Cheetahs rally from behind but lose at Bayonne in Challenge Cup
Trailing 22–13 at the break, the Cheetahs went back in front before losing 29–27 at Bayonne. A Jantjies try converted by du Preez made the difference.
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The Cheetahs recovered from a difficult first half to retake the lead, but could not hold on to it. The Bloemfontein club lost 29–27 to Bayonne on Sunday 18 October at the Stade Jean-Dauger in their Challenge Cup opener. Trailing 22–13 at the break, the South Africans scored two tries after the restart to make it 22–27. A try from Herschel Jantjies, converted by Rob du Preez, ultimately handed victory back to Bayonne.
For the Cheetahs, the two-point final margin tells the story of a missed opportunity after a comeback built early in the second half. They had conceded four tries before the break. They then scored fourteen points without reply, enough to open a five-point lead but not enough to be safe from a converted try.
Ten-point lead, then four tries conceded
The opening had in fact gone the visitors' way. A Tiaan Swanepoel penalty, then a Michael Annies try converted by Swanepoel, gave them a 10–0 lead. Bayonne hit back through hooker Facundo Bosch, before a Federico Mori try and a du Preez conversion put the hosts ahead, 12–10.
Swanepoel briefly restored the Cheetahs' advantage with a penalty, at 12–13. But Bayonne closed the half with two more tries, from Yohan Orabe and then Bosch. The hooker's brace stretched the gap to nine points at the break.
Coetzee and Van der Westhuizen revive the Cheetahs
Carel-Jan Coetzee scored the first South African try of the second half. Swanepoel's conversion brought his side back to 22–20. Louis van der Westhuizen then crossed in turn, with another conversion: the Cheetahs now led 27–22. Their two converted tries had wiped out the deficit built up before the break.
The visitors, however, passed up two chances to extend that lead, with Swanepoel missing two penalties. Bayonne stayed within reach, and eventually struck back: Jantjies scored the try that levelled the scores at 27–27. Du Preez landed the conversion to set the final score.
Bayonne thus finish with five tries to the Cheetahs' three. The South Africans showed they could turn the game around after being outplayed on the scoreboard, but their second-half lead did not withstand Bayonne's final response. The same weekend, the Lions were beaten at La Rochelle in the Champions Cup.