The Blue Bulls, not playing at full tilt throughout, were good value for their 50-7 win over a game Valke side in a Currie Cup match in Brakpan on Friday night — and they got an all-important bonus point while scoring six tries.
It was not a classic by any means. There were too many errors and penalties, and the match lost some structure when the Bulls used six of their seven reserves and lost replacement scrumhalf Francois Hougaard with a yellow card — but to overrun the Valke by such a margin at home was a feat in itself.
The Blue Bulls started off at a sprint after their two-week lay-off and were 10 points to the good after only six minutes, but then the home side settled and for a large part of the first half gave as good as they got.
They also attacked for a long period halfway through the second half but never looked really dangerous. They were out-scrummed from the word go and their possession from the rucks was not as good as that of the Bulls. But as one has come to expect from the Valke this season, they ran everything — not always with the necessary structure — that came there way and did so effectively enough to be close to even on the territorial graph at half-time when they trailed 28-7.
However, the Blue Bulls’ greater experience and confidence saw them score when they had the opportunity, something that the Valke failed to do.
Twice in the first half the Blue Bulls scored from forward drives, and then came what was probably the try of the match when they first ran from their own half after some aimless kicking by both sides. Morne Steyn collected such a stray kick, ran well and recycled to a long line that included prop Jaco Engels and lock Danie Rossouw.
Excellent handling by these two saw Wikus van Heerden go over for this second try against a side that tried hard but were just not given the opportunity to surprise as they did against Western Province two weeks ago.
The Bulls lost two of their players just before the match when wing Akona Ndungane withdrew in the afternoon and hooker Derick Kuün just before the start. Their respective replacements, Rocco Jansen and Bandise Maku, slotted in without a problem and Maku caught the eye with a high work rate. He made way for Chiliboy Ralepelle in the last quarter.
It was Ralepelle’s Currie Cup debut — a full two years after playing his first Test.
The Blue Bulls played percentage rugby. Flyhalf Morne Steyn’s job was to play the territorial game and he did that well. The forwards had many a sortie around the edges and around the back of the line-out — but when the back line was released, they looked dangerous against a team that tackled their hearts out.
Rossouw was awesome with ball in the hand and on the ground Deon Stegmann again did what a fetcher is supposed to do.
The Bulls’ bonus-point try came in the 56th minute when Van Heerden went over for his third following another line-out maul to make it 38-7. Their fifth try by Werner Kruger after a line-out peel was also set up by the forwards, and the sixth, by Jansen, came after the hooter following a slick back-line move and quick recycling.
For the Valke, Dewald Pretorius, although not quite an inside centre, again impressed as did scrumhalf Gerrie Odendaal behind a pack that tried throughout.
Bulldogs lift off
The Border Bulldogs lifted themselves off the bottom of the log when they handsomely beat the Eastern Province Mighty Elephants 28-16 in their Currie Cup first-division clash on Friday night at East London’s Absa Stadium.
The win was a perfect thank-you to Bulldogs prop Lonwabo Mtimka who not only earned his 100th cap but also scored the fourth and final try, which handed his side a valuable bonus point.
The visitors deserved their 16-12 half-time lead as they dominated territorially and looked the sharper side. That changed after the break when two penalties by Jeffrey Taljaard nosed the Bulldogs ahead by the 54th minute. From there on they never looked back.
A superb break by Bulldogs flyhalf Tembani Mkokeli saw fullback Russell Jeacocks handle before sending replacement right wing Ziniko Dumaphi to score in the right-hand corner midway through the half.
The Elephants, whose backs lacked flair but whose pack played well, failed to get a grip on the game and were effectively shut out when Mtimka scored an unconverted try with eight minutes remaining.
The Elephants’ sole try went to centre Noel de Villiers after eighthman Michael Vermaak did all the running.
In the first half two excellent tries went to Bulldogs scrumhalf Denver du Plessis and centre Thabo Ratyana. — Sapa