Bulls narrowly beat spirited Leopards
Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:03
Bulls flank Dewald Potgieter just evades a tackle to score. (c) Gallo
The defending champions Blue Bulls held out a gutsy Leopards side to record a 43-38 win in their Currie Cup match at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
There were two victories at Loftus.
The Blue Bulls won the match by scoring five more points than their opponents; the Leopards won the minds and hearts by playing better rugby than their opponents - at least in the second half, which they won 28-17 with some great, confident handling and support play.
To be fair to the Blue Bulls by the stage that the Leopards fight back got going in earnest they had emptied their bench and not everybody who came on was better than everybody who left.
And it was oh-so close that the Leopards won the match when they drove a maul at the Blue Bulls line and Gavin Williamson was over only to have the Leopards penalised for obstruction when the maul fractured. At that stage the score was 43-38 with three minutes to play.
Everybody whose natural inclination is to support the underdog would have wanted that try awarded.
All of that said, the better side won. After a dozy start they took over the match, playing with intensity and purpose while simply revising to let the Leopards have the ball. Down 0-10 after 16 minutes they were ahead 33-10 after 41 minutes.
The victory seemed secure, the bonus point won. Mission accomplished, but the spirited, obviously fit Leopards did not roll over to be tickled. Instead they started clawing their way back.
The Leopards scored the first try the way they scored their other tries with sharp running, short passes and support. Eighthman Riaan Swanepoel was prominent twice in the first try and lock Ligtoring Landman finished off a move which started from a line-out on the right inside their own half.
Niell Jacobs converted and then added a penalty but after that he missed three penalties in the half, the third a straightforward affair. His side could have done with the nine extra points.
In the match the Blue Bulls had six five-metre line-outs which, ineluctably, they mauled. Derick Kuün was over on the first occasion but the Blue Bulls were penalised for obstruction, as the Leopards were at the end of the match.
From the second one François Hougaard broke wide left and played inside to Dewald Potgieter who scored. From the third one Kuün broke off and scored. 21-10 for the Leopards whose only part in the match was defence.
The bonus-point try came from a line-out on the Leopards 10-metre line on the Blue Bulls right. They went left and played to Gerhard van den Heever coming off his wing. He swerved his way at great pace right to the try-line. Oddly, Jacques-Louis Potgieter missed this conversion but the score was 26-10 after 34 minutes. (Was there the hint of a forward pass to Van den Heever?)
The Blue Bulls started the second half smashing their way forward at speed till Stefan Watermeyer, with little room for movement, beat three defenders before sending Hougaard over at the posts., 33-10 after 41 minutes. In the next 39 minutes the Blue Bulls scored only 10 points while the Leopards scored 28.
First they surged upfield with many short passes till scrumhalf Michael Bondisio dummied and cut inside Gerrit-Jan van Velze to score. 33-17.
The Blue Bulls replied quickly when from their fifth five-metre line-out they suddenly gave it to their backs and Watermeyer had too much thrust for the defence and scored at the posts. 40-17 after 50 minutes.
From a long way out Deon Scholtz, slender and quick, chipped into empty Blue Bulls territory. Her chased and toed the ball. At his goal-line big Juandré Kruger tried to stop the ball but Bondisio was on hand to score his second try. 40-24 after 53 minutes.
The Leopards scored again when Jacobs broke and got the offload away in the tackle and again the Leopards handled and supported with enthusiasm till Walter Venter had an easy run-in for the try. 40-31 with 17 minutes to play.
The Blue Bulls attacked but Jovan Bowles tackled Jaco Pretorius out at the cornerpost. Jaco van der Westhuyzen counterattacked from inside his 22 and Dewald Potgieter was tackled (an penalised) on the Leopards line. Van der Westhuyzen countered again but then the Blue Bulls showed their nervousness by kicking at goal for the only time in the match. 43-31 with 10 minutes to play.
Again the Leopards ran at the Blue Bulls, handling well till sinuous Dumisane Matyeshana sped through for a try under the crossbar which Clayton Durand converted. 43-38 with seven minutes to play.
In those seven minutes it was the Leopards who came closest to scoring - desperately close.
Man of the Match: They did not win but the Leopards had the outstanding players - lock Ligtoring and Landman and our lively, energetic Man of the Match Michael Bondisio, the 25-year-old scrumhalf from Lichtenburg.
Scorers;
For the Blue Bulls
Tries: Van den Heever 2, D.Potgieter, Kuün , Hougaard, Watermeyer.
Cons: JL Potgieter 5
Pen: JL Potgieter
For the Leopards:
Tries: Landman, Bondesio 2, Venter, Matyeshana
Cons: Jacobs 4, Durand
Pen: Jacobs
Teams
Bulls: 15 Jaco van der Westhuyzen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Hayden Groepes, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuün (captain), 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Bees Roux, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Fudge Mabeta, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Dustin
Jinka, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Stephan Dippenaar.
Leopards: 15 Danie Dames, 14 Deon Scholtz, 13 Jovan Bowles, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Dumisane Matyeshana, 10 Niell Jacobs, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Riaan Swanepoel, 7 Palm Koch (captain), 6 Danie Crous, 5 Ligtoring Landman, 4 Anthonie Gronum, 3 Os van der Walt, 2 Pellow van der Westhuizen, 1 Divan Kotze.
Replacements: 16 Gavin Williamson, 17 Aranos Coetzee, 18 Brad Mockford, 19 RW Kember, 20 Jean Tiedt, 21 Clayton Durand, 22 Jan van Zyl.
Referee: Stuart Berry
Assistant referees: Matt Kemp, Johan Greeff
TMO: Johann Meuwesen
By Paul Dobson
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