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Currie Cup
Review
Blue Bulls clinch Currie Cup
Saturday, October 31
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The Blue Bulls won the Currie Cup at Loftus when they beat the Free State Cheetahs 36-24 in a lively and high-scoring final in which they controlled matters from the outset and were never behind.
The win for Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, replaced as Lions coach three years ago after a string of disappointing results, was special and gives him the double after winning the Currie Cup and the Super 14 in a single year - and the franchise Bulls and the Blue Bulls of the union made this a day to remember in Pretoria.
The Blue Bulls were simply better than the visitors from the first minutes when they took a 7-0 lead to the end, with a few lapses in concentration letting in a game and at times competitive Free State Cheetahs side for three tries which kept them in the hunt.
The Blue Bulls held the Free State in the scrums and didn't allow them the advantage in this facet and did more than their share at the breakdowns where the Bulls' teamwork nullified the work of Heinrich Brussow on the ground.
They also had the better of the lineouts and, all in all, showed their experience with a more professional performance.
Man of the Match Fourie du Preez had a major hand in all three tries and must now be arguably the best scrumhalf in South Africa's history.
It was only three minutes before Du Preez put a corner kick to the right into the hands of right wing Francois Hougaard after it looked like a warranted penalty try following the ruck after Derick Kuun was tackled by Lionel Mapoe on the line.
The Blue Bulls seemed on a cruise to the biggest Currie Cup final score yet when they were ahead 24-0 after 25 minutes with three tries on the board.
But the Cheetahs, renowned for their fightback in the second half this season, came back with two excellent tries to creep to 24-14 after 35 minutes - and the game was on. A drop goal by Morne Steyn on the stroke of halftime saw the Blue Bulls go into the tunnel 27-14 ahead.
The Cheetahs' tries came after only three visits to the Blue Bulls' 22, with the first ending in a scrum turnover for the Blue Bulls when it seemed the Cheetahs were on their way to the tryline.
And, in fact, it was after this particular scrum, with Dewald Potgieter making good ground and Morne Steyn punishing the Cheetahs with a huge kick, that the Blue Bulls' second try came.
The Cheetahs, in their own quarter, kicked ahead, Pierre Spies fielded the up-and-under 30 metres from his line and spread it wide. After some good handling scrumhalf Du Preez got it to Bryan Habana with what may have been a slightly forward pass, but the damage was done and the speedster scored his first try in his last match for the Blue Bulls.
A mere two minutes later, on the halfway line and in the centre of the field, Du Preez underlined his class with a pin-point kick into open space.
Habana had enough time to wait for the bounce before he cantered over for his second try, and with the third successive conversion from Steyn it was 24-0.
It was then that the Cheetahs, winning a scrum after a brief period on the Blue Bulls' line, took it wide for Frans Viljoen to score, and four minutes later they added to their earlier converted try with a quickly taken penalty for Corne Uys to score.
With Jacques-Louis Potgieter converting, it was 24-14 until, right on the stroke of halftime, Steyn dropped it over with all the time in the world to make it 27-14 at halftime.
Three minutes after the resumption, Steyn added a penalty (30-14), but then the Free State struck back with a try by lock Nico Breedt converted by Potgieter (30-21).
A drop goal by Potgieter saw the visitors creep even closer at 30-24, after 48 minutes. With the Blue Bulls retaining their territorial advantage, Steyn put them nine points ahead after 54 minutes at 33-24.
The Blue Bulls now had a grip on the game, and despite a miss by Steyn in the 57th minute they were in control. He made no mistake from far out ten minutes later, and at 36-24 the Cheetahs had it all to do.
Scorers:
Blue Bulls: Tries: Francois Hougaard, Bryan Habana (2). Conversions: Morne Steyn (3). Penalties: Steyn (4). Drop goal: Steyn.
Free State Cheetahs: Tries: Frans Viljoen, Corne Uys, Nico Breedt. Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3). Drop goal: Potgieter.
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Du Preez you beauty!
