Blue Bulls flyhalf Burton Francis put on a match-winning kicking display as the Blue Bulls edged out the Free State Cheetahs 25-21 to be crowned Vodacom Cup champions at Loftus Versfeld on Friday. It was a relieved Carel Hoffman, Blue Bulls captain, who accepted the trophy and R1-million winners’ cheque.
The Blue Bulls guaranteed themselves a place in the semifinals of the Vodacom Cup with their 51-7 victory over the Lions at Loftus on Friday. The Bulls scored a total of seven tries, five of which came in the first half, and led 36-7 at the interval. The hosts were first to draw blood with a Braam Gerber try in the first minute, followed by a Burton Francis penalty in the eighth minute.
The Leopards qualified for a play-off in the quarterfinals of the Vodacom Cup competition on Friday night by beating the Wildebeest 37-32 in the Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg. In other matches, the Blue Bulls, Boland Kavaliers and Free State Cheetahs also emerged victorious.