JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Fullback Riaan Viljoen scored three tries and flyhalf Sias Ebersohn succeeded with all 10 of his kicks at goal as the Free State Cheetahs blitzed the Lions 53-19 in their Super rugby match at Ellis Park on Friday.
The Cheetahs started the game at a terrific pace and, backed by fine handling and support play, simply ran the Lions off their feet.
Apart from failing to come close to matching the scintillating attacking play of the Cheetahs, the Lions will also be haunted by their awful work in the set-pieces.
The visitors were quickly 6-0 ahead after two Ebersohn penalties in the first six minutes, but the Lions scored the first try, in the eighth minute, as flanker Joshua Strauss ploughed over from a five-metre scrum with fine support from lock David de Villiers at his back.
Flyhalf Burton Francis converted to give the Lions a 7-6 lead, but it would be the last points they scored for an hour as the Cheetahs clinically shut them out of the game by dominating the scrums, lineouts and breakdowns.
Ebersohn kicked two more penalties to put the Cheetahs 12-7 ahead and the visitors had two tries disallowed by the television match official before finally killing off the Lions with three tries in the last 10 minutes of the first half.
The Free Staters ran the ball from the kickoff and scored an amazing try as wing Riaan Smith dashed down the blindside touchline, found support from scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius and lock Wilhelm Steenkamp, with centre Robert Ebersohn, the twin brother of Sias, having an easy run-in under the poles.
Although the Lions lifted their game, the Cheetahs still managed to score two more tries and secure a valuable bonus point.
Their outstanding display has brought them to within two points of the defending champion Bulls in third place in the South African conference and ninth overall.
The Cheetahs started the game at a terrific pace and, backed by fine handling and support play, simply ran the Lions off their feet.
Apart from failing to come close to matching the scintillating attacking play of the Cheetahs, the Lions will also be haunted by their awful work in the set-pieces.
The visitors were quickly 6-0 ahead after two Ebersohn penalties in the first six minutes, but the Lions scored the first try, in the eighth minute, as flanker Joshua Strauss ploughed over from a five-metre scrum with fine support from lock David de Villiers at his back.
Flyhalf Burton Francis converted to give the Lions a 7-6 lead, but it would be the last points they scored for an hour as the Cheetahs clinically shut them out of the game by dominating the scrums, lineouts and breakdowns.
Ebersohn kicked two more penalties to put the Cheetahs 12-7 ahead and the visitors had two tries disallowed by the television match official before finally killing off the Lions with three tries in the last 10 minutes of the first half.
The Free Staters ran the ball from the kickoff and scored an amazing try as wing Riaan Smith dashed down the blindside touchline, found support from scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius and lock Wilhelm Steenkamp, with centre Robert Ebersohn, the twin brother of Sias, having an easy run-in under the poles.
Although the Lions lifted their game, the Cheetahs still managed to score two more tries and secure a valuable bonus point.
Their outstanding display has brought them to within two points of the defending champion Bulls in third place in the South African conference and ninth overall.
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