Craven Week: Bulls see off Pumas

The Blue Bulls proved too strong for the Pumas as they notched a 35-17 victory at Craven Week in Stellenbosch on Wednesday.

There were seven tries scored in an entertaining match, with the accurate boot of Blue Bulls flyhalf and captain Eddie Fouche proving decisive.

The Pumas made a convincing start to the game, with the first try of the match coming from deep within their own territory where inside centre Cyprian Nkomo put his midfield partner Siyabonga Khalishwayo away.

The outside centre was hauled down, but support arrived quickly and they worked the ball out to the right where hooker Marnus van der Merwe was able to cruise over.

The Blue Bulls got on the scoreboard through a penalty from Eddie Fouche after Pumas lock Marius Verwey had gone off his feet.

The Pumas managed to win a tighthead scrum before the Blue Bulls returned the favour shortly afterwards as an intense set-piece battle raged.

Blue Bulls fullback Andell Loubser went on a weaving run from his own half only to lose the ball forward just short of the tryline, but his team hit the front before long as Fouche slotted his second penalty to put them 6-5 up after 20 minutes.

The team in blue kept the pressure on and their first try eventually came from left wing Ruan Venter who showed good finishing skills to breach the Pumas defence.

The Mpumalanga side refused to lie down and barged their way into the Blue Bulls 22, with scrumhalf Ruben Roodt showing good awareness to squeeze over for the try next to a ruck which made it a one-point game, but the Blue Bulls had the final say in the first half as inside centre Wayne van der Bank powered over for a late try to take their lead out to 20-12 at half-time.

The Blue Bull struck first in the second half, with Fouche slotting a tricky penalty from close to the touchline and they followed that up with a try from lock Ruben van Heerden who crashed over next to the poles to put them firmly in the driving seat with a 30-12 advantage.

The response from the Pumas came from tighthead prop Dewald Maritz who crashed over for a try out wide to cap an extended period of pressure, and they kept pushing hard, but the Blue Bulls had the final say as outside centre Stedman Gans finished off a late counter-attack.

Man of the match: Eddie Fouche

The scorers: 

For Blue Bulls:

Tries: Venter, Van der Bank, Van Heerden, Gans

Cons: Fouche 3

Pens: Fouche 3

For Pumas: 

Tries: Van der Merwe, Roodt, Maritz

Con: Muller

Yellow card: Cabous Eloff (Blue Bulls, 71 – Foul play, late charge)

Teams:

Blue Bulls: 15 Andell Loubser, 14 Hluma Zondani, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Wayne Van der Bank, 11 Runan Venter, 10 Eddie Fouche (captain), 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Eduan Lubbe, 7 Phillip Krause, 6 Henk Pretorius, 5 Peter-John Steenkamp, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Niell Bezuidenhout, 2 Jeandre Jones, 1 Jacobus Eloff.

Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Luyolo Qinela, 18 Chergin Fillies, 19 Regardt Du Plessis, 20 Louis Van der Schyff, 21 Austin Davids, 22 Abner Van Reenen.

Pumas: 15 Telvin Mhlongo, 14 Fana Ngwenya, 13 Siyabonga Khalishwayo, 12 Cyprian Nkomo, 11 Mfundu Ndhlovu, 10 Wessel Muller, 9 Ruben Roodt, 8 Pieter Bekker, 7 Chrisjan Steynberg, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Marius Verwey, 4 Coenie Kruger, 3 Dewald Maritz, 2 Marnus Van der Merwe, 1 Stephan de Jager.

Replacements: 16 Armand Adlem, 17 Steven Pieterse, 18 Hloni Mphuthi, 19 Vusi Mkhonza, 20 Mpumelelo Mathias, 21 Gideon Van der Merwe, 22 Mlondi Mnisi.

Referee: Archie Sehlako

Assistant referees: Fernando Uithaler, Stephan Geldenhuys

TMO: AJ Jacobs