The Steval Pumas made a good start to their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division campaign with a hard-fought 28-21 (halftime 15-16) victory over the Toyota Free State Cheetahs at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday.

The hosts outscored their more illustrious visitors with three tries to two despite the Toyota FS Cheetahs dominating possession and territory for most of the game.

Justin van Staden began the match disastrously for the hosts as the young flyhalf took the kick-off and sent the ball straight into touch.

The pivot then sent his next clearance into touch on the full and coach Jimmy Stonehouse must have thought that the pressure of playing in his first Premier Division match would get to him.

But the youngster slotted two conversions and three penalties and controlled his backline well to end the match off with 13 points, despite missing two penalties and one conversion.

The visitors began the match on fire as Rayno Benjamin dotted down for the first of his two tries after just five minutes. The Toyota FS Cheetahs had sent the ball down the left wing with Raymond Rhule but then recycled the ball to the right where the right wing beat two defenders to dot down to give the visitors a seven point lead as flyhalf Willie Du Plessis slotted the conversion.

Van Staden slotted his first penalty just four minutes later to bring the hosts within four points before some brilliant individual play from fullback JW Bell sent the passionate Nelspruit crowd into delirium.

The home side were awarded a penalty just metres from the Free State line and Bell took a quick-tap and took on some big forwards, side-stepping two and diving over to hand the lead to the hosts.

Du Plessis slotted two penalties to hand the Toyota FS Cheetahs a 13-10 lead with 14 minutes remaining in the first half. But then the Pumas’ captain, Corne Steenkamp, controlled a ball at the back of a dubious maul and went over for a try that was unconverted by Van Staden.

SIN BIN

Du Plessis rounded off the half for the visitors with a penalty five minutes before the break after Frikkie Spies was penalised for not rolling away at the ruck. Van Staden was also shown his marching orders for kicking the ball away for the second time and spent the next 10 minutes in the bin.

The second stanza began with a Toyota FS Cheetahs onslaught. The first 15 minutes saw the men from Bloemfontein attain 87% possession but the hosts were awarded a penalty after Benjamin was trapped offside. Van Staden slotted the resulting kick to hand a two-point lead to the hosts.

Toyota FS Cheetahs scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius found himself spending 10 minutes in the sin bin after kicking the ball away. Referee Marius van der Westhuizen spoke to both captains to reiterate their discipline after the whistle had been blown.

Van Staden slotted his third penalty after Steenkamp had been on the receiving end of a high tackle down the blindside and from here, the home side did not look back.

A big turning point in the half came with 14 minutes remaining when Van Staden stabbed the ball behind the Free State backline.

Ruwellyn Isbel chased hard and put pressure on the Toyota FS Cheetahs’ defenders. The ball bounced loose and Renaldo Bothma, who had been a tower of strength the entire game, flicked the ball back into the field of play only for JW Jonker to pick up and dart over the line.

The officials went upstairs and were happy with the flick-back and that the ball did not go forward. Van Staden converted the try to hand the promoted side a 12-point lead.

Five minutes later Rhule went over in the left hand corner for the Toyota FS Cheetahs after a period of sustained pressure but the TMO ruled that Rhule was out before grounding the ball.

The Pumas lost the resulting lineout and the Toyota FS Cheetahs swung the ball to the right side of the park where Benjamin gratefully accepted his second try with a spectacular trademark dive!

Elgar Watts, who had replaced Du Plessis, missed the conversion, after missing an earlier penalty after coming on.

The Pumas hung on for a tremendous victory, giving their captain Steenkamp a perfect celebration after enjoying his 150th first-class rugby match for the union.

SCORERS

Pumas – Tries: JW Bell, Corne Steenkamp, JW Jonker; Conversions: Justin van Staden (2); Penalties: Van Staden (3).

Toyota FS Cheetahs – Tries: Rayno Benjamin (2); Conversions: Willie du Plessis; Penalties: Du Plessis (3).