Blue Bulls claim hard-fought victory against Cheetahs
The Vodacom Blue Bulls clawed their way back to claim a hard-fought 33-30 victory against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
The Bulls were trailing by 11 points at half time and were outplayed by the Cheetahs for most of the first 40minutes. But whatever was said at half time in the Bulls change rooms seemed to have worked as the Bulls came out a different side. More composed and structured they slowly but surely closed the gap and eventually claimed victory in the second half.
The Cheetahs opened the scoring when Hennie Daniller went over in the corner after the Cheetahs pack set up phase after phase on the Bulls’ tryline and it was eventually swung wide to an unmarked Daniller. Sias Ebersohn slotted the conversion with ease.
The Bulls were next to strike when the Cheetahs got penalised by referee Marius Jonker for not rolling away. Francois Brummer converted the penalty to reduce the gap to four points but it was short-lived as the Cheetahs got a penalty moments after the restart and Ebersohn restored a seven point lead.
After several minutes of play in the midfield the Cheetahs struck again as loosehead prop Marcell van der Merwe forced his way over the tryline with Ebersohn having no problem with the conversion.
The Bulls then started gaining some momentum and camped out in the Cheetahs half for sustained periods of play, but each time the Cheetahs defensive lines were up to the task and drove the Bulls back. Brummer doubled his side’s score on the half time buzzer as Bulls lock Juandre Kruger was apparently tripped when chasing after a ball. Replays showed he actually fell over his own feet. The Cheetahs headed into the changing rooms with a 17-6 lead.
The Bulls started the second half better and showed better continuity as they set up several phases. Brummer missed an early penalty conversion but got another shot moments later to reduce the gap to 8 points. Shortly after that Gerhard van den Heever scored the Bulls’ first try as the Bulls spread the ball wide from a turnover. The Cheetahs struck back within seconds as Brummer’s clearance kick was charged down and Francois Uys snatched up the ball to score his side’s third try.
All the momentum however shifted to the Bulls as Juandre Kruger got his hands through a tackle to put Stefan Watermeyer into acres of space, Watermeyer made sure to pull the last defender and send Derick Kuun over in the corner. Moments later it was the same Kruger who conceded a penalty for grabbing a player around the head and Ebersohn had no problem with the conversion as he restored the lead to four points.
Akona Ndungane, who has been looking good the whole night, catapulted the Bulls into the lead for the first time the match when he broke through some mediocre Cheetahs defense to score under the sticks. Brummer slotted the conversion and with 20minutes remaining the Bulls took a 30-27 lead.
Minutes later Ebersohn levelled the scores again but Brummer also added a penalty of his own to regain the lead.
The Bulls then defended manfully as the Cheetahs launched numerous attacks from everywhere on the field to claim their first victory of the 2011 Absa Currie Cup season.
VODACOM BLUE BULLS: 33
Tries: Gerhard vd Heever, Derick Kuun; Akona Ndungane
Cons: Francois Brummer (3)
Pens: Brummer (4)
TOYOTA FS CHEETAHS: 30
Tries: Hennie Daniller, Marcell van der Merwe, Francois Uys
Cons: Sias Ebersohn (3)
Pens: Ebersohn (3)
Jurgen Visser and Gerhard van den Heever spreading the Cheetahs defense. Photo by Jako Pienaar
PW van Vuuren barely making the tackle on Jurgen Visser. Photo by Jako Pienaar
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