Cards galore as Boland take Bulls down in arm-wrestle
MATCH REPORT: The Boland Cavaliers recorded a famous win in Wellington by defeating the Bulls by 28-20 to move up to second spot in the Currie Cup standings.
It was a game marked by ill-discipline, with the two sides not giving each other an inch. Still, the Cavaliers’ ability to capitalise on their opportunities better sealed them the famous victory at the Boland Stadium.
*To recap all the action, CLICK HERE!
The Boland got the perfect start by winning a penalty in front of the posts, but opted to roll the dice and kick to the corner.
Boland formed a maul, and the gamble didn’t pay off as the Bulls successfully defended it and earned a defensive scrum feed.
The hosts won another penalty for not rolling away against Bulls captain Nama Xaba and turned another kickable penalty down to opt for the corner, which backfired again when the Bulls stole the line-out.
A dropped ball from BlitzBok Donovan Don under no pressure in front of his posts gave the Bulls the perfect attacking platform on the eighth-minute mark.
The Bulls forwards powered over the line, but Boland managed to hold Juan Else up over the line to get out of jail.
The visitors won a breakdown penalty and got their attack going moments later, which was made undone as the final pass went forward.
The Bulls won a kickable penalty in front of the posts on a Cavaliers feed and also opted to go for the five-metre line-out.
The Bulls won another penalty as the Cavaliers were given an early warning for their discipline, and the Bulls went to the corner again.
A solid drive by the Bulls under penalty advantage saw them open their account with a try by Demitre Erasmus, with Doctor Booysen being sent to the sin-bin after the team warning for an illegal collapse of the maul in the 13th minute.
After a back-and-forth battle between the two sides, the Bulls got the squeeze on and stormed over the line through a rolling maul as Jaco Grobbelaar dotted down in the 32nd minute, which Boeta Chamberlain converted.
Boland won a penalty and opted for the corner, forming a strong rolling maul before earning another penalty for a side entry as they rolled the dice again.
Their second bite of the cherry paid off when the rolling maul worked to perfection and Sidney Tobias barged over the line to get Boland on the scoresheet on the stroke of half-time, which Ashlon Davids converted before heading to the sheds.
The article continues below…
Boland almost struck first in the second half when a loose ball was kicked ahead and regathered by Don, but he was deemed to be in front of the kicker, which saved the day for the Bulls.
The Bulls earned another penalty for no clear release in the tackle, which Chamberlain lined up successfully to extend his side’s lead to an eight-point gap in the 45th minute.
Chamberlain immediately went off injured after taking the kick, which will be a concern for coach Phiwe Nomlomo.
Boland won a penalty moments later and kicked to the corner to form a maul, which resulted in multiple penalties against the visitors, but it wasn’t needed as Don burst over the line after a solid build-up in the 47th minute. Davids added the conversion.
The Bulls upped the tempo immediately after conceding the try, attacking hard inside Boland’s 22 metre area.
Springbok Louis Schreuder received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on in the 49th minute, and the Bulls opted for the corner, but the hosts showed great bravery to hold Else up and deny him a brace.
Referee Robbie Jenkinson consulted TMO Egon Seconds for potential foul play against the hosts.
Boland was struck another blow as it was ruled that Michael Benadie made head contact with Grobbelaar and was yellow-carded in the 51st minute, leaving Boland to soldier on temporarily with 13 players.
The Bulls went to the corner and powered over the line as captain Nama Xaba dotted down off the back of a rolling maul in the 53rd minute.
Moments later, Cornel Smit was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle on Don in the 55th minute, and Boland opted for the line-out.
Boland attacked strongly before Xaba ripped the ball on his line, but the visitors got caught and driven over the line, conceding the five-metre scrum to the hosts.
Boland won a penalty for not rolling away and opted to scrum again, and it paid off when the Cavaliers went wide and Khwezi Mafu dotted down in the 60th minute, which Davids converted to reclaim the lead.
A loose ball kicked ahead by the hosts saw another off-the-ball tackle by Esethu Mnebelele, who was sent to the sin-bin in the 68th minute.
Boland opted for the corner and attacked relentlessly before Davids executed a crossfield kick under penalty advantage.
Stravino Jacobs had a moment of madness to knock the ball dead with his hand over the dead-ball line, but it was deemed to be just a penalty, and no card was issued.
Boland opted to scrum and got the reward as former Bull Dayan van der Westhuizen dotted down next to the posts in the 72nd minute, which Davids converted to extend his side’s lead by eight points.
Boland was issued a fourth yellow card as Golden Masimla got sent to the sin-bin in the 77th minute for a dangerous tackle.
The Bulls had one more shot at getting something out of the game when they took a quick tap penalty and did not opt for the posts to get within seven points.
The decision backfired as the Bulls got held up in a maul and Boland earned the scrum feed, which Davids got out quickly to Xavier Mitchell, who kicked it into touch for a famous win that took the Cavaliers to the top of the Currie Cup table.
The article continues below…
Scorers:
For Boland Cavaliers:
Tries: Tobias, Don, Mafu, Van der Westhuizen
Cons: Davids 4
For the Bulls:
Tries: Erasmus, Grobbelaar, Xaba
Cons: Chamberlain
Pens: Chamberlain
Yellow cards: Doctor Booysen (Boland Cavaliers, 13 – repeated team infringements: illegal maul collapse), Louis Schreuder (Boland Cavaliers, 49 – cynical foul: deliberate knock-on), Michael Benadie (Boland Cavaliers, 51 – dangerous play: high tackle) Cornel Smit (Bulls, 54′ – dangerous play: high tackle), Godlen Masimla (Boland Caviliers, 77 – dangerous play: high tackle)
Teams:
Boland: 15 James Tedder, 14 Donavan Don, 13 David Brits, 12 Lunathi Nxele, 11 Xavier Mitchell, 10 Ashlon Davids (vice-captain), 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Thurlow Marsh (captain), 7 Sibusiso Sangweni, 6 Ludio Williams, 5 Jurie van Vuuren, 4 Michael Benadie, 3 Doctor Booysen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Mthokozisi Gumede
Replacements: 16 Llewellyn Classen, 17 Wayrin Losper, 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 19 Ameer Hendricks, 20 Khwezi Mafu, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Juan Mostert, 23 Erik Lambrecht
Bulls: 15 Stravino Jacobs, 14 Katlego Letebele, 13 Demitre Erasmus, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Zak Burger, 8 JJ Theron, 7 Sintu Manjezi, 6 Nama Xaba (Captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jaco Grobbelaar, 3 Jean Erasmus, 2 Juann Else, 1 Ruan Swart.
Replacements: 16 Esethu Mnebelele, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Bryan le Roux, 19 Marco Ferreira, 20 Junior Pokomela, 21 Brooklyn Newman, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Cheswill Jooste.
Referee: Robbie Jenkinson
Assistant referees: Dylen November, Juan de Bod
TMO: Egon Seconds
Image credit: @BolandRugby
