Thrilling win for Hurricanes

Pretorius: Hat-trick in vain

Jeremy Thrush scored a last-gasp try to give the Hurricanes a remarkable 50-47 victory over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

The hosts were edging the high-scoring contest by four points with a minute to play when the lock took a pass from Dane Coles and raced away to score.

The Cheetahs were left heartbroken after seeming set for a second win of the season after a Sarel Pretorius hat-trick and a double by Riaan Smit.

Hosea Gear touched down twice for the visitors, while Jack Lam, Andre Taylor and Alapati Leiua also crossed the try-line in a thrilling contest at the Free State Stadium.

The hosts took the lead through a Sias Ebersohn penalty two minutes in but the Cheetahs responded as Gear's turn of pace allowed him to score the first of what would be 11 tries during the match.

Upright

Daniel Kirkpatrick hit the upright with his conversion and the Cheetahs responded instantly as scrum-half Pretorius dived over from close range.

Ebersohn added the extras and the pace did not let up thereafter, with Lam taking a pass from Vito to run in under the posts for his first try.

At the other end, Smit then scored his first of the night as he crossed the whitewash after some clever work from Riaan Viljoen. Ebersohn added the conversion.

After a Kirkpatrick penalty, a quick-fire double from Taylor and Leiua allowed the New Zealanders to secure a bonus point with just over a quarter of the game gone as they came from 12 behind to lead by seven.

The Cheetahs grabbed their third try of the night five minutes before the break as Pretorius spotted a gap in defence and stepped cleverly before running in easily.

Sias Ebersohn levelled the scores with the conversion and followed that up with two brilliant drop goals.

Lead

However, Kirkpatrick kicked a penalty of his own just after the hooter as the Hurricanes took a 33-30 lead into half-time.

It took over 10 minutes for the first points of the second half to be scored as Gear ran in his second after brushing away three tacklers.

Smit then took an interception all the way to provide an instant response, with Ebersohn converting, but a Kirkpatrick penalty made it 40-40.

Kirkpatrick then edged the Hurricanes into a three-point lead with 17 minutes remaining, but Pretorius then tipped the balance back in the hosts' favour by completing his hat-trick after great work from the returning Adriaan Strauss.

Sias Ebersohn converted, but Thrush had the last laugh when he grabbed a late try that was converted by Beauden Barrett to secure a memorable victory.