Clinical Cheetahs hammer Highlanders

Clinical Cheetahs hammer Highlanders

9 Mar 2013

Sarel Pretorius scored twice and Johan Goosen kicked 21 points in a stunning Cheetahs triumph in Invercargill.

The Cheetahs beat the Highlanders 36-19 after leading 30-7 at half time.

Loose forward Lappies Labuschagne’s star shone the brightest on a night in which every one of the visitors had a glow about their performance. Labuschagne was immense on defence, forceful on attack and dominant in everything he did.

The try count was shared at three each but it is misleading in terms of a contest in which the Cheetahs gave a lesson to the hosts in how the game is meant to be played.

The Highlanders were guilty of playing too laterally but that was a consequence of being manhandled in the collisions whenever one of their players tried the direct route.

This looked like men against boys and the Cheetahs seemed to know it. Goosen played the game in the right areas, kicked his penalties and was true to any counter attacking opportunity.

There was nothing fortunate about the Cheetahs two intercept tries. They were a result of brutal defence and this defence was turned into attack by way of intercepts and turnovers. The Highlanders attack made errors because of the pressure of the defence.

The turnaround was amazing, given the Cheetahs were demolished 45-3 in Hamilton a week ago, but the Highlanders are not in the same class of the Chiefs. The hosts’ All Blacks looked old and lethargic and the pack simply got punished for being physically inferior.

Highlanders winger Kade Poki got a hattrick but it had no impact on the result because the Cheetahs were always two scores ahead whenever he scored.

Springbok flanker Heinrich Brussouw completed his comeback to Super Rugby with an effective 30 minute cameo, in which he won turnovers and tormented the home team at the breakdown area.

By Richard Ferguson


294 Comments

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  • 51.nortierd: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:00 am

    @Te Rangatira-48:
    I had such high expectations from the Landers this year.
    Doesn’t look like they agree

  • 52.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:02 am

    This weekend going to be a great test of whose conference is stronger.

    Bulls & Stormers are hopefully watching this game.

  • 53.MacroBull: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:03 am

    gosh what a start

  • 54.nortierd: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:04 am

    Had to come.
    Try Highlanders
    Cheetahs are playing like men possed.

  • 55.John Galt: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:04 am

    ****, try Landers. Cheetah Loosies are having a cracker so far.

  • 56.Fern: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:05 am

    Justin Marshall is a great commentator and I enjoy his insightfull comments on Reunion.

  • 57.brains_trust: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:06 am

    Brad Thorn has already made x2 yellow card offenses tonight but the ref doesn’t even give a warning. The ref has been very 1 eyed in favour of the home team

  • 58.Te Rangatira: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:06 am

    @nortierd-51:
    Highlanders are a kind of unfashionable team, but they have had some very good players over the years….Kade Poki is one of them

  • 59.gunther: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:07 am

    Woohoo !

  • 60.nortierd: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:07 am

    @Fern-56:
    Yep, the only time Boots & All comes close to Reunion is if Mallet, Mitchell, Campese or John Robbie is on
    Smittie was good on Thursday

  • 61.MacroBull: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:07 am

    Brilliant charge down!

  • 62.Fern: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:08 am

    @hendrikp-50:
    Atleast you gor a scar to remind you of when you got biatchslapped.
    If Nortie was there he would have cried hysterically and then fainted.
    I suppose you went for medical attention afterwards aswell

  • 63.John Galt: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:08 am

    @Fern-56:
    Yeah seems to be very impartial.

  • 64.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:09 am

    CHEETAHS!!!!

    And we’ve got a half-decent and honest New Zealand TMO for a change.

  • 65.Fern: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:09 am

    Marshall is a meneer,taking on his fellow commentators.
    @nortierd-60:
    Ashwin is also good.

  • 66.gunther: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:09 am

    @nortierd-60:

    John Robbie gives me a migraine.

    He’s like leprechaun on Tik.

  • 67.Jeraldjay: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:09 am

    Commentators says he tried to catch it.

    Can you believe it.

  • 68.Te Rangatira: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:10 am

    @hendrikp-64:
    You are the first to praise Vinny…..

