Cheetahs no match for Bulls
The Bulls made it two pre-season wins in a row when they secured an impressive 32-10 win over the Cheetahs in Polokwane on Saturday.
Both teams won their first warm-up matches last weekend – against the Lions and Stormers respectively – but the men from Bloemfontein were no match for the Bulls on the night.
The hosts scored four tries in all and could have bagged more if not for a first half in which they squandered a number of opportunities.
The Bulls nevertheless led 7-0 at half-time, flank Dewald Potgieter the beneficiary behind a trademark driving maul with flyhalf Morne Steyn slotting the conversion.
The Springbok pivot gave opposite number Elgar Watts – who missed two penalty kicks in the first half – a goal-kicking lesson when he extended the Bulls’ lead to 13 soon after the interval.
Francois Hougaard was at his most lethal in his preferred No.9 jersey and created the second try with a breakaway and chip-and-chase.
Hougaard, who was noticeably frustrated out on the wing for the Springboks during the end-of-year tour of Europe, was tackled after he had kicked but the danger was not averted as Francois Venter flopped on the ball to score.
Moments later, an alert Hougaard nipped up an unprotected ball at the breakdown and fed Lionel Mapoe for the Bulls’ third try.
At 25-0 down, the Cheetahs displayed some urgency and wing Raymond Rhule ran onto a deft grubber by Willie le Roux to open the visitors’ account.
The IRB World Junior Championship-winning Baby Bok flyer then put former Bulls centre Johann Sadie away but the Cheetahs failed to muster any further points.
The Bulls, in turn, finished their evening with a final try by fullback Jurgen Visser.
The scorers:
For the Bulls:
Tries: Potgieter, Venter, Mapoe, Visser.
Cons: Steyn 2, Visser
Pens: Steyn 2
For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Rhule, Sadie
Teams:
Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies (captain), 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Dewald Potgieter, 5 Juandrè Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Morné Mellett.
Replacements: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Grant Hattingh, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Ulrich Beyers, 22 Lionel Mapoe, 23 Wynand Olivier.
Cheetahs: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Johan Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Rynhardt Landman, 19 Juan Smith, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Hennie Daniller, 23 Hansie Graaff.
Referee: Ben Crouse
