Bulls crowned Currie Cup champions after extra-time try
CURRIE CUP REPORT: The Bulls were crowned Currie Cup champions after they beat the Sharks 26-19 in extra-time in their Final in Pretoria on Saturday.
The victory over a gutsy Sharks team (who held a 13-9 lead after a lightning-interrupted first half), came courtesy of a late try by Arno Botha in extra time.
The replacement flank scored the crucial five-pointer after 98 minutes of play and by the time Chris Smith (replacement flyhalf) slotted the conversion, the final act of this crazy final was for referee Jaco Peyper to blow the final whistle.
Earlier, after 80 minutes of regulation play, scores were tied 19-19, and the 20 minutes of extra time (10 minutes each half) was added to cap off a match that also saw a suspension of play after 24 minutes due to lightning close to the stadium.
The first of those 10 minutes yielded nothing bar two missed penalty goals by Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch and Smith. The last 10 minutes was another arm wrestle until Botha finished off a last determined attack by his pack.
In the end, the Bulls edged the gutsy visitors in determination and execution, with the Sharks misfiring from the kicking tee as well as their tactical approach.
Bosch missed six kicks at goal, while the Durbanites opted for a number of attacking line-outs which did not deliver the desired result in the last 20 minutes of regular play – while leading 19-16.
The opening stanza on a wet Loftus Versfeld showed good intent from both sides, but also over-eagerness leading to mistakes. The first scrum was in the third minute already and two minutes later, the first points’ scoring opportunity came the way of the visitors.
A poor touch finder by Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs had the Sharks attacking and the home team killed the ball at the ruck. Bosch stepped up and slotted the penalty goal to hand his side the early lead.
The Sharks did not handle the restart well and found themselves straying offside, but Morne Steyn missed a fairly easy kick.
Bosch got a second opportunity after 11 minutes when Lizo Gqoboka (prop) dropped his bind in a scrum but the 50m effort was wide, and when Steyn was offered another opportunity a minute later, he made no mistake.
A strong defensive effort by Elrigh Louw (flank) saw the Sharks penalised and Steyn converted from 40m out with his 720th point in the Currie Cup competition.
Bosch pushed a second effort to the right after 20 minutes and yet again, Steyn was offered the opportunity to exploit that misfortune. Ruben van Heerden (lock) strayed offside in the 23rd minute and the Bulls’ experienced No.10 kicked his second penalty goal from 40m out to hand the lead to the men from Pretoria for the first time.
Lightning then halted play, but fortunately for all involved, the players were back on the field approximately 30 minutes later.
After the forced break, Bosch had another opportunity, striking a 50m effort that leveled scores again and both sides still had all to play for with 27 minutes gone in the match.
The first real attacking threat came from the Bulls when Jacobs ran onto a Steyn kick. The Sharks tackled desperately and high, and Steyn put his side in front again with his third penalty goal.
Bosch pulled a drop goal effort to the left from 40m out, but got another opportunity 30 seconds later when Jacobs executed a dangerous tackle on Van Heerden. Bosch pushed this 57m effort just past the right upright, but crucially, Steyn then kicked his restart out on the full.
From the resulting scrum on the Bulls’ 22m line, the first try of the match was scored courtesy of Sharks wing Sbu Nkosi.
The KwaZulu-Natalians executed a good tactical move to the right, with Aphelele Fassi (fullback) jumping into the line to give Nkosi some space. The Springbok wing took the defence in and out and finished off with a swallow dive for his five-pointer, which Bosch beautifully converted from the touchline to hand his side a 13-9 lead at the break.
The second half again saw the Sharks start strongest. Bosch kicked a monster penalty goal from just inside his half shortly after the restart when the Bulls were penalized for holding onto the ball in a tackle, and the successful kick extended the visitors’ lead to seven points.
The home side attacked well down the left-hand side and Jacobs ran strongly but again the final pass went astray. The home team continued to make small errors and a minute later, Bosch was at it again from 60m after Vodacom Bulls fullback Dan Kriel held on to the ball in a tackle, but the Sharks’ No 10 just pushed his effort wide.
The Bulls were starting to ask questions on attack and building some territorial pressure. Some determined defence by the Sharks rushed the home side into mistakes though and that often resulted in releasing the pressure.
Ill-discipline by Ruan Nortje (lock) – jumping across the line-out – gave Bosch another chance from 40m out and this time he made no mistake. With 25 minutes left, the Sharks’ lead was 10 points.
The Durbanites held sway on the ground as well and crucial turn-overs saw the Bulls’ attacking plays come to nothing.
Bulls Coach Jake White called in the re-enforcements with a rash of replacements, which struck gold when the Botha crashed over from close range. Twice the men in blue opted not to go for posts, first taking an attacking line-out and then a tap penalty by Duane Vermeulen (No.8), after which the Springbok flank barged over.
Steyn converted to cut the lead to three points with 15 minutes to play.
The Sharks then opted to force three consecutive attacking lineouts in a hope to close out the game (all within Bosch’s range), but failed to cross the tryline every time before Bosch tried a second drop goal, which also went wide.
The Bulls, boosted by that gallant defensive effort on their line, worked their way up the field in the final minutes.
Smith, who took over from Steyn just minutes earlier, kicked an important penalty goal with one minute left to tie the scores, but when offered another opportunity to seal the win three minutes after the final hooter, he pulled it to the left and extra time was the result.
Bosch had the first opportunity of scoring in the first half of extra time, but pulled it left from 45m out. Smith then had a 51m effort two minutes later, but that went to the left as well.
Scoring opportunities were few and far in between in the last couple of minutes of the half and after 90 minutes, the 19-19 score line was still intact and the Carling Currie Cup winner unconfirmed.
Botha then sealed the deal and the status of the champions with his second try. Numerous carries by the Bulls saw Botha’s determination rewarded and when he stretched out over the line in the final minute, it was all over. Smith converted for the 26-19 win.
Man of the match: Cornal Hendricks deserves the award for his powerful performance on attack.
The scorers:
For Bulls:
Tries: Botha 2
Cons: Steyn, Smith
Pens: Steyn 3
For Sharks:
Try: Nkosi
Con: Bosch
Pens: Bosch 4, Smith
Teams
Bulls: 15 David Kriel, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Sintu Manjezi, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Jan Uys, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Marnus Potgieter.
Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Marius Louw, 11 Yaw Penxe, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Dylan Richardson, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 JJ van der Mescht, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Fezokuhle Mbatha, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nché
Replacements: 16 Dan Jooste, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 Michael Kumbirai, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Thembelani Bholi, 21 Sanele Nohamba, 22 Jeremy Ward, 23 Manie Libbok.
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs and Griffin Colby
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen
Photo credit: speedshots.co.za
