Tough year ahead for Spears before 2007 debut
Floors hat-trick shatters the Spears
Saturday January 14 2006
www.rugby365.com
Du Randt injury a concern for Cheetahs
The Cheetahs got their Super 14 preparations off to a flying start, with a 48-0 victory over the Spears, the S14 team in waiting, in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. But coach Rassie Erasmus will be concerned over the price he had to pay, injury to veteran Springbok prop Os du Randt.
It was a result that shattered any illusions about the Spears being a force in South African rugby. The Cheetahs ran in eight unanswered tries, including a hat-trick by man-of-the-match flank Kabamba Floors.
The brilliant loose forward, a Springbok Sevens star, again displayed his devastating pace and could be a key player for the Cheetahs if he builds on the performance he produced on Saturday.
The young Spears outfit tried bravely, but was hopelessly outclassed by a Cheetahs outfit keen to impress in the inaugural Super 14 competition.
From the outset the Cheetahs took command and they opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a try by their wing Vuyani Dlomo, converted by fly-half Willem de Waal.
But it was a day De Waal would rather forget, despite scoring one of his team's tries. He managed to convert just four of the Cheetahs' tries.
Desperate defence by the Spears kept the Cheetahs at bay for a while, but in the 18th minute Floors went over in the corner for the first of his three tries. It came from a forward maul at a line-out.
De Waal failed to convert this try, but added the extras to the next two tries - by Floors and De Waal himself - to take the score to 26-0.
Du Randt was injured late in the first half and Wian du Preez came on as replacement.
On the half-time siren Barry Goodes broke through the Spears' defence to score under the posts, with De Waal converting for a 33-0 half-time lead.
Soon after the start of the second half the Samoan hooker Trevor Leota, replaced Tian Liebenberg and Bok Ollie le Roux came on for Jannie du Plessis.
In the 56 minute Floors ran in his third try, after constant pressure from the Cheetahs. De Waal failed to add the conversion.
Next to score for the Cheetahs was lock Barend Pieterse. It came when centre Ronnie Cooke broke clear from quick turnover, passed to Floors, who then passed to Pieterse, Willem De Waal again missed with the conversion.
In the 70th minute Giscard Peters scored in the corner for the Cheetahs, while Willem de Waal again missed the conversion.
The Cheetahs suffered the indignity of two yellow cards in the final 10 minutes - Ockert van Zyl and Leota.
Down to 13 men the Cheetahs failed to add to the score.
The Scorers:
For the Spears:
None
For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Floors 3, Dlomo, De Waal, Goodes, Pieterse, Peters
Cons: De Waal 4
