The Blue Bulls scored nine tries and swamped the Leopards to take full points from their Currie Cup encounter at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night, easily winning the match 69-24.
For the Bulls it was a morale-boosting win, and provided a big score line that they will need later on in the competition to try to make the semifinals.
While much focus before the game centred on the big-name Springboks that returned to the side, it was young winger Marius Delport (20) who stole the limelight and earned himself the man-of-the-match award.
Delport scored a hat-trick, starting just when the Bulls went down to 14 men after losing flanker Pedrie Wannenburg to a yellow card and inspired his side to the victory.
His first came a minute after Wannenburg left the field, an up-and-under by Johan Roets cleverly collected on the Leopards 22 and passed on to Delport, who went over unopposed. His second was equally impressive, speeding up to the touch line after a turnover to score within two minutes of the first.
His third and final try came through a scissoring movement in the second half, as Delport cut inside and had a clear run to the line.
The Bulls’ other tries came through Johan Wasserman, who tore away from a scrum late in the first half to go over, while Wannenburg added his first of two by poaching a ball on the defensive 5m scrum and falling over.
John Mametsa, Akona Ndungane and Roets all added their name to the score sheet as the Bulls ran riot in the second half.
The Leopards showed some mettle, and fought continually, with flyhalf Naas Olivier, fullback Anvor Schooney and prop Ronnie Uys all getting on to the score sheet. — Sapa