While the Cheetahs took all five points on offer, the Sharks will rue another slow second half that saw them leave with just a solitary bonus point.

While the Sharks played all the early rugby and showed more energy in the opening exchanges, they again slowed down after the break and dropped off the intensity that saw them take a 20-10 lead into the break.

In fact, for the second consecutive week they scored three first-half tries, but failed to score a try in the second half ... with two Percy Montgomery their only answer to two converted tries from Pieters and a Meyer Bosman penalty.

The Sharks were very effective in the set pieces in the first half, competing well with the much vaunted Cheetahs pack - which included veteran Os du Randt and fellow Bok CJ van der Linde.

But in the second half the scrum were reduced to uncontested restarts, when the Sharks' props were decimated by injuries.

And the Cheetahs played far more structured, controlled rugby after the break to take the game ... albeit by the narrowest of margins.

The early scoring went to the Sharks, a Percy Montgomery penalty after five minutes.

The Sharks extended their lead to eight points when from a scrum in midfield Ruan Pienaar got the ball from No.8 Braam Immelman, drifted wide and offloaded to Montgomery, who hits the line at pace and sprinted over for the first try. Montgomery failed to t add the extras.

The Sharks put themselves under pressure with some sloppy play at a scrum close to their own line and then conceded a scrum when they carried the ball over their own tryline. From the scrum five metres out Gaffie du Toit came into the line in a simple move and powered his way over. No conversion - 8-5 to the Sharks after 25 minutes.

But the Sharks hit straight . Pienaar made the initial break and then the forwards were there to rumble it further. Albert van den Berg carried the ball over and the call went to the TMO. He awarded the try. Montgomery added the extras and it was 15-5 to the Sharks.

The Cheetahs scored next, from a great piece of set-piece play. Tiaan Liebenberg came around the front of a line-out and offloaded to Kabamba Floors, who burst over for his team's second try. Bosman failed to add the extras.

The Sharks scored a crucial try just before the break, as Meyer Bosman threw a shocker and Bobo gladly accepted the gift. He didn't have the legs, but gave to newcomer Brett Barritt, who raced over for the try.

Montgomery also failed with the conversion and the Sharks took a 20-10 lead into the break.

The Cheetahs scored early after the break, a Bosman penalty in the 42nd minute.

Despite some sloppy play the Cheetahs managed to level the scores in the 49th minute. Giscard Pieters sprinted over for his team's third try, after some good build-up work - when the Cheetahs decided it would be more profitable to carry the ball in hand instead of hoofing it downfield.

Montgomery put his team three points clear again in the 58th minute with another penalty, but the Cheetahs took the lead for the first time in the 61st minute they stole a Sharks throw at the line-out. The initial go-forward came from Cheetahs captain Juan Smith, before some great hands from Ollie le Roux put Pieters in space as he sprinted over for his second ... and what turned out to be the match-winning try.

Bosman added the extras and while Montgomery slotted a penalty in the 72nd minute to narrow the gap to just one point (27-26), the Cheetahs managed to hang on for the win.

Man of the match: Sharks fly-half Bradley Barritt, one of several late changes, did brilliantly on debut and certainly in the first half was one of his team's stars. Percy Montgomery (back at fullback) and Ruan Pienaar (at scrum-half) also looked their usual energetic and creative self. The Cheetahs had a number of standout players, with veteran Os du Randt's first-half workrate outstanding, lock Corniel van Zyl's game off the top shelf and Ronnie Cooke doing some fine creative work in the midfield in the second half. But our man-of-the-match is wing Giscard Pieters, who's great finishing ability and second-half brace won the game for his team.

The scorers:

For the Sharks:
Tries: Montgomery, Van den Bergh, Barritt
Con: Montgomery
Pens: Montgomery 3

For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Du Toit, Floors, Pieters 2
Cons: Bosman 2
Pen: Bosman

Teams:

Sharks: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Dusty Noble, 13 Gcobani Bobo, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Brent Russell, 10 Bradley Barritt, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Braam Immelman, 7 AJ Venter (captain), 6 Solly Tyibilika, 5 Albert van den Berg, 4 Johan Ackermann, 3 Brendon Botha, 2 Skipper Badenhorst, 1 Deon Carstens.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Brent Moyle, 18 Johann Muller, 19 Jacques Botes, 20 Sandile Nxumalo, 21 Scott Spedding, 22 Craig Burden

Vodacom Cheetahs: 15 Bevin Fortuin, 14 Giscard Pieters, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Barry Goodes, 11 Gaffie du Toit, 10 Meyer Bosman, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Ryno van der Merwe, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Kabamba Floors, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Corniel van Zyl, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16 Ollie le Roux, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Frans Viljoen, 19 Gareth Krause, 20 Noel Oelschig, 21 Eddie Fredericks, 22 Sinethemba Zweni.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch judges: Shaun Veldsman, Deon van Blommestein (both South Africa)
Television match official: Lois Mzomba (South Africa)
Assessor: James Apollis (South Africa)