Debutant Ryan Tongia scored two tries as the Otago Highlanders defeated the Central Cheetahs 45-24 on Saturday to complete a disastrous Super 15 weekend for South African sides.
Australia-born Rugby League convert Tongia quickly made his mark as a winger at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, dotting down twice within 18 minutes of kick-off.
The New Zealand outfit led 26-3 at halftime and were 38-3 ahead before a three-try Cheetahs rally gave the scoreline a degree of respectability.
Photo: EPA
The Highlanders lie fifth on the standings, behind fellow New Zealand outfit the Waikato Chiefs on points difference, and look set for a top-six finish and a playoffs place.
The Cheetahs’ defeat meant all four South African sides in action lost their southern hemisphere interprovincial championship matches.
The Northern Bulls fell against the Auckland Blues, while the Coastal Sharks had a sixth straight loss, away to defending champions the NSW Waratahs in Sydney.
A woeful weekend continued with the Golden Lions well beaten by the Australian ACT Brumbies in Johannesburg a few hours before the Cheetahs succumbed.
Even the Western Stormers, who had a bye, did not escape unscathed, dropping to seventh on the combined standings and out of the playoffs zone.
The fast, inventive Highlanders toyed with the injury-ravaged Cheetahs for 60 minutes, scoring six tries, while all the hosts could manage was a penalty.
Then the Cheetahs woke up to score three tries in seven minutes before Highlanders fullback and cocaptain Ben Smith completed the 10-try fest.
“It was great to bounce back after surrendering a big lead to lose at the Golden Lions last weekend,” All Black Smith said. “The Cheetahs rattled us in the closing stages with those three tries, but I trusted my teammates to get the job done.”
“We want to forget the first half — nothing went right for us,” Cheetahs stand-in skipper and center Francois Venter said. “In the last 20 minutes we saw the real Cheetahs with three tries in rapid succession.”
After the Tongia brace, scrumhalf Aaron Smith and winger Patrick Osborne dotted down, while flyhalf Lima Sopoaga converted three and Cheetahs fly-half Francois Brummer kicked a penalty.
The second half began disastrously for the South African side, with replacement winger Raymond Rhule sin binned on 43 minutes for a dangerous tackle.
Aaron Smith and flanker Gareth Evans took advantage of the numerical superiority to cross for Highlanders tries, while Sopoaga converted one to create a 35-point gap.
Then the Cheetahs finally discovered the running rugby they are famed for and winger Rayno Benjamin, lock Carl Wegner and Venter scored tries that Brummer converted.
Replacement Highlanders flyhalf Marty Banks completed the scoring when he converted the Ben Smith try.
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