Cheetahs Crush Sharks 43-21: Nkabinde Hat-Trick 2026

Prince Nkabinde turned a tight contest into a statement. The Cheetahs winger crossed for three tries and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk added a brace as Frans Steyn's side overran the Sharks XV 43-21 in Bloemfontein on Friday, claiming a full-house bonus point in the process.

Tight First Half Sets Up Drama

It was a game that told two very different halves. At 14-14 heading into the break, the Sharks had every right to believe they were in this. Both sides arrived having won their opening Currie Cup fixtures, and the visitors showed enough quality in the first half to make this a contest. Centre Janco Purchase crashed over for the Sharks' first, converted by flyhalf Tim Swiel, before prop Simphiwe Ngobese muscled through to level the scores after De Klerk had given the Cheetahs the lead for the second time.

The Cheetahs had drawn first blood through Nkabinde, who chased down De Klerk's grubber behind the Sharks' defence — sharp work from both men — with flyhalf Jaco van der Walt adding the touchline conversion. De Klerk then dotted down under the posts to make it 14-7, only for Ngobese to restore parity before the whistle.

Cheetahs Dominant in Second Half

The second half was where Bloemfontein came alive. De Klerk took a quick penalty tap and released flank Juan Venter for a try to put the hosts in front, but the Cheetahs immediately made life hard for themselves. Lock Curtly Thomas was yellow-carded for a head-contact tackle, and the Sharks capitalised through centre Marnus Potgieter. At that moment, with fourteen men on the field, the Cheetahs could have crumbled. They didn't. Nkabinde scored his second to restore the lead, and once Thomas returned, Nkabinde completed his hat-trick to open up an eight-point cushion — even with Van der Walt missing both conversions.

The Sharks then handed the game over completely. Replacement hooker Bryce Calvert was yellow-carded for a cynical breakdown infringement with five minutes left, and the Cheetahs punished the numerical advantage ruthlessly. Venter crossed for his second, and De Klerk rounded things off with his brace — a fitting finale for a man who earned the Man of the Match award.

What Comes Next for Both Teams

The final scoreline of 43-21 flatters neither side entirely, but it is a fair reflection of a second half where the Cheetahs were simply better. Van der Walt finished with four conversions from six attempts. The Sharks, despite three tries from Purchase, Ngobese and Potgieter — all converted by Swiel — ran out of answers when it mattered.

Both teams now sit with one win and one loss through two rounds. For the Cheetahs, round three brings a trip to face Griquas at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley on Friday, 31 July at 19:00 SAST. The Sharks, meanwhile, host the Stormers XXIII at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, 1 August at 15:00 SAST — a Western Cape derby that will carry real weight in the standings.