The Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs are now firmly in playoff contention with the June break looming after crucial away victories on an exciting weekend of Vodacom Super Rugby.
sarugby
The three-time champions from Pretoria entrenched their position at the top of the South African Conference – and their second spot on the overall log – when they beat The Sharks, 18-16, in a tense but scrappy match in Durban on Saturday evening.
Morné Steyn scored all of the visitors’ points with the boot as Vodacom Bulls replacement scrumhalf Jano Vermaak celebrated his 100th Vodacom Super Rugby appearance with an important victory.
Earlier on Saturday, the Toyota Cheetahs scored four tries – three of them in the second half – in their 34-22 win over the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth.
The Toyota Cheetahs scored the only four-try bonus point of the weekend and moved up to fourth on the log after the Crusaders, Blues and Reds all lost.
The Reds, champions in 2011, went down to the DHL Stormers in Cape Town, where Springbok captain Jean de Villiers scored the only try of the match.
Southern Kings (12) 22: 34 (13) Cheetahs:
Three second-half tries saw the Toyota Cheetahs record a bonus-point victory over the Southern Kings, which catapulted the side from Central South Africa to fourth on the Vodacom Super Rugby log.
The first half of this match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth was a typical South African derby arm wrestle. The Kings defended well and with their flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis punishing poor discipline by the Toyota Cheetahs, the home team remained in front.
But it all changed in the 39th minute, when Toyota Cheetahs wing Willie le Roux sliced through the Kings’ defence and put Johann Sadie away for the first try of the match. Elgar Watts’ conversion put the visitors in the lead and then went into the break firmly on the front foot.
The Toyota Cheetahs, showing much more enterprise as the Kings’ defence started to falter, scored three more tries in the first 22 minutes of the second half – by Piet van Zyl, Sadie and Le Roux – at which stage it was basically game over. Watts added the extras on each occasion and with 15 minutes left on the clock, the visitors were ahead by 34-15.
The Kings’ replacement scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo scored a consolation try for the home team late in the game, but they were never really in it since Sadie went over just before the break.
Scorers:
Southern Kings – Try: Nicolas Vergallo. Conversion: George Whitehead. Penalty goals: Demetri Catrakilis (5).
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Johann Sadie (2), Piet van Zyl, Willie le Roux. Conversions: Elgar Watts (4). Penalty goals: Elgar Watts (2).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkkDpmYP6tw[/youtube]
DHL Stormers (3) 20 / 15 (0) Reds:
A superb try by Springbok captain Jean de Villiers was the difference as the DHL Stormers returned to winning ways when they beat the Reds by 20-15 at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.
In a match dominated by the boots of the two kickers, Joe Pietersen for the DHL Stormers and the Reds’ Quade Cooper, it was a moment of brilliance early in the second half that put the home team firmly in command of the match.
It occurred in the 43rd minute when DHL Stormers flyhalf Elton Jantjies spotted lots of space on the left and chipped across the field to a speeding Bryan Habana, who gathered the ball and fed Pietersen on the inside. The fullback then put De Villiers away for one of the better tries seen at DHL Newlands in a long time.
Pietersen could not convert, but by then the DHL Stormers were ahead by 8-0. It never really looked like they were going to let the Reds in for a try, which made the eight-point cushion a comfortable one.
Cooper got the Reds on the board in the 48th minute, but from then on the kickers swapped penalty goals until the visiting flyhalf’s fifth three-pointer, in the 69th minute, put his side ahead for the first time in the match at 15-14.
But Pietersen calmly added two more penalty goals as the DHL Stormers, showing great character against a team that can strike from anywhere on the field, celebrated their first win after three consecutive defeats on Australasian soil.
Scorers:
DHL Stormers – Try: Jean de Villiers. Penalty goals: Joe Pietersen (5).
Reds – Penalty goals: Quade Cooper (5).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsDbTdnEWxc[/youtube]
The Sharks (3) 16 / 18 (9) Vodacom Bulls:
Morné Steyn’s goal kicking provided the platform as the Vodacom Bulls cemented their position in the top two on the Vodacom Super Rugby log with a hard-fought 18-16 win over The Sharks at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban.
Steyn slotted six from seven on a night where the boot dominated in a scrappy match as the wet ball made handling very difficult. And while it may not have been a classic, it was tough and very physical.
The Sharks’ discipline let them down on a night where they not only scored the only try of the match, but also dominated the Vodacom Bulls at scrum time.
