Blue Bulls hold on to beat spirited Leopards
After a slow start and a fierce fight till the end from the Leopards, the Blue Bulls beat the Leopards in front of a scattered crowd at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria.
The Leopards started off well and was leading up and till the 25th minute, thanks to a converted try by lock Ligtoring Landman and penalty conversion from flyhalf Neill Jacobs. Unfortunately that was the only points the Leopards would score in the first half.
The Bulls eventually settled down, and looked like running away with the score, as they got their bonus point try in the 35th minute when wing Gerhard van den Heever scored his second try of the night by breaking through the Leopards backline and sprinting away from the Leopards cover defense. Before that, flankers Derick Kuun and Dewald Potgieter also crossed over for a try each. Flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter missed only one of the four conversions.
The Blue Bulls went into the break, leading 26-10.
The Blue Bulls started the second half with a bang when Francois Hougaard dove over in the second minute.
The Leopards struck back immediately through a try from scrumhalf Michael Bondesio. Minutes later it was Blue Bulls’ turn when centre Stefan Watermeyer sprinted over. Michael Bondesio answered with his second try of the night before the Leopards got their own bonus point try via centre Walter Venter.
The Blue Bulls could only add another penalty before the Leopards scored a fifth try through wing Dumisani Matyeshana.
With 3 minutes remaining, and trailing 5 points, the Leopards almost shocked the Blue Bulls when they crossed over the tryline, but referee Stuart Berry adjudged it to be a truck-and-trailer situation and awarded the Blue Bulls the penalty.
Leopards flyhalf Neill Jacobs converted all five of his side’s tries.
The Leopards go back to Potchefstroom with two bonus points.
Scorers:
Blue Bulls
Tries: Gerhard vd Heever (2), Dewald Potgieter, Derick Kuun, Francois Hougaard, Stefan Watermeyer
Conv: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (5)
Pen: Jacques-Louis Potgieter
Leopards
Tries: Ligtoring Landman, Michael Bondesio (2), Walter Venter, Dumisani Matyeshana
Conv: Neil Jacobs (5)
Pen: Neil Jacobs
[james@rugby15.co.za]
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