The Western Province took on the Blue Bulls at Newlands in Cape Town at 17:05, local time today in the return match in the Currie Cup. Wp won the match by dominating the Blue Bulls in the scrums, specially at loose head, where Wicus Blaauw dominated the Buls tight head, Werer Kruger. Wp won 25 / 19.
Fullback Joe Pietersen scored 20 points as Vodacom Western Province fought their way to a 25 / 19 (halftime 12 / 16) ABSA Currie Cup win over the Blue Bulls at Newlands on Saturday.
Victory lifted WP to 32 points on the standings, but they dropped to second place behind the Sharks on points’ difference. Still, beating the Bulls was all that counted and after falling behind 13 / 3 after 21 minutes it was a gutsy performance that cemented their credentials as potential Cup winners.
The WP tight five again dominated the tight exchanges, and the home team’s solitary try was a direct result of that unit’s power in the scrum when they destroyed the Bulls pack, allowing No 8 Luke Watson to score off the back in the 60th minute.
For the Bulls flyhalf Burton Francis contributed 14 points from four penalties and a conversion with centre Jaco Pretorius scoring their one try.
The first half was a torrid, physical affair with the Bulls starting the match with the kind of desperation you’d expect from a side that lost the week before.
The visitors forced a turnover from the kick-off after smothering WP lock Chris Jack as he claimed the ball. Although the big All Black had possession he was driven back and the Bulls were awarded a scrum.
From that set piece they camped inside WP territory and eventually the multi-phase possession took its toll with the home side forced to illegally slow the ball at the ruck. From the penalty Francis slotted the first of his penalties.
The Bulls maintained the pressure over the next 20 minutes and earned another easy penalty in the ninth minute that Francis duly slotted.
The only try of the half followed in the 21st minute when Pretorius slipped over in the corner after a build-up that went through five phases and ended with a clever over-the-top pass by centre Stefan Watermeyer to Pretorius.
But that signalled the beginning of WP’s total dominance as they rallied from the set back. For the remainder of the half they pounded the Bulls line repeatedly but couldn’t force a way through the organised and, at times, cynical defence.
Pietersen slotted penalties in the 25th, 27th and 40th minutes to add to his 19th minute penalty to keep the home side in the game while Francis added another Bulls penalty on the half hour.
In the second half Pietersen popped over two more penalties in the 46th and 55th minutes as the territory stats moved over 70% in favour of the home side. In the face of such unrelenting pressure the Bulls were forced into errors and blatant cynical play to stem the flow of ball in the direction of their line.
The match was still in the balance until Watson crashed over, which was just reward for the dominance that WP enjoyed and from that moment the Bulls were a beaten side. They managed a penalty after the finals whistle to secure a bonus point, but a home semi-final is now a long way off.
Scorers:
Bulls: 4 Penalties Burton Francis & 1 conversion, try by Jaco Pretorius
WP: 6 penalies Joe Petersen & 1 conversion, try by Luke Watson
Teams:
Western Province: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Juan De Jongh, 12 Morgan Newman, 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenhage, 8 Luke Watson (captain), 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Anton van Zyl, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Hanyani Shimange, 17 JD Moller, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Conrad Hoffmann, 21 Frikkie Welsh, 22 JJ Engelbrecht.
Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Dewald Potgieter, 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün (captain), 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Fudge Mabeta, 19 Jacques Burger, 20 Dean Greyling, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Tiger Mangweni.
Referee: Pro Legoete
Assistant referees: Tiaan Jonker, Peter Allen (Scotland)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
@KingPaul – 330
More more KP
Ja my bekommernis oor die feit dat Tiaan Liebenberg nie daar was nie, was toe verniet. Wikus Blaauw jou yster
Coffee Time, and it is spookily quiet here!!
Are you all stoking up the braai’s or doing the Sunday papers?
@KingPaul – Poolkie, julle het gewen en ja julle het dit verdien. Spog maar ou maat daar is nog 7 games voordat iemand n Currie Beker omhoog hou.
