The Toyota Cheetahs have not managed to beat the Highlanders in the last 5 matches but have a great opportunity to change that today.
Recent results:
2011: Highlanders won 24-21 in Dunedin
2010: Highlanders won 31-24 in Bloemfontein
2009: Highlanders won 32-8 in Dunedin
2008: Highlanders won 31-28 in Bloemfontein
2007: Highlanders won 21-17 in Invercargill
Teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Cameron Jacobs, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Willie le Roux, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Justin Downey, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 George Earle, 19 Ashley Johnson, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Philip Snyman.
Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith, 14 Buxton Popoali’i, 13 Tamati Ellison, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Nasi Manu, 7 James Haskell, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Jarrad Hoeata, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Chris King, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Jamie Mackintosh (captain).
Replacements: 16 Jason Rutledge, 17 Ma’afu Fia, 18 Culum Retallick, 19 Doug Tietjens, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Chris Noakes, 22 Siale Piutau.
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Sindile Mayende (South Africa), Stefan Breytenbach (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
elcamino
ROOILEEU
Tina
logan
Deon
Thomas_Bulls
garyj1-Bulls
Aldo
Amethyst
Methos The French Stormer
KingPaul
JT_BOKBEFOK!
trevormayhew
RUGGA_MIND
Pokkel
Quinn25
Marcel
namboer
moose
Jacques(Bunny)Somtimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits
Vernonimous
Pom in Joburg
Watte
niekie
Dante
Panther
Vetgesmeerde Blits
bryce_in_oz
Kozac
Blokkies
Number12_Lions
Brutus2
Lehe6
Estian Nortier
DavidS
johanleroux13
Morné
Tafelberg
pietstreak
Ollie
Koos
April 28th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Cheetahs with suspect defence – their
trade mark – leading 23-9 at HT.
YC for open punch by Highlander.
April 28th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
Fkn cheetahs wil my hele naweek opfok en wen, na ek highlanders op het vir wen.
April 28th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Oom Boer, ek is amased met die feit dat die cheetahs ooit kan wen met so swak defense. Vanaf 30 -9 na 30 all in minder as 10 min, en hulle is lucky want hulle defense was nog die hele game dodgy
April 28th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
daar fok sias ebesohn alles op!
April 28th, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Volgende week moet Johan Goosen speel, al het hy net een arm!
April 28th, 2012 at 6:53 pm
Daai skop gaan sias nagmerries gee vir nog baie lank. Reg onder die pale.
April 28th, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Cheetahs deserves no sympathy.
Another game lost by poor tackling
skills and poor defensive pattern.
Squandering a 21 point lead.
April 28th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 6:58 pm:
And Americano’s Messerschmidt hero
on the wing was no exception.
April 28th, 2012 at 7:41 pm
April 28th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
Nou dit was n fokken pot kak.
April 28th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Where is bryce?
April 29th, 2012 at 12:23 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 6:59 pm:
Hold your horses Boertje. I had to split early after The Goose got hurt ( had to run down to church and light a prayer candle for his Goose-ness).
I will carefully review the game ( I left when they were up like 20 so obviously this is a surprise) and provide rational explanations as to why they decided to make like the Italian army vs being SuperCheetahs.
If I can’t plausibly do that I will find ways to blame the ref .
April 29th, 2012 at 5:19 am
Reply to DavidS @ 10:02 pm:
Howzit… went to bed thinking the Landers were going to get a hiding…
Awoke to this score… Landers win (1-12pts) paid $3 so too a Reds win against pathetic Blues… giddy-up!
When oh when will the Cheetahs learn to tackle!
April 29th, 2012 at 8:01 am
Goosen out for 4 months
April 29th, 2012 at 8:08 am
Reply to Americano @ 12:23 am:
A true fan…
April 29th, 2012 at 10:29 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 5:19 am:
stormers screwed my accumulator that was paying 223/1
I had them to win but 1-12 BUT NOOOO they have to win by 14 
Other games went the way I betted but it could have been soooo good!
April 29th, 2012 at 11:06 am
Ok. I was able to review the unraveling in full detail.
And yes boertje, The Messerschmitt was guilty during that last try by Cowan for a half-assed arm tackle that let the move get going. Earlier in the contest however his defense was exemplerary.