However, the visitors made fewer mistakes and apart from destroying The Sharks in the line-outs, their defence and kick-chasing were also very good.
Late in the match, The Sharks enjoyed a period of territorial advantage, which they turned into points when scrumhalf Charl McLeod crashed over in the right corner. Pat Lambie’s superb conversion from out wide put the home team in the lead with less than 10 minutes left on the clock.
It was short-lived though, as yet another transgression at a line-out gave Steyn the opportunity to hammer the final nail into The Sharks’ coffin with his sixth penalty goal in the 75th minute as the game played out to a very tense finish.
Scorers:
The Sharks – Try: Charl McLeod. Conversion: Pat Lambie. Penalty goals: Lambie (3).
Vodacom Bulls – Penalty goals: Morné Steyn (6).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_uRpmu4skM[/youtube]
Other results – Round 15:
Chiefs 28 / 19 Crusaders (Hamilton)
Rebels 24 / 22 Waratahs (Melbourne)
Blues 13 / 20 Brumbies (Auckland)
Force 19 / 18 Highlanders (Perth)
and the Stormers won – must have been match fixing somewhere…
Cheetass looking very good, nicely up into 4th spot and just behind the Bulls
Sharks fought hard but Bulls won a very scrappy game, I feel the Bulls need to be 1 or 2 on the log if they want to win it, seems they struggle away from home in 2013
@ Gena_ZA:
Agreed. Great at Loftus. But away, not so much.
2 @ Stormersboy:
The Bulls beat the Blues overseas (7th spot), lost by quite some margin against the Crusaders (6th spot), but came very bloody close in the last 2 Aussie tour games against the 2 top Aussie sides (3rd and 5th spots respectively).
The Bulls have now beaten 2 SA sides away from Loftus too… in fact they’ve won against every SA opposition side thus far in 2013.
Let’s compare that to the Cheetahs… they had a good tour overseas, only losing very badly against the Chiefs (Top spot), then easy wins against the Highlanders (15th spot), Waratahs (8th spot) and Force (14th spot)…. but they also lost to the Bulls and Sharks away from home…
So, woop-dee-doo… are the Cheetahs really better away from home? Or did they just tour overseas against much weaker opposition?
@ grootblousmile:
It’s not really about the Cheetahs but rather just a South African tendency to do badly away from home.
Morne is often a different player away from Loftus though.
3: moet jy nou alles deurmekaar krap met feite en statistiek ?
Maar ja, dink altwee spanne sal sukkel om oorsee in semi’s en finale te wen. So die beste ding wat kan gebeur Saterdag is dat Bulle wen met bonuspunt, en Staat verloor met 2 bonuspunte.
Bulle eindig eerste op log, Cheetahs eindig 4de op log. Albei wen semi’s en speel die finaal op Loftus, hoera !
5 @ ben-die-bul:
Ja, dit kan blerrie mooi werk!
@ ben-die-bul:
jy vergeet om by te se die cheetahs wen op dramatiese wyse in die laaste minuut van extra tyd
7 @ smallies:
Nee o jinne, nie julle of ons seningwees sal dit hou nie…. Bulls moet maar behoorlik wen en klaarkry…. hehehe
Soos ek jou ken sal jy jou garage 2 keer regpak, die oggend voor die final uit pure senuwees… ek het klaar opgegee op my garages…. hulle moet nou maar ‘n negosiehok bly tot my vrou my bliksem… hehe
Cheetahs have NEVER won against the Bulls in Super Rugby… NEVER!
(Unless I am grossly forgetting a dubious win somewhere….)
@ grootblousmile:moet se my span het my regtig verbaas die jaar.wonder hoeveel nou weer op die ander unies se inkopie lyste is
@ grootblousmile:
altyd n eerste keer
10 @ smallies:
Ja, ek wonder ook… maar die Bulls self verloor KLOMP waardevolle staatmakers na Super Rugby…
So ek hoop maar die Bulls koop so paar Staaters… hahaha
Ons kan gerus weer vir Adriaan Strauss terugkoop, Trevor Nyakane koop, Willie le Roux en Raymond Rhule ook koop… en vir Johan Goosen behoorlike mediese behandeling in Pretoria gee terwyl hy vir die Bulls uitdraf….. hahaha
11 @ smallies:
Ja…. kyk dit kan liewer Saterdag gebeur as in die Final…
@ grootblousmile:
flok julle sit al reeds met stegman flip morney serfontein venter small-smith lindeque swanepoel van der merwe dink dis genoeg
14 @ smallies:
Ag toe man, ons sal net die goeies koop!
