Blue Bulls midfielder Ettienne Botha may not be good enough to make Jake White's Springbok team, but the blond maestro carved up an exceptional performance to ensure that his side recorded a remarkable Currie Cup hat-trick with a 42-33 victory over Free State at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Botha's brilliance brought him within a try of Carel du Plessis' all-time season try scoring record, and capped a brilliant season for the Bulls vice-captain.
His brace of tries - and the amazing ease in which he carved up the Free State defence with his second, signified the prime difference between the two teams on the day.
Botha also denied the fairytale ending to Cheetahs coach Peet Kleynhans, captain Rassie Erasmus and hooker Naka Drotske, who all played their last game for the Bloemfontein team.
But the victory, which was built by pressure and a powerful performance by the Bulls pack on a day where a sea of blue would drown any challenger.
The Cheetahs shocked the Bulls as early as the sixth minute when they used a turnover ball to their advantage and sent Rassie Erasmus over in the corner.
But as Erasmus was being upended by Johan Roets, in reaching for the line he lost the ball before a pile of bodies crashed over.
Television referee Mark Lawrence concluded in the end that the ball had fallen backwards and that the next player coming through was Anton Pitout, who was awarded the try.
But the defending champions have not kept the title at Loftus for two years for nothing, and struck back just as quickly with Frikkie Welsh getting the perfect timed pass from captain Anton Leonard to tiptoe down the touchline to level the scores.
The Bulls almost had another two minutes later when Keegan Fredericks went over in the corner, but Lawrence rightly adjudicated that he lost the ball in the tackle and the home side were denied.
They were to press home their advantage eight minutes later when they pressurised the Cheetahs into a five metre scrum on their own line and then sent the ball blind for Ettienne Botha to score his 17th try of the season.
Victor Matfield added to the celebration after a bullocking 40 metre charge by tighthead Richard Bands, and shimmied his way through the defence to score under the posts.
Fredericks eventually was rewarded with his name on the scoresheet as he added the Bulls fourth in the corner as the half hour was sounded.
With the Bulls already out 27-8 at this stage, the Cheetahs were becoming increasingly desperate but managed the scores closer, first through a Willem de Waal penalty and then through another television referee try to fullback Tsepo Kokoali.
De Waal added another shortly after the break to bring his side to within eight points, but it was never going to be enough as the Bulls simply piled on the pressure to ensure the Currie Cup stays in Pretoria.
Passens scored his second consecutive try in a Currie Cup final after a big hit through Frikkie Welsh allowed a bobbling ball to be kicked through and when Derick Hougaard added a trademark drop goal, the writing was on the wall for the Cheetahs.
Botha then danced his way through the defence in one of the most memorable tries in Currie Cup history, beating four players in a 50 metre waltz to the line.
The Bulls did get a major scare when the Cheetahs came back at them with two tries in three minutes, but it was never going to be enough. - Sapa
Scorers
Blue Bulls
Tries: Frikkie Welsh (10min), Ettienne Botha (18min), Victor Matfield (24min), Keegan Fredericks (30min), Gavin Passens (53min), Ettienne Botha (61min).
Three Conversions, one penalty and one drop goal by Derick Hougaard.
Free State
Tries: Anton Pitout (6min, 71min), Tsepo Kokoali (36min), Hendro Scholtz (68min).
Two conversions, Three Penalties by Willem de Waal
Teams
Blue Bulls:
Johan Roets; Keegan Fredericks, Frikkie Welsh, Ettienne Botha, Gavin Passens; Derick Hougaard, Fourie du Preez; Anton Leonard (capt), Warren Brosnihan, Jacques Cronje; Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha; Richard Bands, Gary Botha, Kees Lensing
Replacements used: Danie Coetzee, Wessel Roux, Danie Rossouw, Pedrie Wannenburg, JP Nel
Free State:
Tsepo Kokoali; Eddie Fredericks, Chris Kruger, Jacques Claassens, Anton Pitout; Willem de Waal, Noel Oelschig; Rassie Erasmus (capt), Juan Smith, Hendro Scholtz; Barend Pieterse, Boela du Plooy; CJ van der Linde, Naka Drotske, Os du Randt
Replacements used: Gurthro Steenkamp, Rayno Gerber, Gerrie Britz, Michael Claassens, Jaco van Schalkwyk
Referee: Andre Watson
TV umpire: Mark Lawrence