MATCH REPORT: The Cheetahs bid a sad farewell to legend Ruan Pienaar as they suffered a 22-27 loss at the hands of Clermont in their Challenge Cup Round of 16 clash and made their exit from the competition on Saturday afternoon.
It was the last outing for Pienaar as well as prop Schalk Ferreira as both bowed out of what can only be described as long and illustrious careers for both men.
The Cheetahs struggled to get any momentum from the word go and hardly managed to string together more than five phases in a row.
Their line-outs were abysmal and their fight in the loose was overshadowed by Clermont’s Alexandre Fischer who could face jail time for all the balls he stole on the ground.
Clermont managed to score their third try on the stroke of half time, stretching their lead to 20-3, the Cheetahs’ single penalty goal the only points they could show for their efforts in the first 40.
The visitors started the second half better, stealing the first line-out, offering them the opportunity to kick the ball out in Clermont’s 22 and trying to strike early in the second 40 minutes. But they lost the ball in the ensuing mall.
Clermont’s counter-attack was great, allowing them to eliminate any opportunities the Cheetahs tried to create.
