Jantjies runs over the Falcons

The match was basically sealed at half-time as the home side held onto a healthy 35-10 lead.

*In Bloemfontein, the Free State XV were made to work hard before clinching a 23-14 win over the Leopards in Bloemfontein on Friday.

The defeat signalled the end of the Leopards' hopes of playing in the Currie Cup Premier division while the Free State, who outscored the Leopards two tries to one, in an entertaining if somewhat scrappy affair at times, moved to fifth on the log.

We look at Friday's scores and scorers!

Free State XV 23-14 Leopards

The Leopards opened the scoring in the seventh minute courtesy of a penalty from fullback Rhyno Smith but the hosts struck back just two minutes later when flank Refuoe Rampeta was mauled over for a converted try.

The Leopards looked to attack and it paid off when right wing Jaco Hayward went over in the corner after a sweeping backline move as the visitors moved to an 8-7 lead after 12 minutes.

Rhyno Smith extended the lead with a long-range penalty but the Free State forwards were taking almost complete control in the scrums, as the hosts dominated possession and territory in the second quarter of the match.

Despite their dominance, the Free State XV failed to narrow the deficit until on the stroke of halftime, flyhalf Neil Marais slotted a penalty as the Leopards went to the break holding a narrow 11-10 lead.

Both teams showed plenty of attacking intent at the start of the second stanza but were both let down by handling errors and unforced errors at crucial stages. The hosts finally regained the lead, 14 minutes into the second half, when Marais succeeded with his second penalty of the evening.

The Free State finally managed to hold onto the ball long enough for hooker Jacques du Toit to slip a pass to lock Reniel Hugo, who went over for a converted try in the 59th minute. The Leopards were not prepared to give up and they narrowed the gap to six points with 10 minutes left thanks to Smith's third penalty.

But with less than two minutes left to play, the Free State XV made sure of the win as scrumhalf JP Smith kicked a close-range penalty.

Scorers:

For Free State XV:

Tries: Rampeta, Hugo

Cons: Marais 2

Pens: Marais 2, Smith

For Leopards:

Try: Hayward

Pens: Smith 3

Teams:

Free State XV: 15 Reinhardt Erwee, 14 Jean-Pierre Coetzee, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 12 Tertius Kruger, 11 Maphutha Dolo, 10 Niel Marais, 9 JP Smith, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Refuoe Rampeta, 5 Reniel Hugo (captain), 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Luan De Bruin, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Ox Nche.

Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Chase Morison, 18 Johann Grundlingh, 19 Ntokozo Vidima, 20 Arrie Vosloo, 21 Ali Mgijima, 22 Lorenzo Gordon.

Leopards: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Jaco Hayward, 13 Adrian Vermeulen, 12 Henko Marais, 11 Lucian Cupido, 10 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 9 Malherbe Swart, 8 Jeandre Rudolph (captain), 7 Marno Redelinghuys, 6 Jaco Jordaan, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Francois Robertse, 3 Nhlanhla Ngcamu, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Mashudu Mafela.

Replacements: 16 Dane van der Westhuyzen, 17 Roan Grobbelaar, 18 Sthembiso Mhlongo, 19 Henro-Pierre Swart, 20 Chriswill September, 21 Bradley Moolman, 22 Gene Willemse.

Referee: Rodney Boneparte

Blue Bulls 42-15 Falcons

The Falcons were the first to score when Coert Cronje crashed over for the opening try in the sixth minute. Karlo Aspeling stepped up to slot the conversion and hand the visitors a 7-0 lead. Jantjies hit back for the home side just two minutes later when he crossed for a converted try to level matters at 7-7.

Aspeling handed the Falcons the lead once again in the 12th minute with a successful penalty to take a 10-7 lead but then it became the Bulls show as they added a further 28 unanswered points.

Jantjies crossed for his second try in the 14th minute, which he converted, before centre Dan Kriel, scrumhalf Andre Warner and prop Mox Mxoli each contributed a try. Jantjies added all the conversion to hand the home side the 35-10 lead at the break.

It took the home side 14 minutes to register their next bit of points when replacement scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl crossed the try line. Once again Jantjies added the extras to hand the home side an unassailable 42-10 lead.

After the Bulls had two players sent to the sin bin – Marquit September in the 64th minute and Ruan Steenkamp in the 66th – the Flacons managed to register their only points of the half through a Andrew van Wyk try in the 73rd minute.

Aspeling failed to add the extras and that proved to be the final points of the match.

Scorers:

For Blue Bulls:

Tries: Jantjies 2, Mxoli, van Zyl, Kriel, Warner

Cons: Jantjies 6

For Falcons:

Tries: Cronje, van Wyk

Con: Aspeling

Pen: Aspeling

Teams:

Blue Bulls: 15 Divan Rossouw, 14 Kefentse Mahlo, 13 Dan Kriel, 12 Marquit September, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Tony Jantjies, 9 Andre Warner, 8 Hanro Liebenberg (captain), 7 Ruan Steenkamp, 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Abongile Nonkontwana, 3 Entienne Swanepoel, 2 Jan Van der Merwe, 1 Mox Mxoli.

Replacements: 16 Alandre van Rooyen, 17 Andrew Beerwinkel, 18 Ruben van Heerden, 19 Nic de Jager, 20 Ivan van Zyl, 21 Tinus de Beer, 22 Alcino Izaacs.

Falcons: 15 Kyle Hendricks, 14 Coert Cronje, 13 Andries Truter, 12 Andrew van Wyk, 11 Etienne Taljaard, 10 Karlo Aspeling, 9 Anrich Richter, 8 Reg Muller, 7 Thabo Mamojele, 6 JP Mostert (captain), 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Andries Schutte, 2 Dean Muir, 1 Henri Boshoff.

Replacements: 16 Dwight Pansegrouw, 17 Barend Steyn, 18 Ernst Ladendorf, 19 Vincent Jobo, 20 Johan Pretorius, 21 Grant Janke, 22 Christo Coetzee.

Referee: AJ Jacobs