My shorthand opinion as to what went down was this:
Cheetahs thought game was in the bag and they got sloppy as evidenced by the many half assed tackle attempts ( yeah you Ashley “Reggae Hair – who cares cuz I’m in UK next year” Johnson….but more than that was the complete loss of the defensive line. that 1st try had a gap big enough for Ollie LeRoux to trot 50 yards for the score.
Additionally:
Sias Ebersohn sucked at kicking and tackling. Granted he had a high bar set for him by the Goose.
Ref did an excellent job.
This is not too American of me to even look at because for sport out this way we don’t gnash about that aspect. Ref or umpire rulings are considered the same as the weather – and if you’re really agrieved at a result…its your fault for not scoring more points. This may change if Obama gets another 4 years but for now thats how it rolls.
April 29th, 2012 at 11:46 am
Reply to Americano @ 11:06 am:
Don’t know if Cheetahs thought game was in bag.
After HT the Highlanders realised these guys
can’t tackle for shit, so let’s just keep
running at them.
Goosen’s injury puts an end to whatever
campaign the Cheetahs had to end in Top 8.
Pity, because he’s shown there IS in fact
another SA player with a step at speed,
not only Pietersen and Aplon.
April 29th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
“Pity, because he’s shown there IS in fact
another SA player with a step at speed,
not only Pietersen and Aplon.”
And that is why he would be a positive inclusion in the Boks. He has the skills and attitude. Too technical for some to see. We could at long last have found another Honiball, but yet punting him is seen as Cape bias.
IMMO
April 29th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Reply to Deon @ 12:39 pm:
Which is why I have not bothered.
Speak to any Cheetahs supporter though, and they reckon their season is done now.
April 29th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Reply to Deon @ 12:39 pm:
Plus he has the vision, l-o-n-g pass,
a boot that is the most accurate stats
wise and as long as Tina’s.
And a superb kicking game.
Speed.
Good defender too.
What more do you want?
Heyneke would probably still have preferred
Morne Steyn, but Goosen is a future gem.
April 29th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
As my parents taught me to be nice with the ugly kids, except if the are lawyers,
I will venture to commit the cardinal sin and state the following:
IMMO and from what I have seen this far in the S15, Grant is in better form, general play and kicking wise, than Morne Steyn AND he has Bok experience.
April 29th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Yeh not a great day to be a cheetah supporter.
Half time I sent a text to my mate saying the Cheetahs look a bit windgat and might lose this.
Inferiority complex is so often hidden underneath an overconfident veneer and this is our biggest weakness.
Still I did not think it would be this bad. Goosen’s presence seem to have a huge effect on team morale? a 19 year old? Cmon!
April 29th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
Reply to The Year of the Cheetah @ 2:35 pm:
Ag komaan. Ouderdom is nie n bepalende faktor van die positiewe invloed wat een persoon op ander kan he nie
As dit was sou jy nie mense al kon begin afpis toe jy 1 jaar oud was nie.
April 29th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
Reply to Deon @ 2:41 pm:
Reply to Deon @ 1:52 pm:
Ek het dit gesê, maar wil dit liewer nie
herhaal nie.
Hy het dit gister in die reën weer gewys.
Daai breke wat in die laaste twee wedstryde
tot sy drieë gelei het wys ook hy het meer
as net ‘n skopvoet.
April 29th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 3:13 pm:
Die manier waarop Tim Horan oor Grant gepraat het behoort enigr iemand te laat regop sot. Ek het Horan verlede jaar ontmoet. Great ou, plat op die aarde en nie n bullshhitter. Ek sal eerder na hom luister oor tegniese punte as Rod Kafer.
April 29th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Reply to Deon @ 3:31 pm:
Vertel ons wat hy gesê het.
April 29th, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Reply to Deon @ 12:39 pm:
One of the things about Heineke Meyer and his Bulls management team is that they do not risk a young player’s career by rushing him into a position he may not be ready for.
April 29th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
I’ve punted Grant since 2007 as a prospective Bok… except for his short linekicking.
I was the first poster on this site who punted Grant for being a Bok… even in the face of opposition from Stormers fans!
Go have some more Premarin estrogen girl… maybe it will improve your countenance…
April 30th, 2012 at 3:14 am
JT… aaargh that would have been awesome!