Blue Bulls thrash Cavaliers
2007-09-29 19:26
Wellington - John Mametsa claimed a hat-trick and had a fourth try disallowed as the Blue Bulls over-ran the Boland Cavaliers 62-15 in their Currie Cup match in Wellington on Saturday.
The Blue Bulls led 47-5 at half-time.
The Cavaliers fought back admirably in a second half in which they conceded just 15 points and scored 10 themselves.
But that wasn't about to take the shine off a power-driven Bulls performance that was spiked with 10 tries.
The most memorable moment for the Cavaliers came when Tommy Dixon ran out ahead of his teammates to mark his 100th match for Boland. The applause that greeted the stalwart tighthead's milestone was as warm as the sunshine.
Then the game itself started, and the sentimentality faded fast when Bulls fullback Jacques-Louis Potgieter punched the first hole in the Cavaliers' defence to claim the first try in the second minute.
Two minutes later right wing Mametsa grubbered and collected to put another five points on the board.
The pre-emptive strikes seemed to sap the home side's resolve, and soon they were doing no more than going through the motions of defence.
So there was no surprise when centre JP Nel grabbed the Bulls' third, or when Mametsa dotted down his second try to bank the bonus point in just the 17th minute.
No sooner had the game restarted when left wing Danwel Demas sped in for his first try to put the Bulls 33-0 ahead.
Just when they must have been wondering what time the next train to anywhere left town, the Cavaliers found some possession and some territory, and in a flash right wing Alvin Hugo was over for the try.
But that was the Bolanders' only respite for the rest of the half as the Bulls ran in two more tries through hooker and captain Derick Kuun and Demas.
Flank Johan Wasserman crashed over for the Bulls 10 minutes into the second half, and when Mametsa completed his hat-trick in the 67th minute the hinges seemed about the fly off the floodgates.
Indeed, moments later the scoreboard registered Mametsa's fourth try. But it was disallowed for a punch thrown by flyhalf Derick Hougaard on Cavaliers flank Dries van Schalkwyk.
Hougaard was yellow-carded, and while he was off the field Hugo scored his second. The Bulls also brought on their replacements during Hougaard's absence, which cost them momentum.
The last hurrah belonged to the Cavaliers when replacement prop Pieter Terblanche scored in the last minute of regulation time.
Scorers:
Cavaliers:
Tries: Alvin Hugo (2), Pieter Terblanche.
Blue Bulls:
Tries: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (2), John Mametsa (3), JP Nel, Danwel Demas (2), Derick Kuun, Johan Wasserman
Conversions: Derick Hougaard (6)