Blue Bulls regain momentum

This was the final match of the second day at Kearsney College at Botha's Hill between two teams that were expected to match up well.

It was a common assumption before the match that Border would run the ball wide to avoid contact with the big Blue Bulls and the Blue Bulls were expected to try to outmuscle the lighter Border side. The assumption proved untrue. Border tried to match the Blue Bulls physically while the Blue Bulls ran. Border got only short period of profit from their tactic when the Blue Bulls had a man in the sin bin while the Blue Bulls scored seven tries, five by their lively backs.

With 36 minutes gone the Blue Bulls led 19-3. Three minutes later it was 19-15 and Border had their tails up. The Blue Bulls upped their game and scored another four tries, the last four minutes after the 70 minutes were up as both sides carried on playing.

The teams for the match were interesting. Border chose their team 15-1 and 16-23 as originally announced, presumably their first choice side. By contrast the Blue Bulls used all their 16-23 players in their starting line-up, presumably preserving their first-choice players for what they imagined were sterner opponents to come.

It was a delightful, warm day at Kearsney, the miserable wind of Monday missing.

The first break of the match was by the Blue Bulls' outside centre Marnus Potgieter. But then flyhalf Siphosethu Dlongodlongo and outside centre Sibulele Mbana of Border tried to breach the defence and Border went through a routine of one-pass phases.

The Blue Bulls won a turnover off Border and Abner van Reenen went on a long, speedy run. He gave to right wing Lincoln Daniels who scored. Ruan de Swart converted. 7-0 after 15 minutes.

De Swardt of Affies did really well with the boot. He had the full repertoire of kicks - long ones to relieve, accurate kicks at goal and clever attacking kicks that brought about two tries.

After De Swardt had found a long touch, the Blue Bulls won the Border line-out. They bashed their way over the 22 and then released the ball. Calderen Levens gave to Louretz van der Schyff who gave to Abner van Reenen who raced over for the try. 12-0 after 19 minutes.

Border had enormous trouble with their line-outs, losing many, including one five metres from the Blue Bulls line.

The Blue Bulls spilled the kick-off and Border attacked with a clever run, under pressure, by flyhalf Siphosethu Dlongodlongo. Border then settled to a long period of attack in which the Blue Bulls were penalised several times and warned. This ended when Dlongodlongo goaled a penalty for Border. 12-3 after 24 minutes.

The Blue Bulls immediately got on the attack with Van der Schyff on the right and then Austin Davids on the left. They came back right and De Swardt raced at full speed at the gap, took the pass and burst over for a try, which he converted. 19-3 after 27 minutes.

Lanky Border fullback Aphelele Fassi had a long run in counterattack and Border hammered at the Blue Bulls till the attack ended in a penalty to the Blue Bulls.

Potgieter at outside centre had a great break of much promise but handling destroyed the attack. Then Van der Schyff had a strong break but his pass was spilled with an open line.

The half-time score was 19-3 to the Blue Bulls.

Border kicked high and Fassi caught the ball and raced for the line but was tackled from behind by Daniels and lost the ball forward.

After a series of similar penalties and a warning, the Blue Bulls lost a lock to the sin bin for an offence at a tackle..

It was the Blue Bulls' turn to make a mess of a line-out with serious consequences. They threw too long and the Border flank Cameron Cato caught the ball and raced straight down the middle of the field. When he was tackled, Border went left and Libongo Yapi cut back and was over for a try which Dlongodlongo converted. 19-10 after 38 minutes.

Cato had another burst from a line-out. He was tackled and James Bruce, the scrumhalf with a suprising turn of speed, picked up the ball and raced 25 metres on a diagonal to score in the right corner. 19-15 after 39 minutes. It was so promising but the Blue Bulls soon quashed this rebellion.

From a scrum they attacked with Potgieter involved three times. From a line-out they drove a maul forward for the only time in the match. They went left and Philip Krause, son of Piet, took an inside pass from Van Reenen and drove over to score. 26-15 after 51 minutes.

The Blue Bulls won two more Border line-outs and then a turnover. From the turnover De Swardt chipped. Henk Pretorius won the ball and the Blue Bulls went left where Van der Schyff, big and strong, cut in to score. 33-15 after 62 minutes.

Border's kick-off did not go 10 metres and from the subsequent scrum the Blue Bulls went right. Van Reenen passed inside to De Swardt who gave to Daniels who was over in the right corner but, after consultation with the TMO, Daniels was penalised for not releasing when tackled.

But back came the Blue Bulls with lots of close passing till the ball went to lock Ryno Pieterse who ploughed ahead while Border tried to pull him down and he scored. 41-15 after 69 minutes. There was just time for the kick-off and a couple of penalties till the Bulls went right, De Swardt chipped and Van der Schyff scored after 74 minutes.

The final whistle went, the score 48-15 which seemed unfair to the efforts of the brave Border side.

Scorers

For Blue Bulls:

Tries: Abner van Reenen, Lincoln Daniels, Louis Van der Schyff 2, Phillip Krause, Ruan de Swardt, Ryno Pieterse

Cons: Ruan de Swardt 5

Pen: Ruan de Swardt

For Border:

Tries: James Bruce, Libongo Yapi

Con: Siphosethu Dlongodlongo

Pen: Siphosethu Dlongodlongo

Teams:

Blue Bulls: 15 Abner van Reenen, 14 Lincoln Daniels, 13 Marnus Potgieter, 12 Louis van der Schyff (captain), 11 Austin Davids, 10 Lincoln Daniels, 9 Calderen Levens, 8 Luke Fortuin, 7 Phillip Krause, 6 Asipesona Nonyukela, 5 Henk Pretorius, 4 Ryno Pieterse,  3 Arno van Wyk, 2 Carl Wijburg, 1 Wernich Barnard.

Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Jacobus Eloff, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Peter-John Steenkamp, 20 Regardt Du Plessis, 21 Shaun Williams, 22 Hluma Zondani, 23 Emilio Adonis

Border: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Josh Armstrong, 13 Sibulele Mbana, 12 Sango Xamlashe (Captain), 11 Nathan Church, 10 Siphosethu Dlongodlongo, 9 James Bruce, 8 Hanru Sirgel, 7 Libongo Yapi, 6 Cameron Cato, 5 Tristan Waller, 4 Aaron Brody, 3 Alutho Tshakweni, 2 Gareth Heidtmann, 1 Leon Lyons

Replacements: 16 Mila Bomela, 17 Sande Msengana, 18 Hennie Otto, 19 Darren Lemmer, 20 Sonwabo Jwacu, 21 Hlumelo Ndudula, 22 David Coetzer, 23 Christopher Hollis15

Referee: Sindile Ngcese

Assistant referees: Ruhan Meiring, Egon Seconds

TMO: Lourens vs d Merwe