Keo.co.za rates the Cheetahs players in Saturday’s Currie Cup final at Loftus Versfeld.

Ratings out of 10

15 Hennie Daniller – 6
Safe under pressure and came into the backline with telling results. Obviously under instruction by Cheetahs management to run it, but the visitors may have done better to exploit his massive boot.

14 Lionel Mapoe – 7
A very promising youngster. Dependable under the high ball and got back for a try-saving tackle in the first half, but also showed his lack of experience at certain stages when he decided to attack from deep. Produced a great chip to chase, but otherwise his kicking game needs work.

13 Corné Uys – 6
Took his try well and featured in many a Cheetahs attack.

12 Meyer Bosman – 6
The bulky centre was often used to carry the ball to the advantage line to set up good second-phase possession. Defended well, but also spilled the ball in contact on a couple of occasions which allowed the Bulls to counter-attack.

11 Danwel Demas – 6
Beat his man on the outside on several occasions and also displayed great calm under pressure.

10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter – 6
Another inconsistent showing from the Cheetahs pivot. Missed a sitter of a penalty earlier on, but then hit a fantastic kick to convert Corne Uys’s try. Cut the Bulls’ defensive line, but also had a howler when he missed an easy mark to give the Bulls’ possession in a promising position.

9 JP Joubert – 6
Good service from the base and some sharp decision-making resulted in a simple try for Corne Uys.

8 Ashley Johnson – 5
Has had a great season to date, but he should have done better behind a powerful Cheetahs scrum. Was too indecisive and often got caught in possession before he could take a step forward.

7 Frans Viljoen – 6
Contributed at ruck time and carried the ball strongly. Ran a great line to score his try, and did fantastically well to hold onto a pass that was meant for the man on his outside.

6 Heinrich Brüssow – 7
Kept quiet at the breakdown, but did well in general play. A determined ball-carrier out wide, and his quick hands set up Nico Breedt for the Cheetahs’ third try. This performance proved he’s more than just a breakdown burglar.

5 David de Villiers – 5
Some good takes off the kickoff, but struggled against the Bulls lineout.

4 Nico Breedt – 6
Makes some big hits on defence and got through a lot of work at ruck tiime.

3 WP Nel – 7
Got the better of Gurthro Steenkamp regularly at scrum time and got his side over the advantage line when in possession.

2 Adriaan Strauss – 7
The underrated scrumming factor in the Cheetahs’ front row, and a deceptive turn of speed had Bulls’ defenders scrambling.

1 Wian du Preez – 7
A powerful force on the run and scrummed extremely well.

16 Richardt Strauss – 4
Try to inject some intensity into the game, but got involved in a needless scuffle that resulted in a penalty that took the Bulls’ lead to 12 points. Received a yellow card in the 74th minute to all but end the Cheetahs’ chances of a comeback.

17 Coenie Oosthuizen – 7
Scrummed well in the second half to ensure the Cheetah’s maintained their dominance at this set piece.

18 Izak van der Westhuizen
Was not used.

19 Kabamba Floors – 5
Came on in the final quarter but struggled to make an impact.

20 Tewis de Bruyn – 6
His sharp passing kept the Cheetahs moving forward in the final stages.

21 Louis Strydom
Was not used.

22 Fabian Juries – 6
Came on for Mapoe but struggled to get his hands on the ball.

By Jon Cardinelli

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 4:18 pm and is filed under Currie Cup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.