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Blue Bulls at home in final
04/05/2008 15:02 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The Blue Bulls will be at home against the Free State Cheetahs on May 16 when they contest the Vodacom Cup final - and play for a lucrative R1m prize.
The Blue Bulls set up their 40-20 victory against defending champions Griquas by scoring four tries to Griquas' two in the semi-final at Loftus on Saturday.
At Newlands Free State came from well behind to score a shock 27-22 semi-final win over Western Province.
The Bulls only clinched their match in the second half when they outscored the visitors 30-13 with a great all-round performance by Bulls flyhalf Burton Francis.
He again showed that he is a match-winner of note in the making and his two long-range drops and 20 points in total tell the story of Griquas' demise.
The Bulls opened the scoring when centre Braam Gerber scored in the sixth minute and a penalty by Francis put them further ahead before a Griquas try by centre Lafras Uys which was converted by Riaan Viljoen.
Stole the show
Griquas then scored through a Viljoen penalty, but Francis stole the show with two drop-goals - the first from 50m after 48 minutes and then another long-range drop off the crossbar in the 57th minute.
In between Bulls prop Rassie van Vuuren also scored a try before fullback Tiger Mangweni's two late tries put matters beyond doubt.
Free State wing Giscard Pieters opened the scoring at Newlands with Jandre Blom adding the conversion to make it 7-0. Western Province scored just before the break with centre Morgan Newman racing over for a try, with Isma-eel Dollie converting (7-7).
Then Blom was twice on target with penalties to give Free State a 13-7 lead before replacement scrumhalf Paul Delport provided much-needed urgency to the WP attacks, scoring a try himself in the 57th minute which Dollie failed to convert (13-12).
Province first led after a Dollie penalty after 60 minutes (15-13) and then replacement lock Nico du Plessis rounded off a drive from close range with a try. Substitute flyhalf Ricardo Croy converted to stretch the WP lead to 22-13 with 15 minutes remaining.
Eight minutes from time, the Free State Cheetahs attacked from far out for Blom to round off the move and add the conversion to narrow the gap to 22-20. Four minutes later prop Ronnie Uys crashed over for a converted try to seal the win.
Scorers:
Blue Bulls: Tries: Braam Gerber, Rassie van Vuuren, Tiger Mangweni (2).
Conversions: Burton Francis (4). Penalties: Francis (2). Drop-goal: Francis (2).
Griquas: Tries: Lafras Uys, Riaan Viljoen. Conversions: Viljoen (2).
Penalties: Rian Viljoen (2).
Western Province: Tries: Nico du Plessis, Paul Delport, Morgan Newman.
Conversions: Isma-eel Dollie, Ricardo Croy. Penalty: Dollie.
Free State: Tries: Giscard Pieters, Sias Ebersohn, Ronnie Uys.
Conversions: Jandre Blom, Ebersohn. Wilton Petersen. Penalties: Blom (2).
- SAPA
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