Cheetahs tamed as rampant Bulls march on
Pretoria team now appear favourites to top Currie Cup log
Springbok flanker Marco van Staden scored a brace of tries as the Vodacom Bulls kept marching on with a clinical secondhalf performance to run out 4013 winners over the Toyota Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Bulls scored 27 unanswered points to secure a valuable bonus point and turn the tables on the only side that has beaten them since Jake White took over as coach of the Pretoria side.
The result leaves the Bulls on 32 points and more than a win ahead of whoever ends up second after the weekend’s games. If they head to the Sharks next week in Durban and record a victory there away from home, it will be very difficult to stop them from taking the top spot on the Currie Cup log month.
Still, it wasn’t quite as clinical in the first half as the Bulls played into the Cheetahs’hands after opening up an early 10-0 lead, only to see it disappear as they handed territory and possession to the visitors after some sloppy play at the back.
The second half produced a much more clinical display as they shut down the Cheetahs’ attack and scored when they had the chance to pick up the bonus point a few minutes from the end.
The match produced a fascinating contest in the setpieces, with the Bulls totally dominating the lineout through the two former Cheetahs locks Sintu Manjezi and Walt Steenkamp, with Ruan Nortje adding his weight to the contest later in the game to give the Cheetahs nightmares in this part of the game.
The scrums were even more fascinating, with Boan Venter getting the better of Marcel van der Merwe, in part a major factor in the Cheetahs wiping out the Bulls’ early lead before the introduction of Trevor Nyakane on the 33-minute mark swung that contest slowly back in favour of the home side.
Nyakane ’ s value to the side cannot be underestimated as he also won a turnover penalty at a crucial stage and currently is worth his weight in gold.
The Bulls opened up the scoring with a perfect counter attack out wide, as Duane Vermeulen put Marco Janse van Vuren away down the touchline, for him to pass inside to Embrose Papier to open the scoring.
Two penalties by Morne Steyn, who provided 16 points with another deadshot performance on the afternoon, to one by his namesake Frans left the sides at 13-3 before the Cheetahs fought back.
Other than Venter’s dominance in the scrums, there were some crucial mistakes — one by Steyn as he was caught in the red zone while taking a quick throw-in and then again when Kurt-Lee Arendse popped him a pass that he fumbled. For all their bravado, the Bulls simply couldn ’ t get out of their own half.
And the Cheetahs turned up the poison, Steyn clawing back another penalty from the scrum before debutant flyhalf Reinhardt Fortuin, who was a late replacement for Tian Schoeman, unlocked a disjointed defence to score.
Frans Steyn missed a late penalty that would have given the visitors the lead at the break and two drop goal attempts in the second half, but was still rock-solid in the backline.
The second half saw the Bulls pull away through more clinical play, excellent defence and playing the percentages.
Van Staden scored his first try from a rolling maul to put the Bulls ahead, whereafter Cornal Hendricks had a try disallowed after he was judged to be in front of Steyn’s chip over the defence, collecting for a superb finish that wouldn’t count.
It mattered not, as the Bulls took a turnover ball and Ivan van Zyl scorched down the far touchline, finding replacement flyhalf Chris Smith to score a try that took them too far out to be caught.
Van Staden scored a second try near the end to clinch the bonus point, this time from a
Nyakane’s value to the side cannot be underestimated as he also won a turnover penalty at a crucial stage
lineout move where Corniel Els found space and Van Staden surged, left the ball and picked it up again for a second surge which took him over the line to score.
The Bulls will be happy with their victory and will take a lot of momentum to Durban to face the Sharks, knowing that if they win that game, they could cruise into the play-offs in the new year.
Scorers
Vodacom Bulls 40: Tries: Embrose
Papier, Marco van Staden (2), Chris Smith. Conversions: Morne Steyn (2), Smith (2). Penalties: Steyn (4).
Toyota Cheetahs 13: Try: Reinhardt Fortuin. Conversion: Frans Steyn. Penalties: Steyn (2).