Bloemfontein, South Africa---Joe Pietersen kicked a late penalty as Central Cheetahs pipped Auckland Blues 25-24 Friday after a seesaw Super 15 struggle in Bloemfontein.
The blond, slightly-built fly-half kept his nerve at windy Free State Stadium to convert an angled kick from the 22-metre line with a minute left.
Cheetahs rose to second on the combined southern hemisphere inter-provincial championship table with nine points from two games after a shock bonus-point win at fellow South Africans Coastal Sharks.
Defeat created an unwanted record for the Blues, who lost three consecutive matches at the start of a Super Rugby season for the first time.
They fell at home to fellow New Zealanders Waikato Chiefs in the opening round and then away to South Africans Western Stormers.
The lead changed six times with Cheetahs scoring first, trailing 14-12 at half-time and coming from behind three times during the second half.
Recalled right-wing Cornal Hendricks scored two tries for the winners and scrum-half Sarel Pretorius one while Pietersen slotted two conversions and two penalties from six attempts at goal.
All three Blues tries came from forwards with prop Charles Faumuina, flank Luke Braid and captain and No, 8 Jerome Kaino, making his 100th Super Rugby appearance, dotting down.
Fly-half Ihaia West missed a kick at goal for the first time this season, but did slot three conversions and a penalty.
Those nine points lifted his season tally to 38 and made him the leading Super 15 points scorer midway through the third round with one more than Wellington Hurricanes' Beauden Barrett.
"That victory was too close for comfort," admitted Cheetahs skipper and lock Francois Uys.
"The coolness of Joe (Pietersen) when kicking at goal made the difference."
Kaino said: "We had enough scoring chances to win, which would have been a nice way to celebrate the honour of playing 100 times for the Blues.
"But we were not clinical enough and a few lapses cost us dearly."
Elusive Springbok full-back Willie le Roux impressed, having a role in all three Cheetahs' tries.
But coach Naka Drotske, who took the Bloemfontein team to the play-offs for the only time two seasons ago, must be concerned by 30-plus missed tackles.
Blues coach and former star All Blacks wing John Kirwan will return to Auckland this weekend wondering how they lost a game in which they had so much possession and territory.
AFP
