In a nail-biting finish that could have gone either way, the Cheetahs clawed their way into the Currie Cup Premier Division, edging out the Griquas with a heart-stopping 32-31 victory in Bloemfontein. This dramatic showdown not only halted the Cheetahs' six-game losing streak against the Griquas but also secured their spot in the prestigious tournament.
The stage was set under the lights on a crisp Friday night, where the Cheetahs emerged with a halftime lead of 25-12, thanks to spectacular tries from hooker Chucky van der Westhuizen, winger Cohen Jasper, and scrumhalf Rewan Kruger. The momentum carried into the second half with Munier Hartzenberg crossing the line to secure a crucial bonus-point try, pushing the score to 32-19.
However, the Griquas weren’t going down without a fight and rallied back hard. With the clock ticking down to the final minutes, the Griquas were a mere conversion away from snatching victory. But fate had other plans as the conversion veered wide, sealing the match for the Cheetahs and sparking wild celebrations among the Bloemfontein crowd.
"I am not going to watch a better and more engaging rugby match this weekend."
The match wasn’t just a win but a revival for Coach Frans Steyn's squad, who ended their regular season with 35 log points from nine SA Cup matches. This performance left them comfortably ahead of their closest rivals, the Boland Cavaliers and SWD Eagles, who despite expected wins on Saturday, could not contest the Cheetahs' entry into the Currie Cup.
The narrow escape highlighted the razor-thin margins in top-tier rugby, demonstrating that every point counts. As per SA Rugby tournament rules, the first tiebreaker in a log points tie is the number of games won, a metric where the Cheetahs had already secured an advantage. Even the bonus points for scoring four tries and losing by seven points or less would not have sufficed without this dramatic win.
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