Currie Cup

LIVE MATCH COVERAGE

Blue Bulls	26
Western Province	13

Kick-off local time	:	Fri, 05 October 2012 - 19h10
Kick-off	:	Fri, 05 October 2012 - 19h10
Venue	:	Pretoria
Referee	:	Jonathan Kaplan
Match status	:	Result

	Blue Bulls	Western Province
Tries	Akona Ndungane (37min)
Penalties	Louis Fouché (3min), Louis Fouché (6min), Louis Fouché (44min), Louis Fouché (50min), Louis Fouché (52min), Louis Fouché (72min), and Louis Fouché (78min)	Demetri Catrakilis (40min) and Demetri Catrakilis (48min)
Conversions		Demetri Catrakilis (68min)
Penalty tries
Yellow cards
Red cards
DGs

Commentary

Minute	Commentary
81	That's the ball game. The Blue Bulls claim a desperate win while WP's recent struggles continue.
80	Du Plessis makes good ground with a leg drive and WP are 10m out. The ball is spilled, gathered by the Blue Bulls and Vermaak kicks it into touch to deny WP a bonus point.
79	Catrakilis sets up a line-out just outside the Blue Bulls' 22 after the hosts were caught offside.
78	Catrakilis tries a chip-and-chase but it goes directly to a Blue Bull's hand and the visitors concede another PENALTY, which Fouche puts through the middle.
76	Fouche shanks it with four minutes remaining for WP to pull the match out of the fire.
75	Frik Kirsten wins a crucial turnover penalty. If this one goes over it could be the ball game.
74	Basson accelerates down the left flank but his pass inside doesn't go to hand and WP clear.
72	Fouche stretches the lead to two scores as WP concede a scrum PENALTY.
68	Catrakilis adds the CONVERSION.
67	WP set up the line-out this time. They maul it up and the referee awards a PENALTY TRY as the Blue Bulls sack the maul.
66	WP can't crack the Blue Bulls' defence but they are awarded another penalty and the hosts receive a warning.
64	WP show good continuity on attack, taking it through 10+ phases for the first time this evening. It wins them a penalty inside the Blue Bulls' 22 and they opt to tap and go ...
62	Ralepelle loses the ball in contact and then concedes a penalty so WP breathe again. Time is running out though ...
60	Du Plessis makes a half-break but the Blue Bulls rip the ball free. Visser kicks deep and a good chase by Ndungane forces Pietersen to take it into touch.
57	Greyling and Ralepelle are on and make an immediate impact with a powerful scrum first up. The Blue Bulls are winning ground with relative ease. Fouche again lines up a drop and again it's wide. Poor option that time.
55	Gerhard van der Heever does well to field a high ball under pressure and beat a couple of defenders on the counter but the Blue Bulls commit to the contact situation and hold up the ball-carrier.
52	The Blue Bulls start turning the screws up front, forcing a breakdown infringement out of Brache. Fouche makes them pay with another PENALTY!
50	Fouche hits backs with a PENALTY of his own after De Kock Steenkamp was caught offside.
48	PENALTY! The Blue Bulls pull down WP's driving maul and Catrakilis pulls three points back.
46	The Blue Bulls defend an attacking onslaught from WP. Ndungane kicks downfield looking to counter but it's out on the full.
44	WP go offside from the line-out, which sees Fouche kick PENALTY number three from 50 metres out.
42	WP have come out firing in this second half, asking all sorts of questions of the Blue Bulls defence, but the hosts weather the storm.
41	The Blue Bulls, who enjoyed a whopping 78% of the possession in the first half, have an eight-point lead as Joe Pietersen starts the second stanza. WP win the kick-off but the Blue Bulls force them into touch.
40	PENALTY! Catrakilis is successful with his second attempt as the Blue Bulls concede a late penalty. We'll see you again in 10 minutes - the Blue Bulls in control 11-3.
39	The Blue Bulls win their line-out in their 22 and Fouche clears with a minute to go.
38	Fouche's conversion attempt fades off to the right but the Blue Bulls lead 11-0.
37	Akona Ndungane sparks a counter-attack for the Blue Bulls, who get quick ball from the ruck. CJ Stander barges forward to set up phase 15. It goes left, quick hands by the Blue Bulls backs, and it's Ndungane who fittingly ends the movement - TRY time!
34	Mellett powers forward inside WP's 22 but he is isolated and Deon Fourie wins the turnover.
32	Again WP lose a line-out and again the Blue Bulls are penalised on attack - this time truck-and-trailer.
29	Fouche makes his first mistake of the night as his kick goes out on the full. The flyhalf is let off the hook as WP lose another line-out before Jean Cook is penalised on the ground.
26	Fouche kicks his second PENALTY of the evening - 6-0 Blue Bulls
25	Now the Blue Bulls play with a bit of width and are rewarded with good ground. WP do well to slow down the ball but they crack under the pressure and concede a penalty.
23	The Blue Bulls are having the better of the kicking game at this stage. The hosts carry the ball through several tight phases but WP's defence holds. Fouche goes for an ambitious drop which is way wide.
20	Both teams opt for high bombs which leads to a knock-on by WP.
18	The Blue Bulls are caught offside from an up-and-under so Catrakilis steps up but his first effort is well wide.
16	The Blue Bulls can't make the opportunity count as another handling error creeps in.
14	Brache dances through a couple of tackles but Dewald Potgieter pounces on the tackled centre and forces a turnover penalty.
12	Groom puts up the up-and-under but Gerhard van den Heever takes Basson in the air. The Blue Bulls set up the line-out but it's scrappy ball that results in a turnover. The line-outs have been a mess.
10	JJ Engelbrecht makes a strong run in midfield. Jurgen Visser is on hand and breaks the line. He links up with Vermaak five metres from the line but Vermaak knocks on. WP clear from the scrum.
8	WP are let off the hook and get a penalty from the resulting scrum to clear their line. They work a good driving maul before it's knocked on by JP du Plessis.
5	The Blue Bulls kick high through Jano Vermaak and regain possession. They send it through the hands quickly to Basson. Marcel Brache makes a desperate tackle but Basson is over in the corner but it is adjudged a forward pass
3	PENALTY! The Bulls win a penalty from their first attacking surge and Fouche draws first blood.
0	Louis Fouche gets us under way and Demetri Catrakilis clears
-2	In a late change, Morne Mellett starts at loosehead with Dean Greyling on the bench in places of Ulrich Beyers.
-5	Conditions are ideal with no wind to speak of so we should be in for a humdinger.
-10	The Blue Bulls are boosted by the return of Springboks Bjorn Basson, Dean Greyling and Chiliboy Ralepelle. Province, in turn, are still without Gio Aplon and have lost Rynhardt Elstadt, who was expected to return this week, to a recurring rib injury.
-20	The stakes are high as Western Province are in line for a possible home semifinal whilst the bottom-placed Blue Bulls have to win to keep their slim play-off hopes alive.
-30	Welcome to our live coverage of this evening’s Currie Cup match. It doesn’t get much bigger than this – the storied north/south derby with the Blue Bulls playing host to Western Province.

