PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 28: Elrigh Louw of the Vodacom Bulls on his way to score a try in action during the Carling Currie Cup match between Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld on August 28, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Anton Geyser/Gallo Images)

Currie Cup: Bulls clinch top spot with an entertaining win over spirited Cheetahs

The Bulls claimed a 39-36 win over a spirited Cheetahs team to clinch top spot on the Currie Cup log on Saturday 28 August 2021.

by James Richardson

28-08-2021 18:49

in Currie Cup

The Bulls claimed a 39-36 win over a spirited Cheetahs team to clinch top spot on the Currie Cup log on Saturday 28 August 2021.

They will enjoy home advantage in both their semi-final and the Currie Cup final should they win the former.

Bulls 39-36 Cheetahs: Match report

A tackle bust from Lionel Mapoe allowed the Bulls centre to set Marco Janse van Vuuren in for the opening try. Johan Goosen added the two from straight in front making it 7-0 in the 4th minute.

The Cheetahs came close in response almost immediately, with the TMO called in to check if the ball had been grounded and they would have to try again from a scrum five out.

Despite being under the pump at that scrum, The Cheetahs won advantage as Goosen came up too quickly, and with that Ruan Pienaar found Mihali Mosi who ran in unopposed, to get the Cheetahs on the board. Pienaar levelled the scores with a tricky conversion kick well taken.

The Cheetahs then found space through Cohen Jasper, who dinked a neat little grubber in behind the Bulls which Duncan Saal sprinted onto before gathering and scoring in the corner. With only the sound of a pair of hadedas ringing around an empty Loftus, Pienaar calmly slotted the kick which gave them a 14-7 lead.

It wasn’t long before the Bulls won a scrum down in the Cheetahs 22, a dominant scrum gave them the penalty advantage, but Elrigh Louw would pick up and scythe through the Cheetahs to score, barreling past the last man. Goosen levelled the scores from the tee and with just 17 minutes on the clock, it was already 14-14.

Bulls captain Arno Botha was sent to the sin-bin after he collapsed a Cheetahs maul that was bound for the promised land with a penalty try also awarded to put the Cheetahs back in front early in the second quarter of the contest.

Down to 14 men, the Bulls opted to kick for goal when the Cheetahs illegally stopped a maul. Goosen nailed his kick to lift the Bulls to 17, still trailing the Cheetahs by four.

The Cheetahs squandered two kickable penalties in the Bulls 22 as they knocked on at a five-metre lineout as the match moved towards the half-hour. But the Bulls remained pinned in their own half for the next five minutes until a high shot allowed the Bulls to make their way up towards the Cheetahs 22, by now back to their full compliment.

Ill-discipline gave the Bulls another opportunity to set their rolling maul, and they proved unstoppable, Jan-Hendrik Wessels slamming the ball down for the go-ahead score amidst a blue swarm. Goosen converted the try, and it seemed as though the Bulls would take a lead into half time.

The Cheetahs mounted another attack though, and accepted a shot at goal as reward, with Pienaar kicking the penalty to ensure the scores were level at 24-all at the break.

Half time

A string of errors meant that the Cheetahs were unable to make the most of the territorial advantage they enjoyed early in the second half.

In the 47th minute Victor Sekekete was sent to the sin-bin for collapsing the Bulls maul close to the Cheetahs line.

The Bulls used their drive again, and Wessels came up with the ball, claiming his second try of the match and securing a bonus point for the hosts. Goosen’s kick hit the post and went out, leaving the score 29-24 in the Bulls favour.

Crucially the Bulls were able to stop the Cheetahs rolling maul close to their line before being afforded a soft exit from a scrum-time penalty.

Three successive Cheetahs attacks started with promise before fizzling out due to penalties given away while in possession.

At the other end the Bulls proved more clinical with Madosh Tambwe finishing off a multiphase move on the end of a rifled flat pass from substitute scrumhalf Keagan Johannes. Goosen’s conversion made sure that the Bulls held a twelve-point lead with 16 minutes left.

When Goosen slotted another penalty goal in the 68th minute the game appeared over as a contest.

Jasper got over after a quick lineout move to give the Cheetahs the faintest sniff of getting back into the game.

A big carry from Saal allowed the Cheetahs to set up another five-metre lineout with time running out. Malcolm Jaer bashed over out wide after the Bulls had stopped their rolling maul. The Bulls also lost Ruan Combrink, whose high shot couldn’t stop Jaer from dotting down in the corner. Pienaar couldn’t convert from out wide and with four minutes left on the clock the Bulls led 39-36.

The Cheetahs would get a final throw of the dice from a scrum after the hooter, but the Bulls overpowered them in that pack battle and won a penalty which they booted out to secure victory.

Wessels, who scored twice, as named man of the match.

TEAMS: BULLS VS CHEETAHS

Bulls

15 David Kriel, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 WJ Steenkamp, 6 Arno Botha (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Janko Swanepoel, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp

Substitutes: 16 Joe van Zyl, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Jacques van Rooyen, 19 Jacques du Plessis, 20 Jaco Labuschagne, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Ruan Combrinck

Cheetahs

15 Cohen Jasper, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Evardi Boshoff, 12 Siya Masuku, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Mihlali Mosi, 7 Aidon Davis, 6 Marnus van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen, 1 Schalk Ferreira

Substitutes: 16 Wilmar Arnoldi, 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Reinier Viljoen, 20 Oupa Mohoje, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 David Brits, 23 Chris Smit