Faf de Klerk's authority and experience proved decisive as the Toyota Free State Cheetahs secured a commanding 43-21 Carling Currie Cup victory over the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Friday evening. The double World Cup-winning scrumhalf crossed for two tries and earned man of the match honours for his control behind a scrum that faced sustained pressure throughout the contest.
Wing Prince Nkabinde's pace and power yielded a hat-trick of tries in an entertaining encounter that remained competitive beyond the hour mark before the Cheetahs pulled clear. De Klerk influenced both of the hosts' first-half scores, delivering a precise grubber in the second minute that Nkabinde gathered in-goal to open the scoring. Flyhalf Jaco van der Walt converted from the touchline to establish a 7-0 lead.
The Sharks XV responded swiftly through centre Janco Purchase, who finished a well-constructed counter-attack after the Durban side exploited space in the Cheetahs' defensive line. Veteran flyhalf Tim Swiel's conversion levelled proceedings at 7-7 after 10 minutes. The match remained closely contested through the first hour before the Cheetahs' class told in the final quarter, securing a bonus-point triumph that lifted them to the summit of the standings with two wins from two matches.