Rosko Specman marked his return to the starting lineup with a sensational performance to help the Cheetahs claim an emphatic bonus-point win over the Sharks in a Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The Cheetahs reclaimed top spot with the 44-15 victory and, with three rounds left to play, are 17 points ahead of the third-placed Sharks.

In a dominant performance, the Cheetahs were able to secure the bonus point in the first half, as flank Andisa Ntsila dotted down for the fourth try just before the break.

Returning to the starting lineup after missing last week’s match due to his wedding, Specman turned in a box-office performance, playing a role in all four first-half tries.

The pick of his involvement came when he ran from inside his own half, beat several defenders on his way to the five-metre line and then put hooker Marnus van der Merwe over.

Aside from Specman, there were also pleasing performances from Frans Steyn, who was always on hand to shift the ball left and right, lock Victor Sekekete, fullback Cohen Jasper, wing Daniel Kasende and No 8 Milhali Mosi.

While the Sharks managed to grab a couple of tries of their own, the visitors would have been disappointed in the way they responded to last week’s surprise loss to the Pumas. Their attack was blunt for the most part, aside from the opening try and a couple of linebreaks in the second half.

Having now suffered back-to-back defeats, the Sharks will be wary of the lurking Griquas and Pumas, both of whom are ready to pounce on any more slip-ups in the race for the final two playoff places.

Photo: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images