[ad_1]
14 men Bulls snatched a 22-20 conquer Western Province in its Currie Cup meeting in Newlands on Saturday night.
Marco Jansen van Vuren’s last try was decisive, as the Pretoria men achieved a victory that seemed unlikely when prop Jacques van rooyen received a red card early in the second half.
AS A STEP: WP v Bulls
Van Vuren, who was behind 20-15 in the later stages, received a flyhalf cross kick Chris smith score in the corner, with Smith fitting the conversion from the outside to seal a memorable victory.
Both teams scored three tries, but in the end it was Smith’s boot that made the difference, with the home’s kickers struggling in windy conditions.
The Bulls were first on the scoreboard in the eighth minute when thrilling winger Kurt-Lee Arendse swung around the corner after a major midfield break from center Cornal Hendricks.
Damian Willemse, the Western Province midfielder, put him on the scoreboard with an easy 15th-minute penalty attempt. The hosts continued to investigate and were unlucky enough not to go ahead when Willemse missed penalty attempts in the 15th minute. minutes 20 and 23. That frustration continued when winger Angelo Davids dropped the ball with an open goal line in front of him in the 25th minute.
But WP kept investigating and their efforts paid off when No.8 Juarno Augustus burst in to try in the 32nd minute after a concerted period of attack.
Willem converted to put WP ahead 10-5 in the 33rd minute.
Bulls center Smith missed a relatively easy penalty in the 35th minute as the teams entered halftime with WP leading 10-5.
They fully deserved their advantage, having enjoyed 62% possession and 65% territory in the first stanza.
The Bulls were first on the scoreboard in the second half when Smith made a long-range effort to put two points at his side (10-8).
The visitors took a heavy blow in the 47th minute when Van Rooyen received a red card for a dangerous late tackle on WP Warrick Gelant’s fullback.
Television match official Rasta Rasivhenge initially suggested a yellow card, but referee AJ Jacobs overturned the decision, saying there were no mitigating factors as Van Rooyen’s strike was high, armless and late.
WP extended their lead in the 59th minute when sprinter Angelo Davids ran into the corner after taking a smart kick behind Willemse’s defense. It started when replacement running back Ruhan Nel intercepted a pass from the Bulls in the WP 22m area.
Willemse missed the difficult conversion attempt with a whirlwind, but WP was ahead 15-8 in the fourth quarter.
But the Bulls refused to lie down and kept investigating near WP’s test line. Her efforts paid off when Arendse passed for her second attempt in the 68th minute.
Smith made an easy conversion attempt to even things out at 15-15 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
But the response from the hosts was overwhelming, with winger Ernst van Rhyn jumping into the corner in the 70th minute to regain the lead. It came after an enterprising play by Nel in midfield.
Replacement midfielder Tim Swiel failed to convert, but WP was ahead 20-15 with nine minutes to go.
The home team had a chance to extend their lead when prop Steven Kitshoff won a penalty on the ground. But they chose not to kick for goal, with Swiel setting up an attacking lineout near the Bulls’ goal line.
WP failed to win his own lineout ball and the Bulls were allowed to breathe.
Moments later, the Bulls were hot on the attack after Smith’s sniper break from within his own half. The visitors then earned a penalty and set up an attacking lineout close to the WP test line.
The Bulls were rewarded for their relentless pressure when Jansen van Vuren went to the corner after taking a clever cross shot from Smith.
Smith proved himself the hero when he converted from the corner to put the Bulls ahead with two minutes to go.
WP had one last chance to score, but couldn’t hold onto the ball as the Bulls scored a memorable victory.
Scorers:
WP
Attempts: Juarno Augustus, Angelo Davids, Ernst van Rhyn
Conversion: Damian Willemse
Penalty: Willemse
Bulls
Attempts: Kurt-Lee Arendse (2), Marco Jansen van Vuren
Penalty: Chris Smith
Conversions: Smith (2)
Equipment:
Western Province
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Substitutes (from): 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Kwenzo Blose, 19 Neethling Fouche, 20 David Meihuizen, 21 Chris van Zyl, 22 Jaco Coetzee, 23 Marcel Theunissen, 24 Godlen Masimla, 25 Tim Swiel, 26 Ruhan Nel
Bulls
15 David Kriel, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Arno Botha, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje , 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jacques van Rooyen
Substitutes: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Sintu Manjezi, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Clinton Swart, 23 Marco Jansen van Vuren
