Oct 10,2024
Toyota Cheetahs 24-33 Emerging Ireland
Emerging Ireland capped off their tour of South Africa with a third win in a row, as Simon Easterby's side came from behind to defeat the Toyota Cheetahs 33-24 in Bloemfontein.
Connacht centre Hugh Gavin was the standout performer in the final game of this tour, as he provided Ireland with a physicality on both sides of the ball, linking up excellently with out-half Sam Prendergast who kicked two conversions.
Prendergast started all three games across the eight-day tour, and proved a constant threat with his crossfield kicking game against a narrow Cheetahs defence.
Ireland’s forwards struggled against a powerful Cheetahs pack in the opening half, and trailed 17-7 after 30 minutes, with Evan O’Connell’s try keeping them in touch, before Andrew Osborne finished off a wonderful team score in the corner to make it 17-12 at the break.
Ireland dominated the third quarter, and a try for the impressive Alex Soroka nudged them in front, only for the Cheetahs reclaim the lead with a quarter of an hour to play.
That try for the South Africans came against the run of play, however, and Ireland didn’t panic, showing impressive levels of fitness to finish the game stronger, as Matthew Devine and Danny Sheahan’s tries in the final ten minutes closed out the victory.
Prendergast looked to move the ball wide at any available opportunity, and with barely a minute on the clock he found Zac Ward with a pinpoint crossfield kick on the left wing. The Sevens international made the smart decision to chip and chase down the touchline, and the bounce of a ball saved the home side from giving up an early try.
It was a let-off for the Cheetahs, and the South Africans capitalised five minutes later when tighthead prop Robert Hunt drove his way over the line from short range, although the damage was limited when Ethan Wentzel’s conversion pushed wide right.
On 13 minutes it looked like the hosts were in for a second try. Ireland found themselves defending their own 22 when Ben O’Connor sent a kick out on the full, before significant pressure led to number 8 Friedle Olivier crashing over to score, but the try was chalked off by the TMO, who spotted a neck-roll by a Cheetahs player on James Culhane.
Ireland went ahead for the first time four minutes later when a penalty in midfield allowed Prendergast kick Ireland into the corner, and from the resulting lineout a powerful carry from Culhane created space for O’Connell to dive over, as Prendergast’s conversion put Ireland ahead, 7-5.
There should have been a second Irish try just after the quarter-hour when Gavin broke the line and played in Cormac Foley to run in under the posts, but the scrum-half was caught just short of the line by Wentzel, before being penalised for a double-movement.
It looked like it could have been a costly moment, with the home side scoring two tries in the next ten minutes, as they began to get gainline success over a younger Irish pack.
On 24 minutes, full-back Michael Annies dived over to score after an offload in contact by Olivier, before hooker Corne Fourie touched down off the back of a maul, and one conversion by Wentzel gave them a 17-7 lead.
Ireland responded well, and four minutes before the break they cut the deficit when their maul sucked the Cheetahs defence infield, before some quick handling by Prendergast and O’Connor got the ball over to the far corner for Osborne to score the second Irish try, which made it 17-12.
Easterby’s side could have taken the lead before the break. In the final play of the half, Ireland turned down a simple three-pointer in favour of going for the corner, but it proved to be a wasted opportunity as they gave up a free-kick for breaking from the lineout early, having previously been warned by the referee.
The second half started in similar fashion, with Ireland manufacturing another lineout attack from five metres out, but there was a similar outcome after the Cheetahs held their maul up, and scrum-half Foley knocked on.
Ireland were dominating by now, and a tiring Cheetahs defence eventually opened up on 54 minutes to allow Soroka to run in and score, with the versatile Leinster forward finishing off a brilliant breakaway try which began with a pair of deft offloads from props Alex Usanov and Jack Aungier.
Prendergast’s conversion nudged Ireland into a 19-17 lead, but they struggled to pull further clear despite controlling territory and possession.
They had a lucky escape on 65 minutes when a Cheetahs breakaway was covered up by Gavin just after the hour mark, and shortly afterwards the home side found themselves reduced to 15 players when second row Carl Wegner was yellow-carded for a shoulder to the head of Charlie Tector.
With 15 minutes to play, Ireland were made to pay for their profligacy as hooker Stephen Smyth shot up in the defensive line to leave a gap for Annies to run in and score his second try of the night, which sent the Cheetahs in front, but it was a short-lived lead as Devine’s quick-thinking at the base of a ruck allowed him scamper into space for Ireland’s fourth try of the night.
Replacement Jack Murphy had made the initial break, and the out-half tagged on the conversion from beneath the posts to give Ireland a 26-24 lead with ten minutes to play.
There would be no late scare for the young Irish side, and a Sheahan try from a five-metre pick-and-go penalty on 76 minutes sealed the win, capping off a 100% return from their three games on tour.
Emerging Ireland scorers
Tries: Evan O’Connell, Andrew Osborne, Alex Soroka, Matthew Devine, Danny Sheahan
Cons: Sam Prendergast (2), Jack Murphy (2)
Cheetahs scorers
Tries: Robert Hunt, Michael Annies (2), Corne Fourie
Cons: Ethan Wentzel (2)
Emerging Ireland: Ben O'Connor; Andrew Osborne, Hugh Cooney, Hugh Gavin, Zac Ward; Sam Prendergast, Cormac Foley; Alex Usanov, Stephen Smyth, Jack Aungier; Evan O'Connell, Darragh Murray; Harry Sheridan, Sean Edogbo, James Culhane (capt).
Replacements: Danny Sheahan (for Smyth, 67), George Hadden (for Usanov, 58), Scott Wilson (for Aungier, 58), Conor O'Tighearnaigh (for O’Connell, 58), Alex Soroka (for Sheridan, 51), Mtthew Devine (for Foley, 51), Jack Murphy (for Prendergast, 67), Charlie Tector (for Ward, 62).
Cheetahs: Michael Annies; Prince Nkabinde, Munier Hartzenberg, Carel-Jan Coetzee, Asanda Kunene; Ethan Wentzel, Rewan Kruger; Schalk Ferreira, Corne Fourie, Robert Hunt; Carl Wegner, Victor Sekekete (capt); Gideon van der Merwe, Siskonke Vumazonke, Friedle Olivier.
Replacements: Marco Janse van Rensburg, Hencus van Wyk, Laurence Victor, Ulrich Stander, Neels Volschenk, Jandre Nel, George Lourens, Cohen Jasper.
