In extra time, Siya Masuku converted a penalty kick to give the Cheetahs a 9-6 victory over Pau and a spot in the Challenge Cup playoffs.
Masuku’s final kick came from a penalty conceded at the breakdown as the French club tried to run down the clock, as a draw would have been enough for them to advance to the round of 16. The kick was taken on the right side of the field, approximately 45m from the goal posts, and was taken from about 45m out.
The scoreless match in Parma will likely not be remembered for very long, but for Cheetahs fans, it was exactly what they wanted as their team completed with two victories and two losses in their four pool matches.
The legend of Masuku’s exploits at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma will live on in Bloemfontein. Cheetahs flyhalf kicked penalty goals in the 23rd and 65th minutes to keep his team alive, while Thibault Debaes did the same with three-pointers in the 29th and 44th minutes.
The game was dominated by defense, and despite the fact that both teams missed a few opportunities, the Cheetahs can’t complain too much because they performed what was necessary on a cold night in Italy.
As a result of their triumph, the Cheetahs will face French powerhouse Toulon in the round of 16 at the end of March or the beginning of April, with the exact dates and kickoff timings still to be determined.
On the same weekend, the Lions will play Racing-92 in their knockout encounter.
SCORERS AND TEAMS IN THE CHALLENGE CUP: CHEETAHS VS. PAU
Cheetahs – Penalty goals: Siya Masuku (3).
Section Paloise – Thibault Debaes’s Penalty Goals (2).
Cheetahs — 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 David Brits, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Munier Hartzenberg, 10 Siya Masuku, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Friedle Olivier, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Subs: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Mzwanele Zito, 20 Roelof Smit, 21 Branden de Kock, 22 Evardi Boshoff, 23 Andell Loubser.
Pau — 15 Théo Attissogbe, 13 Yvan Reilhac, 14 Clément Laporte, 12 Nathan Decron, 11 Daniel Ikpefan, 10 Thibault Debaes, 9 Clovis Lebail, 8 Jordan Joseph, 7 Martin Puech (captain), 6 Sacha Zegueur, 5 Mickael Capelli, 4 Guillaume Ducat, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Romain Ruffenach, 1 Ignacio Calles.
Subs: 16 Lucas Rey, 17 Rémi Seneca, 18 Guram Papidze, 19 Lekima Tagitagivalu, 20 Thibaut Hamonou, 21 Reece Hewat, 22 Dan Robson, 23 Tumua Manu.
Cheetahs star Rob Ebersohn in the Challenge Cup
»Cheetahs secure stunning victory and sneak into the playoffs«