New entrant Cheetahs shock Pau in France

The Cheetahs made a huge statement when they started their Challenge Cup campaign with a 21-16 win over Section Paloise in France.

The Bloemfontein side outscored their opponents by two tries to one in the match.

The match started slowly, with neither team really firing in attack, Clément Mondinat kicking Pau into a lead in the first five minutes, before Ruan Pienaar responded with a penalty of his own.

Two further Mondinat kicks gave Pau a half-time lead but neither side will have been happy with their first-half displays.

But the second half was a completely different story, as Daniel Maartens went over for the Cheetahs to give them a 10-9 lead.

It sparked the home side into life and a Rémi Sénéca score restored their lead, which they kept despite powerful flank Oupa Mohojé charging over, as Pienaar pushed the conversion an inch wide.

But Pienaar kicked Toyota Cheetahs back into the lead before being substituted, and flyhalf Siya Masuku kicked another penalty to give them the victory as Pau’s ill-discipline ultimately cost them the win.

The scorers:

For Section Paloise:

Try: Seneca

Con: Daubagna

Pens: Mondinat 3

For Cheetahs:

Tries: Maartens, Mohoje

Con: Pienaar

Pens: Pienar 2, Masuku

Teams:

Section Paloise: 15 Clément Mondinat, 14 Eoghan Barrett, 13 Yvan Reilhac, 12 Jale Vatubua, 11 Vincent Pinto, 10 Thibault Debaes, 9 Clovis Lebail, 8 Sacha Zegueur, 7 Thibaut Hamonou, 6 Martin Puech, 5 Jimi Maximin, 4 Hugo Auradou, 3 Nicolas Corato, 2 Lucas Rey (captain), 1 Rémi Seneca.

Replacements: 16 Youri Delhommel, 17 Siegfried Fisiihoi, 18 Nicolaas van Dyk, 19 Mickael Capelli, 20 Reece Hewat, 21 Thibault Daubagna, 22 Elliot Roudil, 23 Mathias Colombet.

Cheetahs: 15 Frans Steyn, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 David Brits, 12 Reinhardt Fortuin, 11 Tapiwa Mafura, 10 Siyabonga Masuku, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Friedle Olivier, 7 Teboho Mohoje, 6 Jeandrè Rudolph, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Mzwanele Zito, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen, 1 Schalk Ferreira.

Replacements: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Rynier Bernardo, 20 Sibabalo Qoma, 21 Daniel Maartens, 22 Rewan Kruger, 23 Robert Ebersohn.

Referee: Sam Grove-White

Assistant referees: Hollie Davidson, Ru Campbell

TMO: Andrew McMenemy