Bulls down brave Cheetahs
The Bulls relinquished a 24-point lead but held on for a 36-24 victory over the Cheetahs to claim the Currie Cup title.
It was a match in the mould of the previous titanic clashes between these teams – brutally physical, intensely tactical, but never dull – and this time the Bulls weren’t to be denied.
They blitzed out of the blocks, rushing to the aforementioned formidable lead within 20 minutes, which must have prompted the trophy engraver to motion towards penning a ‘B’. However, such was the resolve of the Cheetahs that they surged back into contention. But ultimately they had neither the individual brilliance or tactical refinement to break the Bulls’ hearts.
The likes of Adriaan Strauss, Heinrich Brussow and Frans Viljoen would have been worthy champions, but the pedigree of Fourie du Preez, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn and Bakkies Botha combined with the unrelenting spirit of Dewald Potgieter, Francois Hougaard and Deon Stegmann ensured the Bulls made history, winning the Super Rugby and Currie Cup crowns in the same year.
There was a definite air of apprehension prior to kick-off, with the blue disciples sensing, acutely, that their gods were up against the one side in the tournament that held little fear of the imposing cauldron of Loftus. They had, after all, captured the title here in 2005, and broken the Bulls’ domestic dominance thereafter. However, those fears seemed unfounded after the first quarter.
The Cheetahs showed their hand early by attempting to stretch the burly Bulls across the field, but they would be repelled and forced to go lateral by accurate, committed and bruising defence.
The Bulls absorbed the pressure and within 18 minutes they had established a 21-0 lead, all three converted tries coming after they had absolutely pulverised the Cheetahs’ ball carriers.
It would be failing Du Preez not to note his role in the hat-trick of scores, and, as he had in the Super 14 final, the majestic scrumhalf was central in the Bulls’ triumph. It would be a rugby travesty if he is not named the IRB Player of the Year.
Their first try came on the five minute mark, when Wynand Olivier broke the line, offloaded to Habana who in turn found Kuun with a clear run in on goal. He didn’t have the gas for glory, but the Bulls were awarded a penalty, and Du Preez showed his awareness with a cross-kick to an unmarked Hougaard on the wing. Steyn converted and was soon called upon to bank three more points, Habana striking.
Du Preez showed that the range of his ability knows no bounds as he scooped a wayward pass off his bootlaces and put Habana away. Their third, birthed from a Stegmann turnover and Du Preez’s chip into an unmanned space, saw Habana burn JP Joubert in a sprint to score. The Western Province-bound wing had one space open on his trophy cabinet, and he will be dead proud that he played such a decisive role in filling it.
Steyn added the extras, and took the Bulls 24-0 ahead with a penalty shortly thereafter. Then came the counter-strike.
Up until that point the Cheetahs had displayed an inability to adapt their planned expansive attack. But their fortunes changed with their willingness to show a greater appreciation for building a platform through phase play.
Viljoen dragged his side into the contest after percentage play had depleted the Bulls’ defensive line. Jacques-Louis Potgieter converted, and the Cheetahs were soon back in contention when centre Corne Uys was on hand to round off a quick tap and sharp handling. Potgieter’s conversion drew the Cheetahs to within 10, but Steyn ensured that the Bulls took a comfortable lead into the break with a drop goal as the siren sounded.
The scoreline didn’t fully reflect the visitor’s standing in the match. They had camped in Bulls territory for extended periods and would have felt confident of a dramatic comeback if they managed to harness, replicate and execute all that was good about their first half showing.
One of the outstanding features of that period was their scrummaging, and it was through a monumental shove in the Bulls 22, which resulted in a tighthead, that they breathed life into what at the end of the first quarter had seemed an improbable dream. The ball spat loose, Viljoen pounced, found Brussow, who sent Breedt through for the try. Potgieter made no mistake with the conversion, and when he sent a drop goal sailing through the posts two minutes later, the Bulls were put on notice.
Brussow, nullified in the first half to a large extent, became omnipresent on the deck and with ball in hand, and he was ably supported by a group of men who had risen from the canvas, bounced off the ropes and were now punching with renewed vigour and belief.
However, Steyn kept the Bulls in charge with two penalties, and with 11 minutes remaining the Cheetahs needed some inspired play to overturn the 12-point deficit. Their cause wasn’t helped by the sin-binning of Richardt Strauss with six minutes to go, and despite some enterprising play in the closing minutes, they were unable to breach a well organised and determined defensive line.
It’s futile debating whether this is the finest Bulls side in history as you’ll never come to an absolute conclusion. There is, however, no debating that they are amongst the best ever fielded, and now amongst the most successful.
Their performance was hardly spectacular, but ultimately history will reflect a phenomenal year for the Bulls, one in which they ruled the southern hemisphere, and then conquered on home soil.