Remember guys at least we had an all South African team final:P
At the first try Kuun had a slight knock-on when he got tackled and even a minute or so before that both Kuun and Hougaard was miles in front of Steyn the kicker and the when blatantly on with tackling the receiver of the ball.
First try of Habana was definitely a forward pass from FdP. That is 14 points, right there. I counted in the first half 8-2 blatant bad refereeing by Kaplan in favor of the Bulls. I haven't seen a more undeserving currie cup champion than 2009 champions.
It must be disconcerting to see the standard of our (SA)refereeing going down like this. Could it be because of the guy at the helm, Mr Andre Watson, who was involved in some dubious decisions in very important matches when he was a referee - definitely influencing the flow of the game.
Fortunately, Kaplan went back to his capable self in the 2nd half, but too late for the Cheetahs.
The Bulls were actually able to score tries this time round - Congrats! PVVVHAHAHA!
The cheetahs were on the front foot from the start of the second half and anytime they were getting anywhere the ref would allow the bull to come in the side and steel the ball and if they couldn’t do it a penalty would go against the cheetahs. So sad
But then again we all know were the people who run rugby in SA come from……..
I'm (edited)ken happy!!!!
We won by 12 points not by less than 7! Even if you dis-allow that try we still won. Nobody got screwed. The result was fair!!!
Quality of this match makes an international test match (the bledisblow) look like low intensity rubbish.
Well played.
Cheetahs gave in a good fight, no doubt! It would have been kind of a boring game if we had to do another rampage like the S14 final. However, i must say that i'm really pleased with the whole team at the breakdown to be able to mark Broussow! he dint win not a single turnover for them, not even one! yet he attended so many rucks. Surely the bulls did their homework properly. no doubts. Big ups to that. We continue to make history! S14 and currie cup champs in the same year! Oh, need i say that the only SA team to win the S14, not once but twice...and also the 23rd time we've won that Currie cup, 5 times in 7 years! now that's a record. Blue Bull fans, just ignore all those so-loser jealous critics, and remember the fact that we are now the best southern hemisphere team, and the best south african team!
what are you going to do if someone argues with you, hay? Big guy on the net maybe you can get a ref to help you out.
Watch the game with open eyes that was not a fear contest the cheetahs were never given chance by the ref.
Just to name a few, the forward pass was obvious and I don't think Bakkies rolled away once at any ruck, he blatantly slowed the ball down without even attempting to roll away on numerous occasions. The TJ report for JLP was disgraceful. All these factors can change a match.
But having said that, well done to the Bulls, you really are a class outfit. FdP must win IRB and SA player of the year.
And congrats to the Cheetahs... Worthy finalists!
-Beeld
Thought Mapoe and Demas had a good game given the chances they had. Habana is Habana, give him the ball with an open line to the tryline and he scores. Hougard is a phenominal player, if this guy carries on he could be a scrum half of note. I like Fourie but I found him a boring tactician, the least exciting player ever but he his good at what he does and that makes him the best.
Well thats my wrap folks, not that many of your care!
Well Done Bulls on a great year and may you never have any more!
Players of the day: FdP,D Potgieter,Steyn,Habana & on Cheetahs side - WP Nel, F Viljoen,H Brussouw.
Show some respect.. Dont be sour lossers...
Congrats the Bulls!!!!
You are the Champions!!!
The Cheetahs didn't do to bad against 16 players and that only with 14 men.
GO BOYS!!!!!!!!
2009 s14 champs = bulls
2009 cc champs = bulls
Credit where it's due!!!
What a pity though that the Springboks cannot be excluded from the Currie Cup, or at least be limited to play to some extend. I think that players who start off the CC season should at least be playing in semis etc. The competition will surely have a different face.
Still a big Cheetah fan though!
BULLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seeing that you can do a beter job than the most capped referee of ALL TIME.
I wanted them to come back, because the were playing with unbelievable passion.
They could not do so because some of the decisions that went against them. I am not an expert, and as a Bulls supporter, i don't think that I am biased. What I would like to know and make sure of is that I am right about this. Is it possible to have a debate without the triuphant Bulle shouting the debate down?