Blue Bulls demolish Leopards at Loftus
Francois Venter scores (Photo Rugby15/Anton Geyser)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls demolished the Platinum Leopards 92-21 at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night and in the process kept their play-off hopes alive, although they will need the Pumas to play the the match of their lives against the Western Province tomorrow.
Akona Ndungane was the first to cross over after Louis Fouche set up the line out 5m from a penalty. Leopards defended valiantly at close quarters but the overlap made it easy for Ndunagne to cross over in the corner.
Bulls second try came after they forced a turn over and their strong runners created space for CJ Stander standing on the wing. Stander gathered the ball with one hand and dived over in the corner.
After a great break up the midfield by Leopards flanker Philip de Wet, the Bulls again turned the ball over and kicked it upfield where a poor Leopards kick gave the Bulls possession and space out wide. Bjorn Basson burst up the blind side and offloaded to Jano Vermaak who ran circles around the final Leopards defender to score under the posts.
Not to be outdone the Leopards struck back immediately from the kick-off with scrumhalf Johann Laker exposing some mediocre Bulls defense to send his flyhalf over to open the score board.
Francois Venter secured the Bulls’ bonus point try a few minutes later after the forwards set up a rolling maul and then sent the ball down the backline. Wynand Oliver broke through the first tackle and Venter was in support to finish off the try.
Wynand Olivier left the field moments later when he got knocked out after his head collided with Charl Weideman’s hip in the tackle. Olivier was stretchered off as a precaution and early reports suggested that it was just a concussion and that he will be fine.
Juandre Kruger was the next to cross over after great straightening by the Bulls backline sent him into acres of space and he showed a clean pair of heels.
The Leopards then played their best rugby of the evening as Wesley Dunlop put a sneaky little kick in behind the Bulls try line and Joubert Engelbrecht dived onto the ball to score their second of the night. After the half time hooter, Hoffmann Maritz crashed over for their third to give the Leopards a glimmer of hope for the second half as they only trailed by 14 points at half time.
That glimmer of hope was soon deminished as the Bulls came out all guns blazing in the second half and turned the match into a try-fest and nightmare for the Leopards. The Bulls ran in 8 unanswered tries and were also awarded a penalty try to bring their try tally to 14 for the night.
Juandre Kruger opened the second half scoring with his second of the night before Bjorn Basson also got on the board. Basson went on to score a hat-trick with two more tries great tries, showing off his pace and stepping each time.
Next was the penalty try after Leopards flanker Luvuyiso Lusaseni deliberately knocked down a ball. Lusaseni was subsequently yellow carded for the offense.
The Leopards received another yellow card before the taps opened and Arno Botha, captain Gary Botha and Francois Brummer also got onto the board. CJ Stander also got over for his second of the night as there was no stopping the Bulls.
The Bulls with a 13 points points difference over the WP are now putting all their play-off hopes on the Pumas to upset or at least run the WP close and without a bonus point victory at Newlands tomorrow.
Points Scorers:
VODACOM BLUE BULLS: 92
Tries: Akona Ndungane, CJ Stander (2), Jano Vermaak, Francois Venter, Juandre Kruger (2), Bjorn Basson (3), Penalty Try, Arno Botha, Gary Botha, Francois Brummer
Conversions: Louis Fouche 11
LEOPARDS: 21
Tries: Wesley Dunlop, Joubert Engelbrecht, Hoffmann Maritz
Conversions: Wesley Dunlop 3
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