The Blue Bulls edged closer to guaranteeing themselves a home semifinal with a clinical 39-3 victory over traditional foes Western Province at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening.
The Bulls led 20-3 at the break.
The dominance of the home team was superbly illustrated by the five-tries-to-none score line and bodes ill for any team who hopes to halt the Bulls juggernaut at their Loftus Versfeld fortress in the remainder of this season.
The Bulls were their normal abrasive and confrontational self as they survived an early surge from Western Province, who ran out of ideas and steam midway through the first half.
After scoring the first points of the game through a well-struck Peter Grant penalty, Province capitulated as the Bulls kept to their rigid game plan that saw them run in five well-executed tries.
Province had done well in the early exchanges and even gained a measure of dominance against the much-vaunted Bulls line-out, stealing two line-outs in the first half.
However, Western Province surprisingly deviated from a strategy that was working so much in their favour and allowed the Bulls to get back into the game.
Lock Danie Rossouw opened the scoring for the Bulls after peeling off from a rolling maul.
Not long afterwards — and with their tails in the air — the Bulls surged forward and were well rewarded when flanker Pedrie Wannenburg latched on to a pass from Fourie du Preez to crash over the line and give the Bulls a 17-3 lead with still 10 minutes left in the first half.
In the second half, the Bulls applied even more pressure and once again found the Western Province defence wanting when Johan Roets slipped through a few defenders to score under the poles.
With the writing on the wall and defeat imminent, Western Province got desperate, throwing away many misdirected passes and running aimlessly into the resolute Bulls defence, which embarrassingly denied their opposition the opportunity to score a try.
While the in-goal area of the Bulls was completely shut, it was raining tries on the opposite side as wingers Akona Ndungane and John Mametsa hammered the final nails in the Western Province coffin.
The score line flattered the visitors somewhat as their play, or lack thereof, deserved their 14-75 Super 12 nightmare against the Bulls earlier this year at the very same Loftus Versfeld.
Life has become harder for Western Province, while the Bulls already look set to clinch their fourth consecutive Currie Cup title. — Sapa