  • 69.kaksioek: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:11 am

    Marshall is not afraid to call it as he sees it – no wonder Steve Walsh hates the sight of him.

  • 70.Fern: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:11 am

    @Te Rangatira-58:
    One of the greatest waste of talent by a person himself is Rua Tipoki
    jeepers he could have been so good.

  • 71.brains_trust: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:11 am

    23-7

  • 72.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:11 am

    @Fern-62:

    Only mental scars.

    Goosen’s goal-kicking back to its best!

  • 73.Fern: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:12 am

    @gunther-66:
    He is irritating.

  • 74.nortierd: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:12 am

    @gunther-66:
    :-)
    What an image

  • 75.Dwarslat: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:13 am

    Hiert, maar die Cheeters is kookwater.

  • 76.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:13 am

    @Te Rangatira-68:

    Don’t follow the NZ refs too close, but I was ready to get really worked up if he called that a knock-on.

    CHEETAHS!!!!

  • 77.brains_trust: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:13 am

    30-7

  • 78.nortierd: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:13 am

    Cheetahs stuffing them up
    Another game wrong

  • 79.Te Rangatira: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:13 am

    @Fern-70:
    Whats up with Rua.?…

  • 80.kaksioek: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:13 am

    Cheetahs on fire!

  • 81.Fern: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:13 am

    @hendrikp-72:
    Mental scars
    Oh you poor thing,harden the feck up.
    Feck you stormers supporters are a bunch of softc ocks.

  • 82.kaksioek: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:14 am

    What a turnaround from last week!

  • 83.gunther: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:14 am

    Intercept The Movie II.

    My superbru is impossibly farked.

    At this rate even Nama is going to overtake me.

  • 84.BrumbiesBoy: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:14 am

    Hurry up with this curtainraiser please!

    ;-)

  • 85.MacroBull: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:14 am

    “Cheetahs fans happy, both of them” hahaha

  • 86.Fern: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:14 am

    @Te Rangatira-79:
    He never reached his potential and his off field stuff did not help him.

  • 87.I am a stormer: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:15 am

    That’s my Bru gone for a ball of chalk this weekend.

    What’s there to say except Go Cheetahs.

  • 88.nortierd: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:16 am

    @MacroBull-85:
    Had to laugh at that comment as well
    Cheetahs don’t have Eberson missing a penalty in front of the poles this years against the Highlanders

  • 89.mxhosa: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:16 am

    Highlanders doing their best to give the game away to the Cheetahs, but hey, I aint complaining. Now the big question is, can the Cheetahs keep this up for the full 80 minutes? Remember what happened in Bloem last year.

  • 90.kaksioek: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:16 am

    If this had happened last week Skop would have been unplayable.

  • 91.nondoda: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:17 am

    Landers flyhalf having a shocker.

  • 92.Fern: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:17 am

    I dont care about my superbru,this is good rugby from the cheetahs and labuschagne has been a revelation.

  • 93.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:17 am

    LOL! Check this out!

  • 94.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:17 am

    @Fern-81:

    I was joking hey. Relax!

    Keen to see Brussow on the field, but bring him on for one of the locks & move Philip vd Walt to lock. Can’t take any of that loose-forward trio off at the moment.

    Cheetahs can be better if they keep up the tempo and bring on Coenie & Heinrich.

  • 95.nortierd: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:17 am

    Against the Cheetahs, you live by the sword, you die by the sword
    Highlanders are their own worst enemies
    They want to play fancy pants throwing the ball around willy nillie, costing them big time

  • 96.brains_trust: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:18 am

    I picked cheetahs to win by 6 on Bru … Wow didn’t expect this margin.

  • 97.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:18 am

    Willie you were in for the try darn it!

  • 98.Fern: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:18 am

    Dropped a gift try!

  • 99.MacroBull: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:19 am

    That would have been the game eish

  • 100.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2013, 09:20 am

    Last I see of Rua Tipoki, he was playing Heartland club rugby alongisde a bunch of guys with beer bellies.

    Bunch of tries in that game also and he wasn’t involved in any of them.

    Overrated if I’ve ever seen it. That other Blues 12 that put in massive hits left way too early though.

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