more than just 80 minutes
Currie Cup
Cheetahs
Naka - Blue Bulls world's best
Sunday, November 01
Submit
Vodacom Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske believes that the 2009 Absa Currie Cup Champions – the Vodacom Blue Bulls are the best provincial rugby team on the planet.
The Pretoria team ended their season on a high after defeating their Bloemfontein opponents 36-24 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. The Vodacom Bulls also successfully claimed their second Vodacom Super 14 trophy earlier this year after defeating the Chiefs 61-17 in the Final.
“They are the best team in the world and they now have the record to prove it,” said Drotske.
“They’ve been involved in quite a few Absa Currie Cup Finals since 2004 and they’ve won two Vodacom Super 14 titles and an Absa Currie Cup.”
The Vodacom Blue Bulls were in rampant mood on Saturday evening and scored three early tries and raced to a formidable 24-0 lead after 25 minutes of play.
Winger Bryan Habana, who played his last game for the Pretoria outfit before continuing his rugby career in Cape Town, scored a brace of tries. Francois Hougaard, who was yesterday selected in the Springbok squad that will tour Europe later this month, scored the third try for the hosts.
The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs hit back with two tries which were scored by flanker Frans Viljoen and centre Corne Uys (24-14). However Springbok flyhalf Morne Steyn kicked a drop goal just before the half time whistle to hand the Loftus team a 27-14 lead.
After the break, Steyn kicked a penalty to stretch his sides lead to 30-14. However the visitors hit back thanks to a try by lock Nico Breedt (30-21) which was converted by flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter.
The Cheetahs pivot then kicked a superb drop goal as the visitors moved closer to the Bulls’ lead (30-24). Steyn however put the match beyond doubt with two penalties late in the second to hand the hosts their second trophy of the season.
“Credit must go to this special group of players,” said Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke after the match.
“They showed their character in the Absa Currie Cup semi-final, and they were excellent this evening. They’ve worked hard to get where they are and they’ve reaped the rewards of that hard work.
“We wanted to leave a legacy and now we’ve achieved that.”
Login / Register
related links
 |
 |
Cheetahs | More by Pieter Bester
- > Brussow out for the year
- > Changes for Cheetahs
- > Ebersohn ready for comeback
- > Cheetahs unchanged for Highlanders
- > Cheetahs drop Johnson
Next 5 Fixtures
| 20 Mar 10 | Stormers |
| 26 Mar 10 | Reds |
| 3 Apr 10 | Waratahs |
| 10 Apr 10 | Brumbies |
| 17 Apr 10 | Crusaders |
user poll
Who will win the Varsity Cup?
Results Votes: 304 Store
Cheetahs Away Jersey 2008
Official away jersey of the 2008 Vodacom Cheetahs.
 |
Designed and Implemented by DigIT Solutions
All content supplied by SARugby.com
Photographs supplied by Gallo Images/Getty Images.
All logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owner.
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest © 2005 Fat Pig Productions CC The logos and trademarks used on this site are the property of their respective owners We are not responsible for comments posted by our users, as they are the property of the poster Advertise with SARugby.com | Legal Notices |
 |
So if the Sharks got knocked out by the team that came second, does that mean they came 4th?? Seems about right.
You can say what ever you like, nothing could take away from the double we won this year. I know we got creamed in the Vodacom Cup final but we did make the final. Had we won it we woulda done the triple! lol....
Super14 trophy and the Currie Cup. Sweeter is the life in Blue. I know why you hate us, success breeds contempt, especially from those who think they are better than us!
we could probably take the whole bulls squad on the EOYT and would win most matches! lol
just look at the irb rankings, and you can take that back as far as you want but SANZAR has always dominated.
they buy some big names who cares
the rugby is slow and boring and not of world class standard as the super 14