Bulls trample hapless Cheetahs

The Bulls laid down an early marker with an impressive 30-13 win over a hapless Cheetahs outfit in their opening Super Rugby pre-season outing in Polokwane on Saturday.

At the heart of that win was scrumhalf Piet van Zyl. who showed he could be real value as a regular starter.

Although he only came on in the second half, after Rudy Paige started the game, Van Zyl sparked the game to life - scoring twice and providing the energy that lacked earlier.

It is worth noting that the Bulls featured a huge number of fringe players against a Cheetahs team that can add only a handful of first-choice players to the squad that travelled to Polokwane.

After an uninspiring first half - with the score at 9-6 in favour of the Bulls - Van Zyl showed why he was so highly rated before he moved to Pretoria from Bloemfontein.

Van Zyl was the director of a powerful Bulls maul and when the Cheetahs looked to halt their momentum, the scrumhalf snatched the ball and sneaked past the unsuspecting defence for his team's opening try.

The Cheetahs were made to pay for their own sloppy play when a ball was hacked downfield and Travis Ismaiel used his blistering pace to get to the ball. An inside pass to Van Zyl, who did well to get up in support, saw the Bulls race further ahead.

And an intercept by Duncan Matthews sealed the win for the Bulls.

Francois Venter scored a late consolation try for the Cheetahs, but overall it was a poor start to their pre-season.

Only a handful of the visitors enhanced their reputation - with Willie Britz, an off-season recruit from the Lions, the Cheetahs' stand-out player.

Scorers

For the Bulls:

Tries: Van Zyl 2, Mathews

Cons: Schoeman 3

Pens: Potgieter 3

For the Cheetahs:

Try: Venter

Con: Brummer

Pen: Petersen

DG: Petersen

Teams:

Bulls: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 William Small-Smith, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Deon Stegmann (captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Trevor Nyakane.

Replacements - from: Callie Visagie, Morné Mellett, Dayan van der Westhuizen, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Grant Hattingh, Roelof Smit, Nardus van der Walt, Arno Botha, Piet van Zyl, Tian Schoeman, Dan Kriel, Ulrich Beyers, Duncan Matthews, Jurgen Visser.

Cheetahs: 15 Coenie van Wyk, 14 Raymond Rhule, 13 Jacobus Jonker, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Sergeal Petersen, 10 Joe Pietersen, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Tienie Burger, 6 Jean Cook, 5 Francois Uys (captain), 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Danie Mienie.

Replacements - from: Burrie Uys, Ewald van der Westhuizen, Nicolaas van Dyk, Stephan Coetzee, Carl Wegner, Carel Greeff, Armandt Koster, Tian Meyer, Francois Brummer, Ryno Benjamin, Teboho Mohoje, Clayton Blommetjies, Willie le Roux.

Referee: Ben Crouse

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