Moenie te veel lees in die demolition, die destroying , die humiliation van die Bulle nie. En dankie dat jy hierdie Bulle die ‘magtige Bulle” , dankie vir die respek. As jy opgelet het sou jy sien dat dit al beter gegaan het met die Bulle sedert die laaste game teen die Leeus. So ek hoop maar ek intrepeteer n opwaartse kurwe by die Bulle reg.
As WP nie reeds gepeak het nie wag daar groot moeilikheid vir al die ander spanne , dan gaan julle n awesome span he teen die tyd dat die finale gespeel word.
Daar was so ligpuntjie of 2 wat ek gesien het wat my hoop laat opvlam het, so kom ons sien maar wie lag laaste.
maar soos Steve se n Blou bul tjank nie
@carol – 332
Good morning Carol
Yes, it is to be expected that things will be quiet this morning. Province fans are nursing hangovers. I canot speak for others hehehe
Morning everybody,I had a terrible weekend with the Boks getting crushed by the Aussies and the Lions lose against the cheetahs. geez
@Journo-Lion – Same feeling this side.
At least you have a easier game next weekend.
@superBul – Who are the Lions playing?
@Journo-Lion – Leopards
@Journo-Lion – Morning Young Lion, thanks to the incredibly useful ‘tool’ (Logs and fixtures) that GBS has provided I can see that the Lions play Leopards on 11th!! 🙂
@SA Barbarians – Good Morning S.A.
Well the only good thing about hangovers is, it is usually fun getting one!!
11 Boland v GWK Griquas Boland Stadium, Wellington 15:00
11 Xerox Lions v Platinum Leopards Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg 19:10
12 Vodacom Free State Cheetahs v Vodacom Western Province Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein 15:00
12 Vodacom Blue Bulls v Sharks Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 17:05
Cheetahs vs WP ?
If WP wins they are almost certainly home and dry for a home semi.
If Cheetahs win and the Bulls some how beats the Sharks, the season starts all over again.
@carol – 340
hehehe it’s like “Fly now, Pay later” 🙂
@carol – Morning Carol,
Not a nice game the Bokke played. I was watching the game in the same bush pub where i watched the 49-0 game , must stay away there when the Boks play Australia. 😥
@superBul – No ways the Sharks gonna win at Loftus, so you only kneed to hold thumbs for Cheatahs.
@carol – haha I didnt see that. Hope you are having a nice weekend? Im sitting at work and boring myself to death haha
@Boerboel – 344
Bulls/Sharks and WP/Cheetahs are going to be two huge games for sure. Anything’s still possible imo
Site very slow, I’ll try again later
@superBul – Daardie sharks game gaan goed wees. Bulls moet hierdie een wen…maar die sharks gaan dit baie moeilik maak vir hulle.
@Boerboel – sjoe Boel, thats a brave call, not even with my Blue tinted glasses will i call that one. But i do see a improvement in our game , we started moving forward , there is some combinations coming back in form.
@Boerboel – probeer Google Crome ek dink die site is blitsvinnig. Stook daai masjien van jou , as jy nie hout het nie gooi mampoer.
Morning All.
Bulls supporters need not worry about the WP, the Cheetahs will klap them this weekend and stop their little unbeaten spell.
@Loosehead – 351
Maybe, maybe not… who knows?
Your new Proooovince chant is still ringing in my ears 🙂
@SA Barbarians – Yesterday they deserved to hear it. They were superb.
This weekend will be different.
@Loosehead – 353
🙂
@SA Barbarians – Happy Birthday!
Don’t expect a present from the Mighty Cheetahs next weekend though.
@Loosehead – 355
hehehe thanks Loosehead
@SA Barbarians – Hey, Many Happy Returns of the Day S.A. 😆
Birthdays everywhere the last few days!
Are you going to celebrate with the G.F? 😉
Now the hangover is a thing of the past!
@carol – 357
Thanks Lady C
There comes a time in life when one starts to down play birthdays as they send unwelcome reminders 🙂
358@SA Barbarians – Many happy returns!
Please enlighten us, when is that time supposed to be?
@SA Barbarians – 358 – Know the feeling !! 😆
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