Stormers breeze past Cheetahs
Stormers fly-half Peter Grant kicked seven penalties to secure a 21-15 victory over the Cheetahs, who remain winless in Super Rugby
Last Updated: 05/03/11 5:55pm
Stormers fly-half Peter Grant kicked seven penalties to secure a 21-15 victory over the Cheetahs, who remain winless in Super Rugby.
Cheetahs stand-off Naas Olivier responded with four penalties for the visitors, while replacement Riaan Viljoen kicked another penalty in the final minute to secure a losing bonus point for his side.
It was a second consecutive Super Rugby victory for last year's Super 15 runners-up, following their win over the Lions last weekend.
As for the struggling Cheetahs, they have lost to fellow South African sides the Sharks, the Bulls, and now the Stormers.
After a low-key start, it was the men from Bloemfontein who had a first opportunity to put points on the board, but stand-in captain Naas Olivier pushed his penalty just wide.
He made amends on the 21st-minute mark putting his side 3-0 up after Pieter Louw was penalised for an illegally taking the ball.
The hosts drew level courtesy of Grant, who slotted over when Louw was the victim of a high tackle.
The Stormers number 10 added another penalty moments later to put his side in front, but the Free Staters hit back straight away when Olivier again found his range, this time 40 metres out.
Grant missed his first attempt at goal just after the half-time siren had sounded, ending a scrappy first period that lacked any real intensity.
Intensity
There was a little more tempo at the start of the second half with Rayno Benjamin crossing in the right corner - only for the television official to rule against him thanks to a last-ditch tackle by Francois Louw.
But the Grant-Olivier dual resumed thereafter as Grant landed a trio of penalties at the other end, mixed in between a double strike by Olivier to keep the gap at three as the hour-mark approached.
The Cheetahs then enjoyed a sustained period of pressure which finally came to nothing as two further Grant goals took the lead beyond the key seven-point deficit.
But Viljoen secured a bonus-point for his side when he landed a 55-metre kick, but his side remain winless after three games.