Cheetahs go clear at Currie Cup summit with Sharks victory

The win sees the Free State side maintained their unbeaten start to the Currie Cup and moving clear at the top of the standings.

De Klerk orchestrated the hosts' attack throughout while winger Prince Nkabinde crossed three times as Frans Steyn's side collected a second successive bonus-point victory, having also beaten the Lions in the opening round.

The result came after a contest that was far tighter than the final score suggested, with the sides locked at 14-14 at half-time before the Cheetahs scored 29 unanswered points after briefly surrendering the lead early in the second half.

The Sharks had arrived in Bloemfontein level on points with the Cheetahs after opening-round victories, with coach Mike Vowles targeting a high-tempo approach and improvements in the aerial contest and lineout against what he described as a settled and experienced Cheetahs outfit.

Instead, it was De Klerk's experience that proved decisive.

The former Springbok captain created the opening try with a perfectly weighted grubber that Nkabinde chased down in the second minute, before crossing himself shortly after the Sharks had cancelled out the early advantage through Janco Purchase.

The visitors responded again when prop Simphiwe Ngobese finished after sustained pressure, leaving the teams deadlocked at the interval.

De Klerk restored the Cheetahs' advantage moments after the restart, taking a quick tap penalty before sending flanker Juan Venter over, but the momentum swung when lock Curtley Thomas was yellow-carded for dangerous head contact.

The Sharks capitalised immediately as Marnus Potgieter scored and Tim Swiel's conversion handed the visitors their only lead of the evening at 21-19.

The Cheetahs responded in style despite being down to 14 men. Nkabinde crossed in the corner for his second try before completing his hat-trick from close range after sustained pressure, stretching the advantage to eight points.

Any hopes of a Sharks comeback ended five minutes from time when replacement hooker Bryce Calvert was yellow-carded for cynically slapping the ball from De Klerk's hands.

The numerical advantage allowed the Cheetahs to finish emphatically, with replacement Daniel Maartens powering over before De Klerk intercepted a pass to race away for his second try and cap a commanding individual display.

While the Sharks enjoyed periods of scrum dominance and created enough opportunities to stay in contention, they were twice held up over the line and failed to convert sustained pressure into points as the Cheetahs' clinical finishing proved the difference.

The Cheetahs now head to Kimberley to face Griquas in round three, while the Sharks travel to Cape Town to take on the Stormers XXIII.

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