Adriaan Strauss is van Pretoria af, Willie le Roux van Boland af, Raymond Rhule van Ghana af…. en Johan Goosen kort goeie behandeling man… njannies!
@ grootblousmile:
dis nou die deng ons het net 22 goeies en dan is ses mog van griquas af
rhule wel van gana af maar sy ma van bloem,hy het groot geword hier en was onderhoof seun van hts louis botha in bloem.
@ smallies:
strauss gebore in bloem 1985 geskool grey basies maar net age group in pta gespeel
nyakane kom wel van bosbok rand af maar julle wou hom nie he nie
@ grootblousmile:
Force and Waratahs are not weak at all. waratahs beat Blues Reds, Chiefs and Brumbies. Force beat Reds and Crusaders.
I don’t see any comparisons to the Cheetahs in the previous two posts. Seems the nerves are beginning to show. Bottom line is, no matter how you sugar coat it, the weekend will be a decider, and after the bumble in the Durban jungle, Cheetahs will fancy their chances in Bloemfontein.
Yeah, I know we have never beaten the Bulls in Super rugby, but it does seem to be a year of “first” for the Cheetahs doesn’t it.
I think apart from the “experience” factor in terms of knock out rugby, the Cheetahs have as good a chance as the Bulls to go all the way.
Gooooooooooooooooo Cheeetahs
What is observed is the Bulls are very dangerous at home and not so dangerous away from it,
so we hope they get to play the big games at home
20 @ Cheetah4eva:
Look at the Logs… that’s ALL you have to do…
Cheetahs went and lost in Durban… at the least the Bulls did not.
Cheetahs are doing very well this year, punching well above their weight… how long can they continue to do so? You’ve achieved nothing yet, not even a play-off spot yet… but then again as you will want to point out, neither has the Bulls achieved anything yet.
Saturday will be difficult, for sure!
Gooooooooooooo Bulls!
21 @ Gena_ZA:
You need eye-drops and better glasses…. hehehe
But I agree, your chances multiply when you host play-off’s and semi’s at home…. and that counts for all 15 Super Rugby sides!
Lol, my my my, we are touchy. Well to answer your question, about 6 weeks ago many were predicting that the Cheetahs charge will falter.
Maybe they are just a good team playing well and to their strengths. Not to split ball hairs, but we lost in Bloem, and also beat the sharks in Durban, and an arguably stronger Sharks team than what the Bulls faced.
Lol, so it’s all even stevens. Cheetahs are full value for their log position, as are the Bulls. It will be a cracker.
Is dit nie nou interessant nie.
‘n Paar maande terug moes ons hoor dat die Stormers en Sharks gaan dit maak, gaan die SA vlag dra, en die Bulle en Staat het nie ‘n kans in die super 15 nie.
En nou ?
Nou het die Sharks en Stormers nie ‘n kans nie, en dit lyk goed vir die Bulle en Staat om die semi’s te maak.
Saterdag is die ‘CB finaal’ vir die SA konferensie, die groter druk is op die Staat, want as hul wen maar die Bulle kry ‘n bonuspunt, dan is die Bulle se kans om nog bo op die SA log te eindig nog steeds in hul eie hande. Verloor die Staat, is die kanse baie moeiliker om by die Bulle verby te skuif.
Die vraag is nou hoe gaan die twee spanne die wedstryd benader – voluit gaan vir bonuspunt wen, of bloot net seker maak die game word gewen, al is dit met een punt ?
Albei spanne het gewys hul kan goeie hardlooprugby speel, maar dit gaan gepaard met baie risiko’s.
Gaan ‘n grote wees Saterdag, sterkte aan albei spanne, hoop net ons kry ‘n goeie ref met ‘n wit trui maar met ‘n blou hart ! 😉
Haai ek is hier , moet nou nie vlug nie
GBS jy het darem daai refs gese ou maat, die klu klux clan
26 @ superBul:
Hellooooooooooooooooo
26: refs is die skuim van die aarde ! hehe
25 @ ben-die-bul:
Game planne gaan konserwatief wees, omdat daar so baie op die spel is… so ek dink dit gaan ‘n low-scoring game wees… van beide kante
net om vir julle te bewys hoe sleg is refs is my boeke – ek is liewer vir my skoonma as vir refs !
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