CAPE TOWN – The Cheetahs were typically gutsy, but the Bulls’ class shone through in the second half to ground down their opponents and claim a well deserved 40-13 Currie Cup triumph at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
It was sweet revenge for Jake White’s side, who had gone down 19-17 in Super Rugby Unlocked in Bloemfontein a few months ago.
But they were made to work much harder than may have been expected, considering the depleted Cheetahs side that coach Hawies Fourie had to field after a number of players moved to Europe and the Bulls recently.
The Free Staters got stuck into their more illustrious opponents from the outset, and troubled the Bulls scrum in particular. Loosehead prop Boan Venter won a few penalties against Marcel van der Merwe, while the visitors’ rush defence also upset the hosts’ rhythm on attack.
Duane Vermeulen’s men made an excellent start to the game, though, taking the ball through 12 phases, and they were eventually rewarded on the scoreboard with a Morné Steyn penalty and a try to Embrose Papier – which was sparked by a Stedman Gans cut-out pass.
It looked like a long way back for the Cheetahs at 10-0 down after seven minutes, but they rolled up their sleeves and never backed off from the physical confrontation.
They took the game to the Bulls, with the likes of Andisa Ntsila, Khuthu Mchunu and Reinach Venter hitting rucks and putting in big hits.
Frans Steyn’s massive boot also kept them in the game, as he slammed home two long-range penalties to take the score to 13-6 after 30 minutes.
The Cheetahs were their own worst enemies, though, with untimely knock-ons or lost lineouts halting their momentum.
Their ascendancy in the scrums led White to bring on Trevor Nyakane for Van der Merwe in the 34th minute, and it paid off immediately as the Springbok tighthead stood strong against Boan Venter.
The Cheetahs did take advantage of another five-metre scrum, with flyhalf Reinhardt Fortuin – a late replacement for Tian Schoeman – diving over, and Frans Steyn’s conversion levelled the scores at 13-13 at halftime.
It was all to play for in the second half, but Nyakane’s contribution was immense at scrum-time, while he was also industrious in the tight loose on attack and defence.
Second-half replacements such as Ruan Nortje and Nizaam Carr brought much-needed impetus to the Bulls forward effort, and suddenly they got the maul going too.
A clever lineout throw to the front saw Marco van Staden force his way over from five metres out, and that gave the Bulls the breathing room they needed.
Morné Steyn was also kicking like a dream, and he slotted two more penalties to stretch the lead to 26-13 with a 100 percent record (six out of six).
Late tries from replacement flyhalf Chris Smith and a second from Van Staden added the icing to the Bulls cake, including a try bonus point for the log leaders, who will travel to Durban to take on the Sharks next Saturday.
Points-Scorers
Bulls 40 – Tries: Embrose Papier, Marco van Staden (2), Chris Smith. Conversions: Morné Steyn (2), Smith (2). Penalties: Steyn (4).
Cheetahs 13 – Try: Reinhardt Fortuin. Conversion: Frans Steyn (1). Penalties: Steyn (2).
IOL Sport