The Vodacom Bulls are back at the Top of the South African Conference, taking over from the DHL Stormers who came up short in Bloemfontein on an exhilarating Saturday of Vodacom Super Rugby.
The weekend started on a disappointing note for the Cell C Sharks in Dunedin though. After a solid start for the visitors, the Highlanders turned on the heat and eventually beat the Durbanites by 48 / 15 in their opening tour match Down Under.
Saturday saw 2 cracking local derbies, both won by the home teams.
1st Up, the Toyota Cheetahs caused a minor upset when they won their 3rd successive home game against the DHL Stormers in Bloemfontein, by 25 / 17.
The home team outscored the visitors by 3 tries to 2 and thoroughly deserved their 4th win of the season. It was also only the 3rd time in 14 matches that the DHL Stormers could not score any Log Points against the Toyota Cheetahs.
The final match of the weekend was a proper humdinger in Pretoria, where the Vodacom Bulls beat their neighbours, the Emirates Lions, by 35 / 33. A total of 7 tries were scored as both sides went hammer and tongs against each other for the full 80 minutes.
Highlanders (24 48 / 15 (10) Cell C Sharks:
The Cell C Sharks started their tour of Australasia on a losing note when they were beaten 48 / 15 by a determined Highlanders side at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Friday morning.
30 Minutes into this fixture, the scores were still level at 10 / 10, each side having scored a try, with Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira burrowing his way over for the visitors.
But 2 tries late in the 1st half gave the home side a 14-point gap at the break. The Highlanders capitalised on this lead in the 2nd half with some great skills coupled with too many mistakes by the Cell C Sharks as they crossed for 4 more tries.
The KwaZulu-Natalians got a 2nd try when Bismarck du Plessis went over with less than 10 minutes to go on the clock, but by then it was game over in the deep south of New Zealand.
Scorers:
Highlanders:
- Tries: Gareth Evans (1), Waisake Naholo (1), Patrick Osborne (1), Mark Reddish (1), Aaron Smith (1), Brendon Edmonds (1), Elliot Dixon (1)
- Conversions: Lima Sopoaga (5)
- Penalties: Lima Sopoaga (1)
Cell C Sharks:
- Tries: Tendai Mtawarira (1), Bismarck du Plessis (1)
- Conversions: Fred Zeilinga (1)
- Penalties: Fred Zeilinga (1)
Toyota Cheetahs (18) 25 / 17 (10) DHL Stormers:
The Toyota Cheetahs scored a memorable 25 / 17 victory over the DHL Stormers at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon, capping off a fine showing by outscoring the Capetonians by 3 tries to 2.
It was a typically tough South African derby and the result was in the balance until Clayton Blommetjies cut through the DHL Stormers’ defence in the 70th minute to put his side up by 8 points.
Shortly before that, DHL Stormers replacement flyhalf Kurt Coleman missed 2 penalty attempts, which could’ve seen the match pan out differently. He also pulled wide an attempt at the death which cost his side a valuable bonus-point.
In the end the Toyota Cheetahs deserved this win. They started the match strongly and led 18 / 3 after 25 minutes thanks to tries by Michael van der Spuy and Rayno Benjamin, and Joe Pietersen’s boot. The DHL Stormers closed the gap to only 8 points when Dillyn Leyds went over for a converted try.
With just over 20 minutes to go, it was 18 / 17 thanks to a converted try by DHL Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen, but 15 minutes later Blommetjies sealed the win for the home side.
Scorers:
Toyota Cheetahs:
- Tries: Michael van der Spuy (1), Rayno Benjamin (1), Clayton Blommetjies (1)
- Conversions: Joe Pietersen (2)
- Penalties: Joe Pietersen (2)
DHL Stormers:
- Tries: Dillyn Leyds (1), Duane Vermeulen (1)
- Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (1), Kurt Coleman (1)
- Penalties: Demetri Catrakilis (1)
Vodacom Bulls (25) 35 / 33 (13) Emirates Lions:
The Vodacom Bulls had to withstand a superb 2nd-half fight-back by the Emirates Lions, but in the end the men from Pretoria had enough in the tank as they won this nail-biting Jukskei derby by 35 / 33 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening.
The home team scored 3 tries in 1st half, 2 of them going to Piet van Zyl in the 1st 10 minutes. The Vodacom Bulls started like a house on fire and almost had their 4th try in the bag before the break.
But the Emirates Lions had different plans after the break and came out firing in the 2nd half. The visitors, whose 1st try was scored by Faf de Klerk, played great rugby and turned the halftime deficit into a 1-point lead (26 / 25) within 15 minutes of the break.
The home team took back the lead thanks to a wide-awake quick tap from a penalty and also converted try by Pierre Spies, while Handré Pollard’s 3rd penalty goal increased the Vodacom Bulls’ lead to 9 points with 5 minutes left.
Yet again the Emirates Lions fought back, this time through a great converted try by Jaco Kriel, but in the end it wasn’t enough as the Vodacom Bulls, buoyed by a very strong defensive performance and solid work in the lineouts, outlasted their neighbours, who played with their usual attacking freedom, built on a very strong scrum.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls:
- Tries: Piet van Zyl (2), JJ Engelbrecht (1), Pierre Spies (1)
- Conversions: Handré Pollard (3)
- Penalties: Handré Pollard (3)
Emirates Lions:
- Tries: Faf de Klerk (1), Jacques van Rooyen (1), Jaco Kriel (1)
- Conversions: Elton Jantjies (3)
- Penalties: Elton Jantjies (4)
Not all related to this but not good news from rugby league where a game had to be abandoned this afternoon in a League 1 game between Keighley Cougars and London Skolars as Keighley player Danny Jones suffered a cardiac arrest and air ambulance came out to resuscitate him. He is in hospital now but it is not clear how he is doing. Hope Jones pulls through this ok.
