Free State win splendidly
Playing with their customary confidence and skill, Free State won this prestige match 32-13 against the Blue Bulls on the fourth day of the Craven Week in East London. The victory and the size of it were both deserved.
From the start this match was of high class and intense as the two teams had dangling before them the carrot of the main match on Saturday. The tackling was hard, the collisions fierce, and in the end it would seem that Free State were certainties for that prestige match..
Free State started with the strong wind at their backs and ended the half leading 22-10. Those 22 points included four penalties by flyhalf Johan Goosen who also scored the first try.
Goosen kicked the first penalty and Tony Jantjes levelled the scores. Two more by Goosen made it 9-3 and then the Blue Bulls took the lead.
Flyhalf Jantjes started a counterattack down the left. The ball came back inside on a low, bouncing pass but Pierre Lombaard footed ahead, bent low to gather the ball and as two Free Staters grabbed him managed to get over and ground the ball while on his back. The TMO confirmed that a try had been scored. Jantjes converted. 10-9.
Free State hit straight back. Jacques Lindeque broke sharply and they then went right where Siyasanga Mkunku did well to get a pass to Goosen who scored in the corner.. 14-10 with Free State back in the lead after 23 minutes.
Goosen goaled a fourth penalty and then somebody else got a chance to score. It was a try of exquisite simplicity. From a line-out perfect passes swept left. Riaan Britz came into the line to make the extra man and Brian Malakoane was over in the left corner. 22-10. That was the half-time score.
Blue Bulls had the wind in the second half but Goosen kicked the first points of the half, straight into the wind and then Jantjes goaled to make it 25-13 with 25 minutes to play.
More and more the Free State pack got un top and the Blue Bulls were a long way from scoring a try – or anything else.
Jean Cook had a powerful run and came close. On defence the Blue Bulls conceded penalties. They were always under pressure.
Then they got out and four penalties put them well on the attack till Riaan Britz picked up a poor, bouncing pass and raced some 90 metres to score under the bar. Goosen converted.
Scorers:
For Free State:
Tries: Goosen, Malakoane, Britz
Cons: Goosen 2
Pens: Goosen 5
For Blue Bulls:
Tries: Lombaard
Cons: Jantjes
Pens: Jantjes 2
Teams
Blue Bulls: 15 Pieter van der Walt (Affies), 14 Anton Kruger (Waterkloof), 13 Johan de Goede (Affies), 12 Pierre Lombaard (Waterkloof), 11 Richmond Collins (Pretoria Boys High), 10 Tony Jantjes (Menlopark), 9 Lohan Jacobs (Affies), 8 Louis le Roux (Pretoria Boys High), 7 Katlego Maake (Pretoria Boys High), 6 Lean Schwartz (Waterkloof), 5 Jose Julies (Menlopark), 4 Gerno Eksteen (Waterkloof), 3 Ian Gregorowski (Affies), 2 Bongi Nbonambi (St Alban’s), 1 Juan Schoeman (Affies). 16 Jacques Momberg (Waterkloof), 17 Herman Basson (Waterkloof), 18 Malaka Moloko (Pretoria Boys High), 19 Nardus van der Walt (Affies) 20 Arafaat Kock (Menlopark), 21 Leroy Africa (St Alban’s), 22 Katlego Magakwa (St Alban’s).
Free State: 15 Riaan Britz (Grey College), 14 Siyasanga Mkunku (Louis Botha), 13 Piet Lindeque (Grey College), 12 Francois Venter (Grey College), 11 Chejan Mallane (Grey College), 10 Johan Goosen (Grey College), 9 Pieter Rademan (Grey College, captain), 8 Niell Jordaan (Grey College), 7 Jean Cook (Grey College), 6 Oscar Lemane (Louis Botha), 5 Carl Wegner (Grey College), 4 Nkululeku Mthethwa (Louis Botha), 3 Stephan Pretorius (Grey College), 2 Bernard van Heerden (Grey College), 1 Stephan Kotze (Grey College), 16 Van Zyl Botha (Grey College), 17 Lerato Ramahlape (Louis Botha), 18 Heinrich Douglas (Louis Botha), 19 Egbert Ras (Grey College), 20 Zuluboy Duma (Louis Botha), 21 Siphosetu Tom (Grey College), 22 Brian Malakoane (Sentraal).
Referee: Tiaan Jonker