By Ryan Vrede, at Loftus
October 31st, 2009 at 8:14 pm
#47 RobinW: RobinW!! Soek jy aandag???
ie is jou span dan???
Dit was a great game! Die Cheetahs het geveg tot die bitter einde, so wie is jou span laat ons ****!!
October 31st, 2009 at 8:14 pm
#48 Cheetah 4 Eva:
My point is just that stats can be deceiving, and have to look at what the real factors in the game were. It’s just not fair to say the Cheetahs dominated much of the game.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:15 pm
ja, die franse en iere gaan biejie vinniger hardloop as wat the cheetahs teen die bok belaaide bulle gedoen het – hulle sal doen wat die australiers laaste wedstryd teen ons gedoen het
October 31st, 2009 at 8:18 pm
#47 RobinW: bly om te sien dat jy jou storie verander. Miskien is jy nie ‘n idioot nie.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:18 pm
steek net die draak, mense . was ‘n goeie game, net ‘n bietjie voorspelbaar
October 31st, 2009 at 8:21 pm
in terme van domisilie is ek ‘n shark, by geboorte ‘n stormer *lol*
ek wonder of the Fidijaan se kontrak nog tot volgende jaar gaan
October 31st, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Congrats to the Bulls. Annoyed I missed it though! Cant find streams online for kak anymore!
Gosh how impressive is Habana? He said he wanted to helped the Bulls win the CC and the oke damn well backed his words. His rugby achievements must be the most impressive in the world along with Du Preez and Matfield –
1 RWC, Lions Series win, 2 S14 titles, 1 Tri-Nations and now 1 CC title.
Is Habana regaining his pace? I’ve not heard of him burning people for a long while now.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:24 pm
#52 coherence: No Coherence, the stats didn’t decieve at all!! The Cheetahs dd dominate the game, but the Bulls were just more experienced,and absorbed the pressure, and converted their opportunities!!
It takes great character to be under the cosh like that, and still win well!!
The Bulls playedwell, don’t spoil a great game by being petty, the Cheetahs did outmuscle the Bulls in most aspects of the match, but the Bulls were the best at absorbing the pressure, and playing smart!!
kudo’s to the Bulls!!
October 31st, 2009 at 8:26 pm
very good adv for SA rugby for those who watched van “heinde en ver”
October 31st, 2009 at 8:30 pm
#57 Cheetah 4 Eva:
How can you dominate the game if you are behind on the scoreboard from start to finish?
Possession stats often show which team hogged the ball more. It’s difficult to hog the ball when you’re scoring as easily as the Bulls were. Often times a team that scores easily has low possession stats, but is actually dominating the game.
As for tackle stats: the Cheetahs would probably have had a higher tackle count if they didn’t allow the Bulls to score so many points. If a team has poor defence, they will tend to have a lower tackle count.
Like I said, dominance is about what happens on the scoreboard. To say the Cheetahs dominated the game means you are out of touch with the factors that influence the result.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:37 pm
#58 RobinW: I agree. I’m from ‘heinde en ver’ and this game was top notch. One thing you get from the Cheetahs is great finals. Thanks Cheetahs. Hope you play in all the finals. A sharks/bulls final will be nothing like the 1 we just saw.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:37 pm
#59 coherence: Ll, man are you delusional!!! Dominance doesn’t nccessarily equate to points!!
what you do with that possession is what matters!!
I have already said the Bulls were better at using their opportunities!
but hey, if it makes you feel better, then believe that the Bulls dominated the scrums, and everything else!!
To eachhis own, I am just proud of the Cheetahs… they are outgunned, nd under financed, but yet were ther for al three finals winning two!!!
The Buls are a great side, and deserved o win, but the Cheetahs deserve the respet of beingworthy finalists!!
if that is too much for you to concede, well don’t worry, you are just true to form!!
October 31st, 2009 at 8:42 pm
#61 Cheetah 4 Eva:
So what is your goal in a rugby match: to dominate, or to win? Because you seem to think these are very different things.
I think you have an interesting point of view, but I still feel that “dominance” means nothing if it’s not affecting the scoreboard.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:48 pm
LOL, doesn’t matter who you think the best team was or who dominated the stats, once again stats don’t always win the modern game, using opportunities do! like Naas says “Look at the Scoreboard” beautiful effort Bulls, you are true champions and the catalyst to a great BOK team.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:53 pm
#62 coherence: The objective of the game is to win… To achieve victory, you have to use the opportunities presented. To dominate the set pieces, and loose ball is a basis for victory, but you still have o turn that into points!!
The Bulls didn’t dominate the match, but their experience, and better use of the opportunities were the difference betwen victory and defeat!!
