WP hosted the BLUE BULLS in their semi-final of the Currie Cup Premier Division today, at Newlands, Cape Town. The Bulls won a nail-biter with 7 Morne Steyn penalties. Bulls won 21 / 19.

If you told me before the game that the game would be this hard and closely contested, I would probably have scoffed at you… it was a humdinger!

Bakkies, Bakkies, Bakkies, there you go again.. getting a yellow card in the 1st minute of the game! The “Enforcer” had a hard and uncompromising game and it did’nt cost the Bulls in the time he was off the field.

The Bulls started on a rampage, racking up penalty after penalty and in less than half of the First Half,were leading 12 / 0, because of the once again faultless boot of More Steyn.

ThenWP fought back and by Half Time they had scored from 2 penalties of their own.. also from the faultless boot of Joe Petersen.

After Half Time, WP came out with purpose and Gio Aplon showed jet-shoes to follow up a brilliant kick from Frikkie Welsch and beat Wynand Olivier and Pedrie Wannenburg to the Try Line, scoring the only try of the match.

Penaties decided the rest of the match, with Morne Steyn slotting a 53m Kick for the winning margin of 2 points with 2 minutes left on the clock.

It is difficult to single out star performers for this match because both from the Bulls and WP all players played their hearts out, all players and substitutions played like Springboks.

For the Bulls, the calmness of Victor Matfield, Fourie Du Preez and Morne Steyn stood out, for WP Joe Petersen, Gio Aplon and the war horse, Schalk Burger stood out. Schalk Burger also probably put in the tackle of the century when he monstered Fourie du Preez as he was about to put a kick through, near halfway.

What a game…. SA Rugby is alive and well!

In 2 weeks time we’ll see the Final at Loftus in Pretoria.

Hope you also enjoy our photo’s below! 

 

Photo’s from the First Half:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo’s from the Second Half:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

After-match TV Interviews – Victor Matfield, the winning Captain 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Morne Steyn – Awarded Man of the match

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Match Statistics 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tackle of the Match, Schalk Burger absolutely flattens Fourie du Preez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Points:

WP: 4 Penalties Joe Petersen, 1 Conversion, 1 Try Gio Aplon

Bulls: 7 Penalties Morne Steyn

Teams:

Vodacom Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana; 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.

Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Pedrie Wannenburg, 20 Heini Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Gerhard van den Heever.

 

Vodacom Western Province: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Frikkie Welsh, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenhage, 8 Luke Watson (captain), 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Anton van Zyl, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Wicus Blaauw.

Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 JC Kritzinger, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Schalk Burger, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Matt To’omua, 22 Sireli Naqelevuki.

Date: Saturday, October 17
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Expected weather: Sunny and mild, with virtually no chance of rain. High 21°C, low 14°C. Wind 33km/h S
Referee: Mark Lawrence
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper, Reuben Rossouw
TMO: Michael Cupido