Cheetahs 38-19 Leinster: Cheetahs turn on the style in Bloemfontein
Last Updated: 22/09/17 11:05pm
The Cheetahs claimed their second PRO14 win in as many weeks with a 38-19 victory over Conference B leaders Leinster in Bloemfontein on Friday night.
The South African side backed up their win against Zebre last weekend with a bonus-point win as William Small-Smith, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Ox Nche and Luther Obi scored as they inflicted a first defeat of the season on Leinster despite Barry Daly going over for a hat-trick.
The hosts were initially reliant on the kicking of Ernst Stapelberg, with his four penalties keeping Cheetahs ahead for much of the first half despite Daly crossing for a fifth-minute try in the left corner.
Small-Smith scored Cheetahs' first try of the night two minutes before the interval, and Stapelberg's successful conversion gave them a 19-5 half-time lead.
The Irish side's task was made harder when hooker James Tracy was shown a yellow card shortly after the break, and Cheetahs made their numerical advantage tell as Van Jaarsveld bundled over from a maul.
The hosts' forwards were proving too hot to handle as Nche went over from a lineout, with Stapelberg adding the extras, although Daly scored his second of the night on the hour mark and Ross Byrne kicked the conversion.
Winger Daly completed his hat-trick after 74 minutes after getting in down the left flank, but Obi ended any hopes of a comeback with a length-of-the-field effort late on.
