A last-minute try and conversion by Blue Bulls flyhalf Morne Steyn secured a dramatic 36-36 draw against Western Province (WP) in a pulsating Absa Currie Cup clash at Loftus on Saturday evening.
Province led 26-14 at half-time.
WP produced some of the most scintillating running rugby seen in ages to run in five awesome tries — all by the backs. The Bulls, though, were not to be outdone and scored five themselves although most were less spectacular than the efforts of the men from the Cape.
It was a see-saw game that was first dominated by the Bulls, then Province, then the Bulls again, before eventually the teams left the field to the rapturous applause of the capacity 50 000 fans packed into Loftus.
The match started at a furious pace, with both teams showing steely commitment, particularly at the rucks and mauls. It led — perhaps unsurprisingly — to Province’s Schalk Burger getting some early treatment for a blood nose.
It was nerve-jangling stuff in the early exchanges and both kickers — Gaffie du Toit for WP and Steyn for the Bulls — failed with relatively easy attempts in the first few minutes.
The Bulls, however, spurred on by a full house, continued to press for the opening score and it came almost too easily after a passage of pressure from the home team.
From a scrum close to the visitors’ line in the 10th minute, Norman Jordaan’s speculative no-look reverse pass for Geo Cronje went to ground but was brilliantly scooped up by centre Ettienne Botha, who ghosted in untouched under the poles.
He added a second — his 16th of the campaign — eight minutes later and suddenly the Bulls, with mostly second-string players, were up 14-0 against a team with mostly Springboks.
It did not last, though, as Province upped the tempo that saw them spend much of the next 15 minutes camped in Bulls territory, albeit without immediate reward.
The pressure was almost unbearable and eventually the Bulls cracked — when hooker Danie Coetzee was shown yellow for repeated deliberate offences in the 28th minute.
And this was just the opening WP sought. Four tries followed in nine astonishing minutes as the Boks in the WP line-up showed the packed stadium just what they were made of.
First, it was Breyton Paulse with his 64th try in Currie Cup competition, one behind the all-time record, followed at a rapid pace by De Wet Barry, Jean de Villiers and Marius Joubert.
The best of the quartet was undoubtedly the one by Joubert, not for individual brilliance, but rather for the sheer audacity in the build-up and the skills displayed by Barry and then Joe van Niekerk.
A catalogue of errors followed the restart, involving some dubious refereeing decisions by Andre Watson against both sides, while Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer rang the changes.
It seemed to work as number eight Pedrie Wannenburg scoring a deserved try 12 minutes into the second stanza, after he was earlier denied by the television ref, to pull the Bulls back to within striking distance.
Steyn and Du Toit traded penalties to send the teams into the final quarter with just five points separating them and everything to play for.
The replacements brought on by the Bulls made a world of difference, none more so than Warren Brosnihan who tore around the field like a man possessed.
It thus came as little surprise when he was the man who dived over for the Bulls’ fourth try, which levelled matters with 14 minutes on the clock.
A late try by either side meant that the spoils were shared and the match billed as the biggest of the season lived up to its hype. Both teams will host semifinals next weekend. — Sapa