The Blue Bulls put on a clinical performance for a 48-7 victory over the winless Valke in their Currie Cup encounter at Bosman Stadium in Brakpan on Friday evening.
The marathon score line began as early as the third minute when Bulls captain Derick Kuun scored from a rolling maul after the visitors had secured a line-out 5m from the Valke line.
The score board continued to tick over in the 11th minute when wing John Mametsa scored a try that was manufactured deep in the Bulls’ half from a turnover.
With the Bulls gaining dominance over the Valke in all facets of the game, they once again increased their lead in the 26th minute when Pedrie Wannenburg latched on to a Mametsa grubber.
The Valke continued to attack the Bulls from within their half and were rewarded for their unrelenting efforts through a mistake from Bulls scrumhalf JP Joubert, who failed to find one of his teammates for Valke centre Bertus Swanepoel to score.
The Valke went into half-time 12 points adrift with the Bulls leading 19-7, expecting to mount a comeback that would eventually hand them their first victory of the season.
It was not to be as the Bulls came out guns blazing and scored five tries before the hour mark, gaining themselves the bonus point and condemning the Valke to yet another defeat.
Bulls wing Marius Delport scored first in the 41st minute, followed by tries from Derick Hougaard, Johan Roets in the 50th minute (in his 100th match for the Bulls) and Mametsa completing his hat-trick in the 53rd and 59th minutes.
It was the end of the Bulls’ eight-try fest and a further blow for the Valke who are still searching for that elusive win.
Eagles on top
The South Western District Eagles have yet to lose in the Currie Cup first division after they beat the Border Bulldogs 25-10 in George on Friday night. The Eagles led 8-3 at half-time.
The spectators must have been very disillusioned with the rugby played on the night after both teams were guilty of kicking away hard-earned position.
The Eagles rucked and mauled their way through the first half and only brought their back line into play in the second stanza to be rewarded with two tries. They earned a bonus point when they scored their fourth try as the hooter sounded.
The Bulldogs’ back line looked dangerous at times, but handling errors robbed them of certain tries.
All in all it was a dismal game of rugby, and if the Eagles dish this up every week, they will be playing in front of empty stands. — Sapa