I simply stated that the Cheetahs dominated the stats, but were outsmarted, and outplayed!! Actually a compliment to the Bulls if you can read between the lines
October 31st, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Bulls were lucky. They didn’t deserve to beat WP and they didn’t deserve to beat the Cheetahs but today Kaplan decided they were going to win the Cup and that is all that matters. Bulls are the best team on paper but the Cheetahs played all the rugby today, this may be the biggest robbery of all in Gauteng today.
October 31st, 2009 at 9:32 pm
SOUR GRAPES, excuses, bad losers obviously not a Bull supporter, take it on the chin
October 31st, 2009 at 9:44 pm
I hate the Bulls, but even the most verkrampte would acknowledge that only 1 team set out to play rugby today.
October 31st, 2009 at 10:10 pm
#67 jonnymain: So in your opinion, the Cheetahs didn’t set out to play rugby??
Don’t see where you get that from…Anyteamthat is 24 points down, and come back to make a fight of it deserves some respect!!
so I definately disagee with you!!
October 31st, 2009 at 10:13 pm
“Zane Kirchner: born – George (South Western Districts); school – PW Botha (South Western Districts)
François Hougaard: born – Paarl (Western Province); school – Paul Roos (Western Province)
Jaco Pretorius: born – Johannesburg (Golden Lions); school – Randburg (Golden Lions)
Wynand Olivier: born – Welkom (Griffons); school – Affies (Blue Bulls)
Bryan Habana: born – Johannesburg (Golden Lions); school – KES (Golden Lions)
Morné Steyn: born – Bellville, Cape Town (Western Province); school – Sand du Plessis, Bloemfontein (Free State)
Fourie du Preez: born – Pretoria (Blue Bulls); school – Affies (Blue Bulls)
Pierre Spies: born – Pretoria (Blue Bulls); school – Affies (Blue Bulls)
Dewald Potgieter: born – Port Elizabeth (Eastern Province); school – Daniël Pienaar, Uitenhage (Eastern Province)
Deon Stegmann: born – Cradock (Eastern Province); school – Grey College (Free State)
Victor Matfield: born – Polokwane (previously Pietersburg) (Blue Bulls); school – Pietersburg (Blue Bulls)
Bakkies Botha: born – Newcastle (KwaZulu Natal)); school – HTS Vereeniging (Valke)/HTS Middelburg (Mpumalanga)
Werner Kruger: born – Kemptonpark (Valke); school – Kemptonpark (Valke)
Derick Kuün: born – Johannesburg (Golden Lions); school – Affies (Blue Bulls)
Gürthro Steenkamp: born – Paarl (Western Province); school – Paarl Boys’ High (Western Province)
Bandise Maku: born – King William’s Town (Border); school – Dale (Border)
Rossouw de Klerk: born – Vredenburg (Boland); school – Paarl Gim (Western Province)
Danie Rossouw: born – Sabie (Mpumalanga); school – Rob Ferreira (Mpumalanga)
Pedrie Wannenburg: born – Nelspruit (Mpumalanga); school – Oakdale (South Western Districts)
Heini Adams: born – Worcester (Boland); school – Esselen Park, Worcester (Boland)
Burton Francis: born – Paarl (Western Province); school – Klein Nederburg, Paarl (Western Province)
Gerhard van den Heever: born – Bloemfontein (Free State); school – Affies (Blue Bulls)
Of the 22 players playing for the Blue Bulls on Saturday, only 3 were born and raised in the land of the Blue Bull. “
October 31st, 2009 at 10:19 pm
#68 Cheetah 4 Eva: jis my jy is darem maar een irriterende mannetjie. Jy hou aan om die Bulls steke te gee in ander posts en dan probeer jy dit wegsteek met aangeplakte “roem” vir die Bulle se ervaring ens. ens. om jou “objektiwiteit” te beklemtoon sodat iemand, ek weet nie wie nie, dalk sal saamstem met jou gebabbel oor hoe die Cheetahs eintlik moes wen bla bla bla. Natuurlik is die Cheetahs is great span, maar elke post is n reaksie van jou kant af. Jy kan dit nie vat nie, maar jy sal maar moet leer: Die Bulls het die afbreekpunte gedemineer wanneer dit die meeste saak gemaak het en was NOOIT in daai aspek “gedomineer” nie. Hulle lynstane was ook goed genoeg asook hulle taktiese skopwerk. Druk jou suurgat erens in die vlaktes daar in die vrystaat – jou false roem vir die Bulle flous niemand nie!
October 31st, 2009 at 10:21 pm
#68 Cheetah 4 Eva: No my friend. The Cheetahs were the only team who set out to play rugby. Klaar?
October 31st, 2009 at 10:22 pm
#68 Cheetah 4 Eva: I see why you were confused, but I was replying to BarryBul’s post.
