Pumas produce attacking masterclass to humiliate Bulls at Loftus

CURRIE CUP REPORT: The Pumas sent a big warning to all future opponents with their performance against the Bulls in Pretoria on Sunday.

The defending Currie Cup champions produced an attacking masterclass as they scored nine tries on their way to a 63-15 victory

The result will also be a shock to the system for Edgar Marutlulle as Sunday's game was his first in charge of the Bulls in the Currie Cup.

After being camped inside the Bulls' half in the early stages of the game, the Pumas opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a Tinus de Beer penalty.

A few minutes later the Bulls finally made their way into the strike zone and they were rewarded when Morne Steyn levelled the scores with a penalty in the 11th minute.

The first try of the game was eventually scored by the Pumas after some smart work at a line-out a few metres from the Bulls' tryline.

After winning the ball, it was fed back to hooker Eduan Swart, who dived over in the corner. De Beer could not add the conversion.

The Bulls hit back in the 24th minute when No.8 Mihlali Mosi gathered a loose ball from a line-out in the Pumas' half before running over for his team's first try. Steyn surprisingly missed the conversion.

However, the scores were level for only a couple of minutes before the Pumas went in front again with a try from scrumhalf Giovan Snyman after some great interplay down the touchline.

De Beer could not raise the flags with his conversion attempt.

The defending champions were in again in the 34th minute when a loose ball was gathered from a Bulls' ruck before being spread wide to Sebastian de Klerk who raced away to score his team's third try.

De Beer added the extra two points to make it a 12-point lead.

Things went from bad to worse for the Bulls in the 38th minute when a neat back pass from Ali Mgijima was the catalyst for the ball finding its way to Jade Stighling who ran in for the Pumas' bonus point try.

Snyman converted the score to make it 27-8 to the Pumas at half-time.

The Pumas turned up the gas after half-time and the fifth try came from a sensational counterattack.

After the Bulls were camped inside the Pumas' 22, the visitors won a turnover and after some great passing and running the ball was spread to Devon Williams who sprinted away for the try.

De Beer added the conversion to make it a 26-point lead after 46 minutes.

Jimmy Stonehouse's well-oiled machine kept coming and they produced another amazing passage of play with neat passes and kick-passes, which ended in Andre Fouché going over for a try. De Beer was off target with the conversion.

De Beer did bounce back with a long-range penalty in the 55th minute which made it 42-8 to the Pumas

Not long after that, Pumas centre Diego Appollis kicked a loose ball ahead before gathering and running in for his team's seventh try, which was converted by De Beer.

Francois Kleinhans rubbed salt in the Bulls' wounds in the 64th minute when he ran through defenders with ease to score his team's eighth try. De Beer added another two points with the conversion.

The Pumas got their ninth try in the 71st minute when Appollis was on hand to gather an inside pass in the Bulls' 22 before easing over the home side's tryline. Replacement flyhalf Brandon Thomson landed and easy conversion.

The Bulls finally got something on the scoreboard again in the 75th minute when Springbok Cornal Hendricks finished off some great attacking play to score a try. Steyn was on target with the conversion.

Man of the match: The award goes to Pumas flyhalf Tinus de Beer, who was outstanding on attack. The playmaker ran the show with ball in hand and he outplayed his opposite number, Morne Steyn.

The scorers:

For Bulls:

Tries: Mosi, Hendricks

Con: Steyn

Pen: Steyn

For Pumas:

Tries: Swart, Snyman, De Klerk, Stighling, Williams, Fouche, Appollis 2, Kleinhans

Cons: De Beer 4, Snyman, Thomson

Pens: De Beer 2

Teams:

Bulls: 15 Wandisile Simelane, 14 Sibongile Novuka, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 David Kriel, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 Morné Steyn (captain), 9 Bernard van der Linde, 8 Mihlali Mosi, 7 Reinhardt Ludwig, 6 Phumzile Maqondwana, 5 Ruan Vermaak, 4 Jacques Du Plessis, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.

Replacements: 16 Joe van Zyl, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Cornal Hendricks.

Pumas: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Diego Appollis, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Giovan Snyman, 8 Kwanda Dimaza, 7 Francois Kleinhans, 6 Andre Fouché, 5 Shane Kirkwood (captain), 4 Deon Slabbert, 3 Njabulo Gumede, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Corne Fourie.

Replacements: 16 Llewellyn Classen, 17 Etienne Janeke, 18 Simon Raw, 19 Malembe Mpofu, 20 Ruwald van der Merwe, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Brandon Thomson, 23 Lundi Msenge.

Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni

Assistant referees: Local

TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen