Province edge Bulls in bruising affair
Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:00
Crunch time: WP captain Luke Watson tackles Bulls flank Deon Stegmann
Western Province remained in touch with the table-topping Sharks when they edged the Blue Bulls 25-19 in a bruising Currie Cup encounter at Newlands on Saturday.
Although WP have 32 points on the table, just like the Sharks, the men from Durban edge their rivals from Cape Town on points difference.
While the teams scored one try each, it was the boot of WP fullback Joe Pietersen that made the difference at Newlands - as his six penalties beat the four kicked by Bulls flyhalf Burton Francis.
This was a grand old North-South clash in the grand old competition. There were some 43 000 people to watch, every one of them vocally partisan.
It started at a great rate with the Blue Bulls, right from Burton Francis's kick-off, flinging everything into the attack. This continued for 20 minutes or so and then like even the strongest northwester it subsided and Western Province got right on top. The Blue Bulls went for some 50 minutes without scoring, needing a penalty kick at the death to salvage a bonus point - the second week in a row that they have needed this.
The wearing down of the Blue Bulls started in the scrums. Right from early on Western Province were dominant there, a strange turn of events as for years and years the men from the North have had the muscular dominance in the scrums. Increasingly the Blue Bulls became rattled and their handling and option-taking suffered as a result.
At the start the Blue Bulls dominated the line-outs, winning three of the first four Western Province throws but that was soon sorted out and in the end the Blue Bulls lost three of their last four.
As the Blue Bulls attacked at the start, offside gave Francis an easy kick at goal from slap in front. 3-0 after two minutes and then when Morgan Newman was penalised at a tackle Burton made it 6-0 after eight minutes.
After a bit of clever work at a line-out set Dewaldt Duvenhage darting down the touch-line Western Province began to find their feet and a penalty against Dewald Potgieter at a tackle enabled Joe Pietersen to goal from over 40 metres out. 6-3 after 19 minutes.
The Blue Bulls try was a splendid affair. Western Province won a Blue Bulls line-out but Newman kicked a horrible kick to the Blue Bulls who counterattacked. They battered at the Western Province line and then went wide where a clever pass under pressure by Stefan Watermeyer sent Jaco Pretorius over far out. From far out Francis converted. 13-3 after 22 minutes. The Blue Bulls began their fade after this.
After the try Western Province kicked off and the Blue Bulls were penalised for obstructively protecting the catcher. 13-6.
Francois Louw, who may just have had his best match in a Western Province jersey, had a great break down the middle of the field and the Blue Bulls were penalised at the tackle. 13-9 but three minutes later Western Province were penalised at a tackle and Francis made it 16-9 The Blue Bulls did not score again for the next 50 minutes.
From a turnover Western Province went down the blindside and Gio Aplon went skating away to put his team on the attack. From a scrum six metres out they attacked and bashed till Wicus Blaauw was held up over the Blue Bulls line. From the next five-metre scrum they went through 10 phases till they had another five-metre scrum. Deon Stegmann detached early and Pietersen made the half-time score 16-12.
Only one try but an exciting and action-packed half.
Having ended the first half so well, Western Province started the second half well and were soon bashing at the Blue Bulls line again, finding the defence solid. Another 10 phases led to a five-metre scrum - Western Province had four in the etch- Juan de Jongh darted at the posts and Blaauw was again close. Peter Grant was actually over but the pass to him was forward and a golden chance went abegging. Instead Western Province had to settle for a penalty, which Pietersen goaled. 16-15 after 46 minutes.
There were two scrum penalties against the Blue Bulls set Western Province attacking. When Jacques Burger was penalised at a tackle, Pietersen goaled and for the first time in the match Western Province were ahead. 16-15 bashed.
The penalty count in the match was 10-8 in Western Province's favour.
From a line-out on their left the Western Province backs went sweeping round at speed with Pietersen heading for the line and then Tonderai Chavhanga. This led to another five-metre scrum and this time Western Province got the shove on, fractured the brittle Blue Bulls and gave Watson the chance to pick up and plunge for the try. Pietersen converted. 25-16.
The best individual break of the match followed as Francis cut right through up the middle of the field, leaving forwards groping till Aplon got him.
As the clock ran out of time, three penalties in quick succession - the first for hands in a scrum, the second for obstruction at the ensuing line-out and the third for dissent - gave Francis an easy kick at goal to earn the Blue Bulls a bonus point.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable match, full of life, a match to be involved in. It was not all pleasant. Booing never is and at Newlands there was booing. They booed when the Blue Bulls ran onto the field. They booed the referee when he penalised Western Province. They booed when Burton Francis kicked at goal.
Booing is not pleasant.
But it was so pleasant when the flags were waved - royal blue and light blue, though by far the royal blue with its white hoops outnumbered the pale blues. It was pleasant when they started Western Province, jou lekker ding. The doves in the Cape coo that way but not as raucously. It was pleasant when they sang Olé after Luke Watson's try. The Mexican wave was enthusiastic and at least better than canned cheering.
Man of the Match: Joe Pietersen was magnificent as was Gio Aplon. Francois Louw was powerful and diligent but really the victory started in the scrum and our Man of the Match is No.1 - Wicus Blaauw, not just for his scrumming but for his involvement around about and the wonderful confidence he exudes.
The scorers:
For Western Province:
Try: Watson
Con: Pietersen
Pens: Pietersen 6
For the Blue Bulls:
Try: Pretorius
Con: Francis
Pens: Francis 4
Teams:
Western Province: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Juan De Jongh, 12 Morgan Newman, 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenhage, 8 Luke Watson (captain), 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Anton van Zyl, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Hanyani Shimange, 17 JD Moller, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Conrad Hoffmann, 21 Frikkie Welsh, 22 JJ Engelbrecht.
Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Dewald Potgieter, 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün (captain), 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Fudge Mabeta, 19 Jacques Burger, 20 Dean Greyling, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Tiger Mangweni.
Referee: Pro Legoete
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert, Peter Allen (Scotland)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
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