Cheetahs stun Bok-laden Sharks in Challenge Cup

It’s performances like these that have many in the rugby fraternity, especially in the Free State, believing the Cheetahs being booted out of the Pro14 was an injustice.

The Cheetahs notched up a big Challenge Cup victory when they stunned the Springbok-laden Sharks 32-29 at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

This was the Cheetahs’ second European victory in as many matches as last weekend they claimed the scalp of another United Rugby Championship (URC) side, Zebre Parma, in Italy

The men from Bloemfontein are only playing in the Challenge Cup as an invited side. They were booted out of the Pro14 along with the Southern Kings in 2src2src to make way for the Sharks, Bulls, Stormers and Lions as that competition became the URC.

The Cheetahs scored four tries through Marnus van der Merwe, Gideon van der Merwe, Daniel Maartens and Cohen Jasper. The Sharks scored the same number of tries via Eben Etzebeth, Francious Venter, Grant Williams and Makazole Mapimpi.

The Cheetahs were the better side by a mile in the opening half as they ran the Sharks ragged from the early stages. They also did enough in the final 4src minutes to justify the victory.

The men from Bloemfontein kept the Sharks under enormous pressure despite the Durban team having five Boks in the starting line-up.

Most of the action was in the Sharks’ 22 and the Cheetahs would feel that th