Cheetahs comeback ends in stalemate against Bulls
MATCH REPORT: The Cheetahs fought back from a 3-24 deficit to outscore the Bulls by five tries to four in a match that ended in a 34-all draw in the Currie Cup.
The clash started off at a frantic pace with both sides showing willingness to run the ball.
The Bulls tried early to drive the Cheetahs back with the boot when fullback Cohen Jasper made a poor clearance - but a TMO call ruled that Mchunu had committed a neck roll moments earlier that earned the Cheetahs a penalty.
The Cheetahs' lineout who was shaky during the first half was stolen by Manjezi inside the Bulls 22 - robbing them of an attacking opportunity.
The Bulls were the first to get onto the scoreboard when wing Stravino Jacobs broke the line after receiving a pass from No.8 Nizaam Carr and Carr getting the ball back from Jacobs to dot down for the visitors which Jaco van der Walt converted.
The Cheetahs had a chance to strike back when they were centimeters from the Bulls' line, when the Bulls turned it over but the counter-ruck from the home team saw the Bulls take it back and gift the Cheetahs a five metre attacking scrum off which they earned a penalty.
The Cheetahs opted for another scrum when No.8 Friedle Oliver picked up at the back and the home side bashed away with their forwards, but then Olivier knocked the ball on in a follow-up carry.
The Bulls almost scored again when scrumhalf Izak Burger broke the line and ran into the Cheetahs' 22 and got his pass away to Carr who knocked it on.
The Cheetahs conceded the scrum penalty on their own feed, gifting the Bulls another attacking opportunity when they went to the corner and set the lineout maul, but it was well defended by the home side who pushed them into touch.
The Cheetahs had another opportunity to strike when they went for the lineout five metres from the Bulls line, but then conceded a free-kick for crooked throw.
The Bulls extended their lead to 10 points when the Cheetahs conceded a penalty for not rolling away - which Jaco van der Walt slotted in the 31st minute.
The Cheetahs opened their account soon after with an Ethan Wentzel penalty three minutes later after Jannes Kirsten played Carl Wegner off the ball.
The Bulls had another opportunity to score just before half-time when they had a five metre attacking lineout inside the Cheetahs 22 and the Bulls got another penalty which Burger took quickly and got his pass away to Carr who knocked it on to gift the Cheetahs a defensive scrum.
The Cheetahs earned the scrum penalty that Wentzel tapped and kicked to touch for half-time.
[rp-mc-teams-attack id="207|942420|2024"][/rp-mc-teams-attack]
The second half looked like the Bulls were going to run away with the match when under penalty advantage for a deliberate knock-on - the Bulls attacked and Moodie broke the line to set up Burger on his inside to go over for the try and extend the lead in the 42nd minute.
Another score came in quick succession for the visitors when replacement Chamberlain nailed a cross-kick to Jacobs who found Aphiwe Dyantyi on his inside to dot down.
The Cheetahs eventually got over the line in the 60th minute when in a stunning piece of attack from deep saw great hands by Rudolph who got his pass to Hartzenberg who found Jasper on his inside as they played it left to Wentzel who got his offload away to Olivier to go in for the try in the 60th minute.
Two minutes later the Cheetahs were at it again when Wentzel sparked the attack and found Hartzenberg who got his pass to fellow wing Annies and him finding fullback Cohen Jasper on his inside to go in for another score.
In the 66th minute - the Cheetahs turned the ball over after Jacobs claimed it off a high kick and immediately got it wide to Hartzenberg who shrugged off Dyantyi's tackle attempt for their third try
The bonus-point score followed almost immediately when Bulls prop Jacques van Rooyen was penalised for a no-arms tackle and the Cheetahs opted for the lineout.
They went for a maul with Daniel Maartens breaking away and being just short of the line, with the forwards bashing it up and Carl Wegner getting it over to take the lead for the first time in the match and secure the four-try bonus-point.
The Bulls came back after applying pressure to Cohen Jasper off turnover ball that saw the fullback knock it on and the Bulls earning the attacking scrum.
From a set move Chamberlain recieved the ball and nailed another cross-kick to set Dyantyi up for his brace and to reclaim the lead.
The Cheetahs, however were not done and got the lead back off a maul try through Vernon Paulo in the 74th minute after earning a scrum penalty after the restart to go for the lineout drive.
The Cheetahs may regret their game management as they were loose with holding a three-point lead and wing Daniel Kasende knocking the ball on in the tackle that gave the Bulls a scrum on halfway.
The Bulls won the scrum penalty and Chamberlain knocked it over from halfway to level matters.
The Cheetahs had one final attacking opportunity in the dying minutes of the match but Jasper knocked the ball on and the Bulls had the scrum feed which Johannes calmly feeded and got out to boot it into touch to signal the end of the match.
[rp-mc-teams-match-summary id="207|942420|2024"][/rp-mc-teams-match-summary]
Scorers:
For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Olivier, Jasper, Hartzenberg, Wegner, Paulo.
Cons: Fortuin, Wentzel 2
Pen: Wentzel.
For the Bulls:
Tries: Carr, Burger, Dyantyi 2
Cons: Van Der Walt 2, Chamberlain 2
Pen: Van Der Walt, Chamberlain
Teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Cohen Jasper, 14 Michael Annies, 13 Munier Hartzenberg, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Daniel Kasende, 10 Ethan Wentzel, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Friedle Olivier, 7 Aidon Davis, 6 Jeandre Rudolph, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Hencus van Wyk, 2 Corne Fourie, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Cameron Dawson, 18 Robert Hunt, 19 Mzwanele Zito, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Neels Volschenk, 22 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 23 Reinhardt Fortuin.
Bulls: 15 Boeta Chamberlain, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Izak Burger, 8 Celimpilo Gumede, 7 Merwe Olivier, 6 Nizaam Carr (captain), 5 Jannes Kirsten, 4 Sintu Manjezi, 3 Khuthazani Mchunu, 2 Joe van Zyl, 1 Dylan Smith.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Lange, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Ghudian van Reenen, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Lionel Mapoe, 23 Devon Williams.
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron
Assistant referees: Ashton Ockhuys, Scott Olivier
TMO: Ben Crouse