;
Highlanders 27, Crusaders 30.
Logs after Round 2
South African Group
South African Group
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
PF
PA
PD
Pts
1
Emirates Lions (Q)
2
2
0
0
83
61
22
9
2
DHL Stormers (Q)
2
2
0
0
69
49
20
8
3
Jaguares (Q)
2
1
0
1
64
58
6
5
4
Toyota Cheetahs
2
1
0
1
59
56
3
5
5
Cell C Sharks
2
1
0
1
53
50
3
5
6
Southern Kings
2
1
0
1
63
62
1
4
7
Vodacom Bulls
2
0
0
2
52
71
-19
1
8
Sunwolves
2
0
0
2
40
120
-80
0
Africa Conference 1
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
PF
PA
PD
Pts
1
DHL Stormers (Q)
2
2
0
0
69
49
20
8
2
Toyota Cheetahs
2
1
0
1
59
56
3
5
3
Vodacom Bulls
2
0
0
2
52
71
-19
1
4
Sunwolves
2
0
0
2
40
120
-80
0
Africa Conference 2
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
PF
PA
PD
Pts
1
Emirates Lions (Q)
2
2
0
0
83
61
22
9
2
Jaguares (Q)
2
1
0
1
64
58
6
5
3
Cell C Sharks
2
1
0
1
53
50
3
5
4
Southern Kings
2
1
0
1
63
62
1
4
Australasian Group
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
PF
PA
PD
Pts
1
Hurricanes (Q)
2
2
0
0
154
23
131
10
2
Force (Q)
2
1
0
1
39
38
1
5
3
Chiefs (Q)
2
2
0
0
65
41
24
10
4
Crusaders (Q)
2
2
0
0
47
40
7
8
5
Blues (Q)
2
1
0
1
82
59
23
5
6
Reds
2
1
0
1
47
52
-5
5
7
Waratahs
2
1
0
1
55
68
-13
4
8
Brumbies
2
0
0
2
35
44
-9
2
9
Highlanders
2
0
0
2
42
54
-12
1
10
Rebels
2
0
0
2
24
127
-103
0
New Zealand Conference
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
PF
PA
PD
Pts
1
Hurricanes (Q)
2
2
0
0
154
23
131
10
2
Chiefs (Q)
2
2
0
0
65
41
24
10
3
Crusaders (Q)
2
2
0
0
47
40
7
8
4
Blues (Q)
2
1
0
1
82
59
23
5
5
Highlanders
2
0
0
2
42
54
-12
1
Australian Conference
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
PF
PA
PD
Pts
1
Force (Q)
2
1
0
1
39
38
1
5
2
Reds
2
1
0
1
47
52
-5
5
3
Waratahs
2
1
0
1
55
68
-13
4
4
Brumbies
2
0
0
2
35
44
-9
2
5
Rebels
2
0
0
2
24
127
-103
0