The Highlanders recorded the first win of their South African Super 14 tour when they held on in the face of a late Cheetahs surge to record a 31-28 victory in Bloemfontein on Friday.

The win was just their second of the season of a team that - much like the Cheetahs - is in the process of rebuilding.

It was Highveld cold in Bloemfontein on Friday night after heavy rains that made the ground a bit slippery. There were 20 minutes at the start of the second half when the Cheetahs seemed to freeze in body and mind as the Highlanders, from the cold end of New Zealand, warmed to their task and scored 20 unanswered points.

But then their enthusiasm bubbled over and they conceded two yellow cards in the space of a minute and two tries to the Cheetahs, one a mysterious thing when the television match official found a way to advise that a try had been scored though it was not obvious.

With Tom Donnelly and Blair Stewart off, one for an air tackle and the other for a high tackle, the Cheetahs got a fourth try and were within three points of winning with nine minutes to go.

That seemed enough for them and they did not look like scoring again.

They are a strange side the Cheetahs, given to silly errors and poor effort and yet capable of doing things really well. Adam Thomson's try in the second half was an example of the former, the many missed tackles proof of poor effort and then both their tries in the first half examples of the brilliance they are capable of.

Look down the list of the Cheetahs side and you see many, many good players - seen of them Springboks. Look down the Highlanders side  and you find two All Blacks - Craig Newby and Jimmy Cowan and Cowan started on the bench in Bloemfontein.

The Highlanders had more enthusiasm, a tight five that worked strongly, even winning six Cheetah line-out throws and three players of great influence on the game - Paul Williams at fullback, Mike Delany at flyhalf and tall, fast Adam Thomson at flank.

At the end of the match the Highlanders were delighted to have won? Did the Cheetahs care that they had lost? It was not obvious. Does Bloemfontein care that they are playing? That, too, is not obvious to judge by the threadbare crowd at the building site,.

The Highlanders scored first when the Cheetahs were penalised for being off-side at a tackle. It was hard to find the tackle that made them off-side. In fact you could probably win a motorcar or a trip overseas if you could find the tackle that made them offside. Anyway Delany goaled and the Highlanders led 3-0 after 8 minutes.

They should have had a try when Williams broke brilliantly down the left. Ignoring Fetu'u Vainikolo open on his left he passed inside to Toby Morland open on his right. The pass was chest high and in front of Morland but the scrumhalf knocked it on. But the Highlanders stayed on the attack when CJ van der Linde passed the ball over the head of Henry Daniller who is surely the tallest fullback in the world. Adriaan Strauss was penalised - penalised, not free-kicked - at a tackle and Delany made it 6-0 after 22 minutes.

When JW Jonker lost the ball in a tackle Morland scampered away and sent Brett Mather on a long run which could well have produced a try.

The Cheetahs then seemed galvanised into action and went through some hard phases. Juan Smith was at the line and then Rory Duncan. They then went wide to the left on a succession of advantages and Jonker dived over in the corner. Conrad Barnard who had missed a penalty goaled from touch. 7-6 to the Cheetahs.

The Highlanders kicked out in Cheetah territory, and Daniller threw in quickly to Eddie Fredericks who jinked and swerved and sped down the middle of the field. Adriaan Strauss was close. The Highlanders were off-side and Falie Oelschig took a tap and gave to Duanne Vermeulen who burst over in Mather's tackle. 14-6 after 37 minutes.

Three minutes were enough to produce a Highlander try as the Cheetahs nodded off. first Williams countered, then Delany broke and then Vainikolo powered ahead from a scrum going right. Back they went left and, on advantage, Bancroft got a long and perfect pass from Thomson to dive over in the corner. 14-11 at half-time.

That all changed in the first half of the second half.

Ironically it all started with the Cheetahs on promising attack and Meyer Bosman produced an excellent break and Oelschig carried it on. The Cheetahs went through phases till Strauss flicked the ball back inside the Highlanders 22 and lanky Thomson went galloping down the right-hand side. More or less caught by Jongi Nokwe he got the ball away to Williams who gave back to Thomson who had enough puff to get over in the corner. Delany converted. 18-14 after 43 minutes.

The Cheetahs were off-side. 21-14 after 47 minutes.

Meyer Bosman knocked the ball down. 24-14 after 53 minutes.

At the stage the Highlanders were in complete control of the game. They had the Cheetahs pinned down. The Cheetahs threw into a line-out five metres from their line and Hoani MacDonald won it on the Highlanders' right. They went left and Delany threaded through a grubber that bounced kindly into the arms of Bancroft as he plunged over for his second try. 31-14 after 60 minutes.

Those were the 20 minutes which sunk the Cheetahs.

The Cheetahs suede a maul to get to the line but Hendrik Meyer lost the ball.  But they were attacking for a change. They had a long and powerful maul at which the Highlanders were penalised. The Cheetahs kicked out for a five-metre line-out and mauled again. They went over the line and the matter was referred to the TMO who found some mysterious way to advise that Hendro Scholtz had scored a try. Bosman converted.

At this stage first Donnelly and then Stewart were sent to the sin bin.

Barend Pieterse charged down a clearing kick by Morland who got the ball and ran into touch with it, but then threw it away for which he was penalised. Again the Cheetahs made a five-metre line-out. Smith broke away and was close but Rory Duncan was on hand to pick the ball up, stretch and score. 31-28 with nine minutes to play.

The Highlanders may be a young team but they played those nine minutes away like old pros.

Man of the Match: It's not easy to choose between Paul Williams, Mike Delany and Adam Thomson but for his work on defence, in the tackle and on attack we give it to Adam Thomson.

Moment of the Match: Adam Thomson's remarkable try.

Villain of the Match: Nobody though Blair Stewart's high tackle was especially ugly.

The scorers:

For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Jonker, Vermeulen, Scholtz, Duncan
Cons: Barnard 2, Bosman 2

For the Highlanders:
Tries: Bancroft 2, Thomson
Cons: Delany 2
Pens: Delany 4

Yellow cards: Tom Donnelly (Highlanders, 65 - foul play, taking player out of the air), Blair Stewart (Highlanders, 67 - foul play, dangerous tackle)

Teams:

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Eddie Fredericks, 13 JW Jonker, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Conrad Barnard, 9 Falie Oelschig, 8 Duanne Vermeulen , 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Rory Duncan, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Bees Roux, 18 David de Villiers, 19 Hendro Scholtz, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Bevin Fortuin, 22 Hendrik Meyer.

Highlanders: 15 Paul Williams, 14 Matt Saunders, 13 Brett Mather, 12 Johnny Leota, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Toby Morland, 8 Craig Newby (captain), 7 Tim Boys, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Hoani MacDonald, 3 Clint Newland, 2 David Hall, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Replacements: 16 Jason Macdonald, 17 Chris King, 18 Hayden Triggs, 19 George Naoupu, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Blair Stewart, 22 Aaron Bancroft.

Referee: Paul Marks (Australia)
Touch judges: Daniel Cheever (Australia), Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

365