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Blue Bulls muzzle Bulldogs
11/04/2008 22:08 - (SA)
East London - The Blue Bulls moved to the top of the North section of the Vodacom Cup log when they scored eight tries in beating the lowly Border Bulldogs 52-8 (half-time 26-3) on Friday evening.
The Bulldogs played with plenty of heart in front of a good crowd at Absa Park, but predictably they were no match for their much larger opponents, whose trademark structured approach and set-piece superiority condemned the home side to their seventh successive defeat in this year's competition.
The loss left Border superglued to the bottom of the South section after the pool stages, without so much as a single log point to show for their disastrous campaign, while victory for the Bulls assured them of a home quarterfinal in the R1m tournament.
Bulls suddenly clicked into gear
All of which probably explains the ironic cheer that went up around the ground when the Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead in the eight minute through the boot of flyhalf Andisa Gqobo: the home fans sensed this was probably about as good as things were going to get and they were right.
The Bulls, perhaps taken aback by the realisation that they were trailing the competition's whipping boys, suddenly clicked into gear and scored four tries before half-time to nip any Border uprising well and truly in the bud.
Nippy scrumhalf JP Joubert got things going when he darted through for the opening try in the 12th minute, converted by flyhalf Burton Francis, to make it 7-3.
Left wing Rocco Jansen, the runaway leading try-scorer in this year's Vodacom Cup, crossed the line six minutes later to bring up his 11th try for the Bulls in only his seventh match.
Francis's conversion took the score to 14-3 before the outside half crossed for a converted try of his own in the 27th minute to open up an 18-point lead.
Bulls on 28 log points
The home team then staged a mini-fightback but they were sabotaged by the double yellow-carding of centre Jovan Bowles for a dangerous tackle and left wing Chumani Kema, for what appeared to be backchat.
The Bulls capitalised on the stretched Bulldogs defence when fullback Abraham Hoffman darted over on the stroke of half-time for an unconverted try that gave the Bulls, who finished the round-robin on 28 log points, every chance of hanging onto top spot on the log.
The Bulls hardly came out snorting in the second half but they still managed to double their try tally, with five-pointers going to loosehead prop Rassie van Vuuren, centre Braam Gerber, inside centre Ruan Boshoff and a second to fullback Hoffman.
Those faithful Bulldogs fans who stuck it out until the end were finally rewarded in the 78th minute when fullback and captain Russell Jeacocks managed to breach the Bulls' defence.
Scorers:
Blue Bulls: 52 - Tries: JP Joubert, Rocco Jansen, Burton Francis, Abraham Hoffman (2), Rassie van Vuuren, Braam Gerber, Ruan Boshoff. Conversions: Francis (6).
Border Bulldogs: 8 - Try: Russell Jeacocks. Penalty: Andisa Gqobo.
And in Pietermaritzburg, the Leopards scored a come-from-behind 37-32 (half-time 15-17) win over the Wildebeest on Friday to secure a quarter-final place.
Defeat wasn't enough to deny the Wildebeest a place in the last eight thanks to two bonus points for four tries and losing by less than seven points, but it has left them stranded in fourth position in the South section.
The Leopards secured third position in the northern section after the Lions went down 41-33 in Wellington against Boland.
With four wins in their seven matches to the three of the Lions, it was probably the right outcome at the end of the regular season.
Visitors moved into the lead
The Leopards outscored the home team by five tries to four in a lively and niggly encounter that was in the balance until 13 minutes from the end.
The home team went ahead in the first half through tries from wing Luvazi Mvovo and fullback Scott Spedding in the 11th and 25th minutes.
But they were matched by Leopards tries for number eight Riaan Swanepoel and fullback Anver Schoony in the eighth and 20th minutes respectively. The only difference at the break being the one less conversion for the Leopards.
The visitors though moved into the lead in the 43rd minute when centre Deon van Rensburg sliced his way through the defence to score. Flyhalf Clayton Durand converted to give the Leopards a five point lead.
Leopards took game away
That was narrowed to two points when Wildebeest scrumhalf Neil de Bruin landed his second penalty of the night six minutes later.
The Leopards took the game away from the Wildebeest in a dazzling nine-minute period that realised tries for lock Rudi Mathee and wing Jan van Zyl as well as a penalty for Durand.
Although the hosts scored another two tries through flank Skholiwe Ndlovu and lock Alistair Hargreaves it was too little, too late.
Scorers:
Wildebeest: Tries: Luvazi Mvovo, Scott Spedding, Skholiwe Ndlovu, Alistair Hargreaves. Conversions: Neil de Bruin (3). Penalties: De Bruin (2).
Leopards: Tries: Riaan Swanepoel, Anver Schoony, Deon van Rensburg, Rudi Mathee, Jan van Zyl. Conversions: Clayton Durand (3). Penalty: Durand (2).
- SuperSport
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