Pretoria - Propelled by the stupendous boot of pivot Louis Fouche, the Blue Bulls overcame a week riddled with flu, as well as a gallant but erroneous Sharks outfit, to cruise to a 42-31 triumph in their Currie Cup clash at Loftus on Saturday night.
The visitors salvaged a bonus point right on the final whistle, as Odwa Ndungane sneaked over for the Sharks’ fourth try on a night of frustration for John Plumtree’s men.
Fouche, who kicked everything in sight for a rich haul of 27 points, pegged the visitors back in the first half with towering up-and-unders and kicks to the corners, favouring territory over possession, before the Bulls cut loose in the second half.
Tries by the powerful CJ Stander, Arno Botha and Francois Venter were added to six penalties by Fouche, who also landed a stunning, 55-metre drop goal in the first half.
The Sharks, unbeaten going into on Saturday night’s contest, started dismally, fluffing the kick-off to allow Fouche to open the scoring with an early penalty.
Despite not getting out of second gear for much of the first half, the visitors actually went in at the break ahead 14-12, thanks to two Steven Sykes-inspired tries.
The second-rower first cut in on the angle in the 22nd minute, before laying on a pass for skipper Jean Deysel to dive over for the first try of the evening. Viljoen added the extras, as the Sharks finally showed glimpses of the form that had seen them top the early season standings.
But the 22-year-old Fouche kept the Bulls ticking with two further penalties, before drilling a monstrous drop goal from his own half. He had already just missed from a similar distance, to give the Sharks a warning of his capabilities.
Sharks fly-half Riaan Viljoen was not to be outdone, and he easily slotted a penalty from 55m himself.
The battle of the boot was abandoned in the second period, however, as the Bulls started to run into the spaces that appeared in the Sharks backline. Stander, who was relentless in the tackle around the breakdown, grew in stature with ball in hand once he was given more space, while the three-quarters, Johann Sadie and Venter, looked threatening from set phase.
In contrast, the Sharks wasted several promising chances with poor handling, and they were made to pay for their errors.
Stander bullocked over for the Bulls’ first try after good pressure in the 51st minute, but the Sharks hit back almost immediately, as veteran Marius Joubert showed great determination to sneak over and restore the Sharks’ lead in the 56th minute.
Stander was again at it in the 64th minute, and his excellent lay-off was rounded off by substitute Botha, as the Bulls found another gear in the final quarter.
The Sharks, increasingly stretched, then tried to create space on the outside, but they were caught on the counter when Jacques Botes spilled a ball in midfield.
From the ensuing chance, the home side spread the ball to Akhona Ndungane, who timed his inside pass expertly to a charging Venter for the decisive score.
The Sharks, who looked threatening in fits and starts, were left to lament a slow start and an uncharacteristically leaky line-out, but they at least got the consolation of a bonus point for their efforts. But the night belonged to the resurgent Bulls, and the mighty boot of Fouche, the sight of which left the visitors feeling rather sick themselves.
Sunday Tribune