Match Details

Cheetahs (SA)

VS

Chiefs (NZ)

22

Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein Kick off times: 7:10pm (Local) Fri 2 Mar 4:10am (AEDT) Sat 3 Mar

22

A last-minute Stephen Donald penalty has guided the Chiefs to an enthralling 22-22 Investec Super 14 draw with the Cheetahs before a parochial crowd at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein.

With both sides heading into the match on the back of disappointing results last week, the gruelling early passages of play signalled the desperate Super 14 battle that was to come.

But in a first half notable for the visiting side's dominance, only a Donald penalty separated the teams heading into the break.

After racing away to a 16-3 lead on the back of a stunning Lelia Masaga try, the Chiefs were caught napping as they allowed the Cheetahs to run in a late try to peg back the lead before halftime.

Then, in stark contrast to the opening half, it was the Cheetahs who came out of the sheds fired up in the second 40 minutes and a lack of discipline from the visitors, coupled with the pin-point accurate boot of Willem de Waal, looked likely to prove the Chiefs' downfall.

But just as the match looked beyond the visitors, the Cheetahs surrendered a penalty from 49 metres out and after the siren, which Donald slotted over with ease to give his side a share of the points.

Two minutes into the contest and on the back of yet another wobbly Chiefs lineout, the hosts broke the deadlock when de Waal slotted over an easy penalty goal.

The Cheetahs' speedy start, however, bellied the Chiefs onslaught that was to follow as the visitors began to dominate proceedings shortly after.

Boasting an overwhelming glut of possession through the opening stages and choosing on several occasions to kick for touch rather than claim an easy three points, the Chiefs appeared to have barged over the line from a rolling maul in the 13th minute.

But upon closer review by the Third Match Official, it was deemed to be inconclusive and the visitors remained scoreless despite their on-field dominance.

Disappointed by the decision, the Chiefs continued to press deep inside Cheetahs territory and finally, in the 15th minute, flyhalf Donald kicked an easy penalty goal to level the score.

Then, five minutes later, Donald edged the visitors ahead with his second penalty after an infringement from the Cheetahs proved costly in front of goal and deep inside their own half.

With 14 minutes remaining in the opening half and the match quickly shaping into a more evenly contested affair, young wing Masaga broke the monotony when he engineered a scintillating try.

Sparking a run from over halfway, the 20-year-old easily broke the line as he cantered down the field, offloaded and sent the ball through the hands of the backline, before running through to receive the final pass and score in the corner.

In control of the match but denied another try by the TMO in the 31st minute after it was unclear if another rolling maul had been successful, Donald managed to edge the Chiefs out to 16-3 lead with an ensuing penalty.

But choosing the last 10 minutes of the first half to mount a comeback, speedy Cheetahs fullback Siyabonga Mangweni darted 20m through the scattered Chiefs defence to score a late try under the posts for the visitors.

De Waal then slotted over the conversion attempt and a late penalty to restore a degree of respectability to the 13-16 scoreline heading into the halftime break.

Then, moments after the resumption and capping off a tremendous comeback from the hosts, de Waal levelled the score with a penalty, courtesy of an infringement from Chiefs No.8 Sione Lauaki.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors in the 51st minute when de Waal put the Cheetahs ahead for the first time since the 15th minute with another penalty after Tane Tu'ipulotu was punished by the referee for tackling a player without the ball.

And with 25 minutes remaining in the match, Cheetahs flanker Herkie Kruger looked to have boosted his side's prospects when he muscled over the wilting Chiefs defence on the back of a powerful drive.

However, in similar circumstances to the Chiefs' opening rolling maul, the TMO ruled that the try-scoring effort had been inconclusive.

Problems for the visitors, who, early in the match appeared to be heading for a conclusive and much needed victory, continued to mount shortly after and centre Niva Ta'auso added to coach Ian Foster's injury worries when he was taken from the ground with an apparent neck concern 20 minutes from fulltime.

But just as things looked beyond the Chiefs, Donald, scarcely a minute later, levelled the scores with a well-struck penalty goal from 30m out.

The visitors' relief, though, again proved temporary and with 14 minutes remaining in the match and both sides struggling to gain the ascendancy, de Waal again put the Cheetahs ahead through a carefully struck penalty.

This appeared to be the defining moment in the match as the Chiefs, desperately searching for an elusive victory, looked all but finished as the Cheetahs defended their line brilliantly.

But, just as the visitors looked resigned to defeat, the last-gasp penalty goal from Donald finally gave them something to cheer about after four losses from the first four weeks.

Cheetahs 22

Tries: Mangweni

Conversions: De Waal

Penalties: De Waal 5

Chiefs 22

Tries: Masaga

Conversions: Donald

Penalties: Donald 5