Ruan Pienaar scored 23 points as the Cheetahs claimed a bonus-point victory over Western Province in a Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.

The result lifs the last-placed Cheetahs to within two points of the Lions and will certainly lift the spirits of Hawies Fourie’s team in what has been a disrupted season so far.

Meanwhile, Western Province were condemned to their second successive defeat in the competition, but won’t have too much time to work on their errors with a tough trip to Nelspruit looming to face the Pumas on Saturday.

The home side opened the scoring in the first minute through wing Duncan Saal, but were on the back foot for most of the first half, as Western Province dominated possession and territory but couldn’t turn this dominance into points. Two penalties from Pienaar at the end of the half had the Cheetahs going into the break 11-0 up.

A second-half brace from Evan Roos, one of WP’s more impressive performers, gave the visitors comeback hope, but that was ultimately dashed when Cohen Jasper finished off a superbly worked fourth try for the Cheetahs.