October 31st, 2009 at 10:31 pm
#70 savethespringbok: Jy is natuurlikgeregtig op jou opinie, net soos enige ander persoon!! Maar as jy die springbok moet red met jou houding, is die klaar biltong!!
Het nooit gese die Cheetahs moes gewen het nie, maar gaan ook nie my tyd mors om met jou te redeneer nie!!
Ek is trots op die Cheetahs, hulle het nie die ervaring gehad om hulle besit, and gebiedsvoordeel te benut nie!!
bulls se verdediging was ook goed, en individuele briljantheid, deur F du P was deurslagewend!!
so as dit jou irriteer,deal with it!!!
Cheetah het in al drie finale gespeel, en twee gewen, nogal ‘n prestasie, vir een vandie kleiner unies!!!
October 31st, 2009 at 10:36 pm
#2 BlueBlood:
Why don’t you just enjoy and celebrate the win without this kind of statements? Cheetahs with only ONE current Bok in the team had you panicking for a while, right?
October 31st, 2009 at 10:49 pm
By the way, CONGRATULATIONS to the BLUE BULLS. This goes out to my brother, my sister, my brother in law and my nephew(who drove all the way from Windhoek, to go and watch his beloved BB win the CC.) Gooi mielies. Drink julle dronk en wees more BABBELAS. ETTERS.
October 31st, 2009 at 11:05 pm
#61 Cheetah 4 Eva:
Don’t waste your time. He is not as coherent as his name suggests. He most probably didn’t even watch the match. Just asked the score through the window.
November 1st, 2009 at 1:02 am
#23 skopskiet:
Same team that beat the Aus and Ab’s 5 out of 6 this year will play the tesy matches. Why would they lose?
#29 Cheetah 4 Eva:
He deserved it. Kannie die linesman aanmekaar vloek soos hy dit gedoen het nie. Gaan kyk weer en try sy lippetaal lees.
November 1st, 2009 at 1:52 am
#76 nama1:
You have missed the following contradiction.
Comment 29:
“The Cheetahs dominated most aspects of the game, bt the experience of the Bulls, and the boot of Steyn saved the day!!”
Comment 64:
“I simply stated that the Cheetahs dominated the stats, but were outsmarted, and outplayed!!”
Maybe you weren’t wearing your reading glasses. The alternative would be that you are incapable of logical thought, but I’m sure that’s not the case.
November 1st, 2009 at 2:05 am
#78 coherence:
Nog nie geleer om die “smilie” te maak nie.
November 1st, 2009 at 3:22 am
#34 skopskiet: Did you just call PdV a ********?
November 1st, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Bulls were luckier. Refs seemed to be blind to their mistakes. 2 Cheetahs tries that were disallowed should have been.
The refs truly messed up the best final of the decade. If they didn’t mess up (especially the one ‘assistant’ ref) the game would have been 36-36 with the 10-minute a side to play. That would have been the ultimate final, no matter who won.
Refs was the bad losers on the day. Spoiled a great game in the end.
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:15 am
great game, great final, great tournament. Preffered to watch this over the AB/Wallabies. This must be the best domestic competiition around
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:01 am
why were
cheatahs
such
bad losers
in the
end
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:05 am
#81 Bouts:
non
sense
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:27 pm
#81 Bouts: What the hell are you talking about? Please point out the 2 tries Cheetahs deserved that weren’t awarded.
As for people blaming the ref for the Cheetahs’ loss, please take of your blinders. He made mistakes both ways, 3 tries went to the Cheetahs that shouldn’t have. I cannot remember the exact chronological order so please bear with me:
1. 5 meter scrum given to Cheetahs for Spies kicking ball over the dead line – the ref missed the fact that Spies was tackled early, which gave him no option but to try to kick the ball out. Should have been a penalty against the Cheetahs, however they were awarded a 5 meter scrum which lead to a try.
2. Bulls turned over the ball on their own tryline, however Potgieter and another Cheetah went offside and caught FdP with the ball. Again, should have been a penalty against the Cheetahs, however they were awarded a 5 meter scrum which lead to a try.
3. This one is probably the most shocking of all. Scrum time in Bulls half, Cheetahs outscrummed the Bulls, but the Bulls pick-up and drive and go to ground, a ruck is formed by two Bulls players over the one on the ground. The Cheetahs manage to clear both the supporting Bulls players out whereafter a Cheetah player picks up the ball after joining the ruck from the Bulls side of play, and this sets up Breedt’s try. That is clearly joining a ruck from the wrong side as the ruck had been formed already, so the Cheetah player should have come through the proverbial ‘gates’. Again, try awarded where penalty should’ve been given.
So both teams had a bit of a problem with the ref, not only the Cheetahs.