Blue Bulls back at No.1
Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:27
The Blue Bulls are back at No.1 on the Currie Cup standings after they recorded an emphatic 41-12 win over Griquas in their Round Six catch-up match at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
The Bulls only managed to score their bonus-point fourth try in the 80th minute - the score that put them one point ahead of the Sharks on the standings - but they will regard as 'job done'.
It was by no means a perfect performance. In fact it was well below the expected standards if you're a Bulls supporter and even worse if you are a member of the Griquas fan club.
But, as Bulls captain Wikus van Heerden said, it was "good" getting the bonus point.
"However, there is still a long way to go in the competition and our aim is to get a home semifinal," Van Heerden added.
A bitterly disappointed Griquas captain, Gareth Krause, said his team came with "high expectations", but failed to use the opportunities that came their way.
The Bulls certainly dominated the set pieces - especially the scrum, while Griquas' line-outs were a lottery. In fact they lost eight balls on their own throw - either through being stolen by the Bulls, skew throws or other errors.
Griquas produced their usual vigorous defence, but unfortunately fell foul of the referee too often for illegal tactics.
Tobie Botes had an early chance to give Griquas the lead, but his seventh-minute drop-goal attempt drifted wide.
The Bulls eventually broke the deadlock in the 17th minute, when Morné Steyn slotted a penalty from 20 metres out.
Both teams continued to waste numerous opportunities, mostly through poor options and aimless kicking.
The game continued to amble along till the 22nd minute, when Steyn landed another penalty for a 6-0 lead.
Botes had another chance at opening Griquas' account, in the 25th minute, but his penalty attempt drifted wide.
And in the 31st minute Steyn slotted his third penalty to take the lead out to 9-0, as the game continued to go along at a snail's pace.
More penalties followed and the referee eventually stopped have a chat to Griquas about their tactics - with the Bulls no opting to kick their penalties into the corners and trying to maul it over for tries, as nothing was happening out wide.
However, the first try came from a piece of individual magic - with a sweetly-timed cross-field kick by the flyhalf, Steyn, finding fullback Tiger Mangweni on the wing - with the latter flopping over for the 37th minute score. Steyn's conversion attempt bounced off the upright, but at 14-0 the Bulls were beginning to put the kind of space between then and Griquas that would allow them more freedom to play.
On the stroke of half-time Griquas managed to open their account - from nothing a kick ahead by Bjorn Basson found space and wing MJ Mentz followed up to pounce on the loose ball and score his team's opening points. The conversion drifted wide and the teams went into the break with the Bulls leading 14-5.
The Bulls quickly got into their stride after the break, with flank Deon Stegmann bursting away from a ruck and sprinting 50 metres for a great individual try. The call went to the TMO to see if there had been a knock-on, but the call came back that the try was good. Steyn added the conversion for a 21-5 lead to the Bulls.
But Griquas was not about to roll over and play dead. In the 50th minute they reduced the gap with a brilliant try by flyhalf Tobie Botes - coming from a grubber and great follow up play by Botes. Riaan Viljoen added the conversion to make it 21-12 and keep the game alive for Griquas.
Three minutes later Steyn had a shot at goal, from 30 metres out, after Griquas were penalised at a scrum. Steyn made no mistake and the lead was now 12 points - 24-12.
And he added another three minutes later as the Bulls edged further into the lead - 27-12.
The game now went back into a lull, not that there wasn't any endeavour - it was simply fruitless play, with lots of aimless kicking and poor options.
It was not till the 70th minute, when discarded Springbok prop Gürthro Steenkamp burst through from a line-out, that the scorers were troubled. Steyn added the conversion for a 34-12 lead.
The Bulls now went in search of the bonus-point fourth try. It came in the form of a series of pick-'n-go rushes by the forwards close to Griquas' line.
In the 77th minute a pile of bodies went over the line and the call went to the TMO, but the evidence were inconclusive and the Bulls came back for a scrum five metres from the Griquas line. That turned into a penalty five metres out as Griquas went offside. They went for a line-out, which became a scrum.
And from that scrum replacement No.8 Dewald Potgieter picked up and forced his way over for the try - converted by Steyn - that put the Bulls back into first place on the standings.
The scorers:
For the Blue Bulls:
Tries: Mangweni, Stegmann, Steenkamp, Potgieter
Cons: Steyn 3
Pens: Steyn 5
For Griquas:
Tries: Mentz, Botes
Con: Viljoen
The teams:
Blue Bulls: 15 Tiger Mangweni, 14 John Mametsa, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Wayne Julies, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, 7 Wikus van Heerden (captain), 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Juandré Kruger, 3 Rayno Gerber, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Gürthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Dewald Potgieter, 19 Jacques Burger, 20 Heinie Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Marius Delport.
Griquas: 15 Bjorn Basson, 14 Gavin Passens, 13 Lafras Uys, 12 Riaan Viljoen, 11
MJ Mentz, 10 Tobie Botes, 9 Dougie Helmuth, 8 Gareth Krause (captain), 7 Stephan Gerber, 6 Rohan Kitshoff, 5 Cilliers Coetzer, 4 Wayne van Heerden, 3 Ruaan du Preez, 2 Hans van Dyk, 1 Albertus Buckle.
Replacements: 16 James van der Walt, 17 Bees Roux, 18 Brendon Snyman, 19 Tyronne Holmes, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Jaco Bekker, 22 Egon Seconds.
Referee: Christie du Preez
Touch judges: Pro Legoete, Muller van der Nest
TMO: Michael Cupido/Gerrie Coetzee
