Two-try Van Zyl stars as Cheetahs triumph

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AFP) –

A brace of opportunist tries from scrum-half Piet van Zyl, pictured in Auckland on Septmeber 22, 2011, set up Central Cheetahs for a brave 27-13 Super 15 win over Queensland Reds Saturday.

A brace of opportunist tries from scrum-half Piet van Zyl set up Central Cheetahs for a brave 27-13 Super 15 win over Queensland Reds Saturday.

He struck twice during the first half to leave his team 18-6 ahead at the break and superb defending and some luck kept the rampant Reds at bay during the second half.

The first try came on four minutes with Van Zyl charging down a clearance from fellow No 9 Will Genia and evading fly-half Quade Cooper to score in the corner.

Van Zyl struck again midway through the half, grabbing an inside pass from flank Heinrich Brussow and slipping several tackles to dive over in the opposite corner.

Outstanding scrum-halves have been thin on the ground in South Africa this season and support for Van Zyl to get a Springbok call-up will grow after his man-of-the-match performance.

Fly-half and debutant starter Elgar Watts also excelled, kicking five penalties and a conversion from seven shots at goal before a vibrant crowd in a chilly Free State Stadium.

Victory for the Cheetahs completed a clean sweep over Australian sides, having won away to the New South Wales Waratahs and Western Force and at home to the Melbourne Rebels.

The four points lifted them one place to seventh on the combined standings — just one point behind the Auckland Blues, who occupy the last play-off slot.

But with their remaining four fixtures all in South Africa, the perennial strugglers from central city Bloemfontein will believe they can reach the knockout stage for the first time.

The outcome was a bitter blow for the Reds as even a draw would have taken them above the Brumbies to the top of the Australian conference and into the top-three overall places.

It was not for lack of effort or possession that the visitors failed as they came close to scoring a try so many times before replacement wing Ben Lucas crossed the line two minutes from time.

Another converted try would have earned the Reds a deserved losing bonus point, but they were penalised inside their ’22′ and Cheetahs won the scrum and kicked the ball into touch.

“It felt like we were defending for the whole game and even when the Reds crossed the line, we managed to keep them up,” said proud Cheetahs skipper and hooker Adriaan Strauss.

Reds captain and lock James Horwill had no excuses: “We did not execute our plans and I am bitterly disappointed. Now it is even more vital that we beat the Stormers next weekend.”

Reds wing Rod Davies and full-back Luke Morahan each had a try disallowed and television match official decisions went against Genia and substitute lock Ed O’Donoghue.

Cooper converted the Lucas try and also kicked two first-half penalties to narrow the gap to 8-6 — the closest the Reds came to overturning the early eight-point advantage built by the Cheetahs.