They say that, in sport, the sign of a champion is grinding out a result when you’re not at your best. Sealing an improbable victory with your backs against the wall on a day when, for some inexplicable reason, things perhaps aren’t running on all cylinders, is a vital characteristic when navigating the peaks and troughs of a lengthy season. That is exactly what the Toyota Cheetahs did in their Round 8 derby clash against the Isuzu Southern Kings on Saturday: trailing 30-17 with just six minutes left to play, a Rhyno-Smith inspired side turned the tables and dug out a phenomenal 31-30 triumph. Not only does the result deny the Kings what would have been a first Guinness PRO14 win over their South African rivals, but it could well be the catalyst that the Cheetahs need to re-ignite their surge for the Final Series. Smith the man for the moment In Smith, there is no doubt that Hawies Fourie’s side are possessing of one of the deadliest players in the Guinness PRO14 this season. Two more tries to add to his burgeoning tally take him to a staggering nine in nine games – three more than nearest challenger Mark Bennett at the top of the overall numbers. Pure #MondayMotivation from @CheetahsRugby 💪 A last-minute win over @SouthernKingsSA in the South African derby has shaken up the #GuinnessPRO14 Final Series race 👀 Can Kings get revenge this weekend though? 👑 pic.twitter.com/wLj4QB4fSH — PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) January 27, 2020 He also gained 107 metres – another statistic in which he leads the competition this season – and made two clean breaks, but it was his devastating finishing ability that will be remembered and feared in Conference A. His first was a classic Smith effort, finding space out wide to burst over and loop round to ease Ruan Pienaar’s task for the extras. But it was his second that may well provide us with one of the indelible images of the campaign, as five-foot-seven Smith leapt highest to claim Pienaar’s inch-perfect cross-field kick to juggle, re-gather and dive on the ball gratefully. Pienaar the iceman If Smith grabbed the headlines in Port Elizabeth, it was Pienaar who was the architect-in-chief. Amidst the flurry of late points, it may well be forgotten that the veteran scrum-half notched a pair of clutch conversions, the latter of which sealed victory. For a man who did not even start the match – he was brought on with the Cheetahs trailing 20-12, 50 minutes in – Pienaar certainly did not take long to pick up the pace of the game and begin to run proceedings. He kept the game alive with conversion number one, and – just as the Cheetahs looked set to drive over the Kings’ line with the clock in the red, dropped back and lofted a kick high for Smith, seemingly the only other man in the stadium on the same wavelength. And with a testing conversion for win-or-bust, the 2007 World Cup winner used all of his years at the top level to compose himself and split the posts; it’s unsurprising that Fourie likes having him around. “It is great to have a guy with that sort of experience and I trust in him taking that kick,” said the Cheetahs’ coach. “It is the difference between five points and two points – it was a really important kick for us. “I’ve been with Ruan in Cardiff on the media day and in some of the interviews we were together – they asked him in two of the interviews about kicks he converted in finals under pressure.” Back to winning ways Though they captured the imagination of Guinness PRO14 fans in the northern and southern hemispheres alike with their flawless early-season form, it will come as a surprise that this represented the Cheetahs’ first win since November 30. With a derby day win, @CheetahsRugby are back in the #GuinnessPRO14 Final Series race as they leapfrog @GlasgowWarriors 💪 Can they stay in the running? 🐆 pic.twitter.com/D78K8iMsfj — PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) January 26, 2020 Admittedly, a large reason for that was their lack of game-time, having played only once in the intervening period – a 41-13 loss at Zebre. But there is certainly a lot to be said for building on positive results, and now that the Cheetahs have got one, they will certainly be hungry to keep their run going. With the Kings coming to Bloemfontein this weekend to conclude the double-header, victory would see them further cement third place in Conference A, after they jumped above Glasgow Warriors thanks to Smith’s heroics. And while there is no doubt a long way to go this season before anything is decided – as well as several teams hungry to displace them – it is the Cheetahs who are in pole position for what would be a second Final Series appearance in three years.