Blue Bulls

Players

15	Zane Kirchner
14	Akona Ndungane
13	JJ Engelbrecht
12	Francois Venter
11	Bjorn Basson
10	Morne Steyn
9	Jano Vermaak
8	Arno Botha
7	Jacques Potgieter
6	Dewald Potgieter
5	Juandre Kruger
4	Flip van der Merwe
3	Werner Kruger
2	Willie Wepener
1	Morne Mellett

Substitutes

22	Dean Greyling
21	Louis Fouché
20	Francois Hougaard
19	CJ Stander
18	Wilhelm Steenkamp
17	Frik Kirsten
16	Chiliboy Ralepelle

Western Province

Players

15	Gio Aplon
14	Gerhard van den Heever
13	Juan de Jongh
12	Damian de Allende
11	Bryan Habana
10	Demetri Catrakilis
9	Nic Groom
8	Duane Vermeulen
7	Don Armand
6	Deon Fourie
5	De Kock Steenkamp
4	Eben Etzebeth
3	Frans Malherbe
2	Siyabonga Ntubeni
1	Steven Kitshoff

Substitutes

22	Joe Pietersen
21	Marcel Brache
20	Louis Schreuder
19	Jebb Sinclair
18	Wilhelm van der Sluys
17	Brok Harris
16	Deon Carstens

LIVE MATCH COVERAGE

Currie Cup

Blue Bulls

Western Province

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