Cheetahs blow Bulls away in Bloem
MATCH REPORT: The Cheetahs booked a spot in the Currie Cup Final with a 39-10 win over the Bulls in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Cheetahs headed into the fixture as favourites and certainly proved it.
They outscored the Bulls three tries to one, while Ruan Pienaar added 22 points (two conversions and six penalties) with the boot.
For the Bulls, it was another tale of missed opportunities in Bloemfontein.
They created a couple of golden try-scoring chances in the opening exchanges, but a combination of costly errors and slack defence allowed the Cheetahs to build up a 20-3 advantage at half-time.
Referee Cwengile Jadezweni had loads of work with ill-discipline dominating large parts of the match.
Both teams had players sent off – Conraad Van Vuuren was handed a yellow card in the opening minutes, while Jan-Hendrik Wessels received his in the 73rd minute.
The Bulls also has two tries disallowed courtesy of a knock-on and forward pass.
Celebrating his 50th Cheetah appearance, Reinhardt Fortuin had a dream start. The centre scored the first try of the match when he charged down a Johan Goosen kicked and scored as the fans erupted. Ruan Pienaar added the conversion for the 7-0 lead.
Then the host went down to 14 men before Bulls finally got on the board with Goosen finding the uprights after his first attempt was pushed wide.
Despite being a man down, the hosts set up phases and were eventually rewarded with a penalty which Pienaar slotted over.
For most of the first stanza, the Bulls created some solid attacking chances and put the hosts under loads of pressure.
Unfortunately, they didn’t get any rewards for their efforts.
After 25 minutes they had the first try disallowed after the TMO Egon Seconds spotted a knock-on by Harold Voster in his effort to ground the ball.
And instead, it was the Cheetahs who stretched their lead.
Following a Pienaar penalty, Tapiwe Mafura got his name on the scoreboard.
The fullback rounded off a great set-piece move. From a scrum, Pienaar handed it to the rising star, who evaded tacklers and dotted down in the corner for the comfortable 20-3 lead at the break.
Trailing with 17 points, the Bulls started the second stanza in dire need of a score. They again set up an attack, however, a knock-on by Johan Grobberlaar halted the momentum.
Bulls conceded a breakdown penalty and Pienaar made sure the Cheetahs added another three to their tally, 23-3.
The Bulls finally cracked the Cheetahs' defence in the 50th minute. Grobberlaar powered over the line at the back of the driving maul.
The side finally had momentum as WJ Steenekamp went over the line for a try.
However, the try was cancelled after TMO spotted a forward pass by Chris Smith in the build-up.
With ten minutes left on the clock, things went from bad to worse for the Bulls.
Cheetahs stretch their lead to 32-10, when referee Cwengile Jadezweni penalised Goosen disputing the official's decision.
That incident followed the Jan-Hendrik Wessels yellow card which saw the Bulls conclude the match with 14 men.
Cheetahs took full advantage. Replacement Evardi Boshoff score the last five-pointer and added the conversion for the victory.
The result means the Cheetahs will host the Currie Cup final.
Man of the match: Cheetahs fullback Tapiwa Mafura was incredible. The rising star was all over the show, with the elusive runs he broke the Bulls' defence on a couple of occasions and he scored a try. However, at the heart of the Cheetahs' outfit was the general Ruan Pienaar. The Cheetahs veteran was the calm head of the team and kept the scoreboard with his boot. He had a 100 percent kicking success rate and that is why he bags the man of the match.
The scorers:
For Cheetahs:
Tries: Fortuin, Mafura, Boshoff
Cons: Pienaar 2, Boshoff
Pens: Pienaar 6
For the Bulls:
Try: Grobberlaar
Con: Goosen
Pen: Goosen
Yellow cards: Conraad van Vuuren (Cheetahs, 8 - cynical foul), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls, 73 – dangerous tackle)
Teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 David Brits, 12 Reinhardt Fortuin, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Friedle Olivier, 7 Sibabalo Qoma, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Jeandre Rudolph, 20 George Cronje, 21 Daniel Maartens, 22 Evardi Boshoff, 23 Robert Ebersohn.
Bulls: 15 Johan Goosen, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 David Kriel, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Keagan Johannes, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Nizaam Carr, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 WJ Steenkamp, 21 Bernard van der Linde, 22 Sibongile Novuka, 23 Wandisile Simelane.
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant Referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Dylen November
TMO: Egon Seconds