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Cheetahs bustle Bulls out of Bloem

August 07 2009

The Cheetahs fought back from 12-3 down at half-time to beat the Blue Bulls 24-15 in the Currie cup on Friday.

The hosts gave the visiting Bulls a lesson in finishing. By rights the Blue Bulls should have kicked on to win, but the errors piled up and the scoreboard remained static, while the Cheetahs made every attack they had count, scoring three unanswered second-half tries.

The more they scored, the better they played until by the end the Blue Bulls simply had no way back.

The archetypal game of two halves hinged upon Jacques-Louis Potgieter's abilities with the boot: woeful in the first half, dead-eye in the second.

Potgieter missed two early attempts at goal before Bulls pivot Francois Brummer landed his first. He missed four in the first half, while Brummer landed all four he had. The Cheetahs' only first-half points came from a Potgieter drop goal.

The home side had the better of the game for much of the half, yet finished it nine points down and a man down as well, with robert Ebersohn seeing yellow for a transgression just when it looked as though the Blue Bulls might break the try deadlock.

A cynical foul to be sure, but 12-3 was a much more assailable half-time deficit than the 16-3 it surely would have been had Ebersohn not intervened. Taking one for the team...

The second half began much better for the Cheetahs, who besieged the Blue Bulls 22 for five-odd minutes before WP Nel forced his way over the line. Potgieter must have changed boots, for the conversion flew through like an arrow.

Brummer landed his fifth penalty to make it 15-10, but the Cheetahs were making inroads, and their second try came on the hour when JP Joubert took a tap penalty ten metres from the Bulls' line before unloading to the hard-working Frans Viljoen, who did exceptionally well to dot down in the corner as he was tackled.

Potgieter gave his side the lead for the first time in the match with the conversion.

Forced to now play catch-up, the Blue Bulls fell disturbingly flat. Brummer missed a penalty - his first miss of the game - before Nel made a rumble down the right to inches from the line.

Out went the ball to hooker Adriaan Strauss, who forced his way over for his side's third score and the win.

It breaks the Cheetahs' duck for the season - you could hear the sighs of relief from the stands - but more significantly, it knocks the Blue Bulls down to fifth in the table, a placing they deserve on this showing. It's an open Currie Cup this year.

The scorers:

For the Cheetahs:

Tries: Nel, Viljoen

Cons: Potgieter 2

Drop goal: Potgieter

For the Blue Bulls:

Pens: Brummer 5

Free State Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Danwel Demas, 13 Corné Uys, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Jean-Pierre Joubert, 8 Francois Uys, 7 Frans Viljoen, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Nico Breedt, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.

Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Izak van der Westhuizen, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Tertius Carse, 21 Louis Strydom, 22 JW Jonker.

Blue Bulls: 15 Tiger Mangweni, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Marius Delport, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Heini Adams; 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, 7 Jacques Burger, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün (c),1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.

Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Fudge Mabeta, 19 Dries van Schalkwyk, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Jaco Engels.

Referee: Sindile Mayende