Prince Nkabinde turned hero in Bloemfontein, as his double delight helped the Cheetahs claw their way past Georgia's Black Lion with a 24-5 victory on Sunday. Coming off a heartbreaker last week, the Cheetahs showed no signs of hangover as they orchestrated a brilliantly controlled second-half to square the two-game Challenge Series.
The match kicked off with both teams measuring each other, but it was Nkabinde who lit the fuse at the 20-minute mark. Capitalizing on a Georgian fumble, he dashed to the try line, leaving defenders in his wake. Franco Smith added the extras, and just like that, the Cheetahs were up 7-0. The Black Lion had a chance to narrow the gap but fluffed a penalty kick as the first half wound down.
The visitors did manage to bite back shortly after the restart. Shalva Mamukashvili bulldozed his way over from a maul for a try, marking the only time the Georgian side would trouble the scorers. However, the Cheetahs, led by fullback Michael Annies, responded in kind. Annies showcased his pace and finesse on a counter-attacking move that saw him restore the hosts' lead.
Marko Janse van Rensburg continued the assault, muscling his way over from another maul to widen the gap. As the game approached its climax, Nkabinde once again found himself in the spotlight, rounding off his brace with a flourish to seal the deal for the Cheetahs.
"We needed to bounce back and the boys showed great character," praised Cheetahs' coach post-match.
With their domestic duties momentarily paused, the Cheetahs are set to rub shoulders with the Lions in a warm-up tussle at Ellis Park on November 20, before embarking on their European Challenge Cup quest, starting with a fixture against the Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on December 7.
Teams:
CHEETAHS – Tries: Prince Nkabinde (2), Michael Annies, Marko Janse van Rensburg. Conversions: Franco Smith, Clayton Blommetjies.
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Prince Nkabinde turned hero in Bloemfontein, as his double delight helped the Cheetahs claw their way past Georgia's Black Lion with a 24-5 victory on Sunday. Coming off a heartbreaker last week, the Cheetahs showed no signs of hangover as they orchestrated a brilliantly controlled second-half to square the two-game Challenge Series.
The match kicked off with both teams measuring each other, but it was Nkabinde who lit the fuse at the 20-minute mark. Capitalizing on a Georgian fumble, he dashed to the try line, leaving defenders in his wake. Franco Smith added the extras, and just like that, the Cheetahs were up 7-0. The Black Lion had a chance to narrow the gap but fluffed a penalty kick as the first half wound down.
The visitors did manage to bite back shortly after the restart. Shalva Mamukashvili bulldozed his way over from a maul for a try, marking the only time the Georgian side would trouble the scorers. However, the Cheetahs, led by fullback Michael Annies, responded in kind. Annies showcased his pace and finesse on a counter-attacking move that saw him restore the hosts' lead.
Marko Janse van Rensburg continued the assault, muscling his way over from another maul to widen the gap. As the game approached its climax, Nkabinde once again found himself in the spotlight, rounding off his brace with a flourish to seal the deal for the Cheetahs.
"We needed to bounce back and the boys showed great character," praised Cheetahs' coach post-match.
With their domestic duties momentarily paused, the Cheetahs are set to rub shoulders with the Lions in a warm-up tussle at Ellis Park on November 20, before embarking on their European Challenge Cup quest, starting with a fixture against the Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on December 7.
Teams:
CHEETAHS – Tries: Prince Nkabinde (2), Michael Annies, Marko Janse van Rensburg. Conversions: Franco Smith, Clayton Blommetjies.
BLACK LION – Try: Shalva Mamukashvili.
Photo: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images