The Cheetahs suffered a dramatic late defeat against Spain’s Iberians in Tbilisi on Tuesday.
Flyhalf Agustin Cittadini landed a last-minute penalty after the Iberians earned a scrum penalty to snatch a 22-19 victory in the Toyota Challenge clash, having led 19-7 at half-time.
The Spaniards, who had been thrashed 64-21 by the Pumas in their opening match, raced into a 19-0 lead as a disjointed Cheetahs side repeatedly coughed up possession.
Flank Vicente Boronat crossed twice from driving mauls as the Iberians capitalised on their opportunities, while the Free Staters struggled for attacking fluency with a team containing several unfamiliar combinations.
Scrumhalf Erich Visser finally got the Cheetahs on the board after half an hour, finishing after they regained a contestable kick.
The Cheetahs improved after the break and replacement reinforcements added energy.
A powerful lineout drive created the platform for wing Ntokozo Makhaza to score in the 50th minute. With seven minutes remaining, Makhaza gathered a kick from fullback Shuan Ray and stretched over for his second try before slotting the difficult conversion to level the scores at 19-19.
But the Cheetahs’ comeback was ultimately in vain as Cittadini held his nerve from the tee to seal a memorable Iberians victory.
La franquicia española #Iberians da la campanada y derrota a #Cheetahs
en la #TiblisiCup
Los españoles sacaron un golpe de castigo en la última melée del encuentro y su posterior transformación#Iberians
22-19 #Cheetahs
Grandes @IberiansRugby #Rugby #España #Spain https://t.co/dw52lKFZZg pic.twitter.com/uUDrtx3jlm
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RugbyPills #España #Rugby (@PillsRugby) September 29, 2026
IBERIANS – Tries: Vicente Boronat (2), Martiniano Cian. Conversions: Agustin Cittadini (2). Penalty: Cittadini.
CHEETAHS – Tries: Erich Visser, Ntokozo Makhaza (2). Conversions: Makhaza (2).
Photo: Iberians/Facebook
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The Cheetahs suffered a dramatic late defeat against Spain’s Iberians in Tbilisi on Tuesday. Flyhalf Agustin Cittadini landed a last-minute penalty after the Iberians earned a scrum penalty to snatch a 22-19 victory in the Toyota Challenge clash, having led 19-7 at half-time. The Spaniards, who had been thrashed 64-21 by the Pumas in their opening match, raced into a… Read more →
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