Super Rugby: Sarel Pretorius crosses twice as the Cheetahs stun the Highlanders
Sarel Pretorius proved he is back to his best as the Cheetahs recorded a 36-19 victory over the Highlanders.
Last Updated: 09/03/13 8:27am
The talented scrum-half returned to the Cheetahs in the off-season after a miserable stint with the Waratahs.
From being the top try-scorer in Super Rugby in 2011 - and strongly tipped for a call-up to the South Africa side - Pretorius found himself falling out of favour in Sydney.
However his homecoming at the Cheetahs has breathed life into his career, with Pretorius crossing for two tries as the Bloemfontein side recorded a first win over the Highlanders.
His first underlined his electric pace, while his second was an example of his predatory instincts.
Critical
Robert Ebersohn also crossed for a try, while Johan Goosen added 21 points from the boot.
The Cheetahs defence, though, was also critical to the win - with the Highlanders struggling to find a way through and forced into mistakes.
Kade Poki did cross for a hat-trick but that was the sole highlight for the hosts, who were their own worst enemies at times.
Two of the three tries scored by the Cheetahs came via errors from Lima Sopoaga - with the fly-half replaced after 37 minutes as a result.
The Highlanders had trailed 30-7 at the break and although they outscored the visitors in the second half the damage had already been done.
