RUGBY NEWS - Toyota Cheetahs midfielder Nico Lee scored a hat-trick as his team won the first of back-to-back Pro14 derbies against the Southern Kings 45-21 in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
But the Cheetahs had to put up a real fight in the end to keep their bonus point and victory, as they finished the game with 13 men through some indiscipline, before powering back with two late tries to settle the score.
It was a game where the plucky Kings were never really in the fight. The Cheetahs looked a lot more composed and had more than the bulk of possession and territory, giving the scoreline a justifiable feel about it.
The Kings may be the other South African side in the competition, but for large parts of the game they looked tactically naïve, even though they possess a lot of raw talent in their ranks.
Still, their forwards were never a match for the Cheetahs, who revelled with the likes of Ox Nche, Reniel Hugo, Uzair Cassiem and Oupa Mohoje all looking classy around the field.
But it was in the backline – where they lost the likes of William Small-Smith and Francois Venter this week – that the difference really showed, not only in size, but in tactical nuance when it came to what they did with the ball.
Fred Zeilinga and Niel Marais played beautifully off each other, with the latter’s bulk adding some impetus in the midfield, while at halfback Shaun Venter was the real difference between the sides, with his kicking showing a clear dominance while his options were superb throughout.