1 @ Bullscot:
Ahh no just confirmed now that Danny Jones has passed away after suffering cardiac arrest during the match this afternoon. RIP Danny Jones, condolences to his family and all other close to him.
Danny Jones was 29 years old, and represented Wales in rugby league making 11 appearances for them. Sad to hear someone so young has passed away.
@ Bullscot:
Very sad news
klink my draka snotske gaan gefire word
@ smallies:
nogals ironies na die laaste twee naweke se uitstekende wedstryde… Hulle moet Franco eers die Currie Cup gee in my opinie en hom nie dadelik in die diep kant ingooi nie.
@ MacroBull:
hy het treviso vir n hele paar jaar in die heineken cup af gerig so hy ken van groot kompetiesies,maar soos ek die ding lees vat hy oor as cc afrigter en volgende jaar sr afrigter
@ smallies:
Ja hy was mos lank daar gewees… maar ek dink in italie was nog minder in die limelight as deur die varsity cup… dis maar groot pressure om ‘n super rugby span oor te vat, ek dink dis maar altyd beter as n ou “deur die sisteme” gaan, maar Franco het al n goeie grondslag by Shimlas.
Die Cheetahs moet maar nie oorhaastig wees nie.
I see that Brittney, Hooha, JJ, Akona and Stegmann are all leaving for Japan.
I wonder if any of them are huursoldate?
Does anyone else find it amazing how some Sharks Suporters on the interwebs are upset about John Smit’s mountain biking hobbie?
Does anyone have a problem with Thelo’s competitive ea… ah i cant say it 😳
All the other CEO’s must doing as little as possible to avoid the limelight… whoever they are.
Anyway whatever the Sharks do… I dont care… for this week I will really be… MacroShark…
Gooooo Sharks!
If they lose to the Hurricanes ill never ever support the Tjarks again
@ MacroSssss:
We all knew you are a closet Guppy, good to see you have finally come out of the closet…..I’m sure Pocock will be thrilled as well
@ nortie:
definetely not 😉 i’m hoping for a crusader like performance like last year to at least someone can peg back the Canes… I know its asking a lot though because I also picked the Canes to win the tournament at the start of the year 🙄
12 @ MacroSssss:
Massessehare Macro, are you sick or something, pull yourself together, china!
@ nortie:
Pocock?
Respect and tolerance.
Stormers should fear the Pocock 😉
@ grootblousmile:
haha ek se jou, jy gaat hulle dalk stilletjies ondersteun, maar jy gaan ook 😉
17 @ MacroSssss:
Ek dinkie so nie!
Jy’s darem nog ‘n Shark met ‘n BLOU rug… maar dit lyk nie vir my of jou Shark tande het nie…. hahaha
grootblousmile wrote:
Ek wou nou nie gehad het dat dit lyk of ek gat kruip nie. 😆
@ MacroSssss:
Anyway, I’m not allowed to further talk of or about the other coastal team, so I will leave you to offering them your support and to comment about them 😆
Good luck to your team against the Canes, I do think it will be closer than most will think….I changed my initial prediction from Canes by 26 to Canes by only 6 this morning
19 @ MacroSssss:
Wie wil ONS hê moet wen die naweek, die Stormers of die Brumbies, MoosaGuppie?
@ grootblousmile:
Brumbies natuurlik, Bulls kan nie bekostig dat die Stormers nog 4 log points kry nie.
Met die Conference system is dit elke man en elke span vir hulself
nortie wrote:
Ja maar as die Tjarks nie so kak sleg was nie 😆
@ grootblousmile:
Die Stommers sal seker die conference beker wen.
Canes
Stommers/Brumbies
Brumbies/stormers
Chiefs
Highlanders
Bulls/Lions
Ek dink die Bulls en Leeus sal verkies om Kaapstad toe te gaan eerder as Sydney.
23 @ MacroSssss:
Jy mag dit se 😆
Jy dink die Brumbies gaan die Waratahs uit hou?
Verstaan nie so lekker, jy se die Brumbies gaan die Aussie conference wen, maar praat van Bulle of Leeus sal eerder Sydney to gaan?
Ek dink nie die Brumbies gaan die Aus conference wen nie, dink die Tahs gaan
Wel nou as ek verder daaroor dink… as gevolg van die Cheetahs wat die stommers so gespyker het en as die Leeus die naweek wen teen die highlanders, dan kan hul moontlik die nuwe gunstelinge wees om bo die SA konferensie te eindig.
nortie wrote:
Jys reg, flip en vergeet Canbera is die hoofstad.
Ja die Brumbies toer nou SA en die Tahs is een punt agter met n game in die hand… Die Tahs lyk of hul dit gaan vat.
Ok ek hou by my oorspronklike punt 😀
“Ek dink die Bulls en Leeus sal verkies om Kaapstad toe te gaan eerder as Sydney.”
If the lions end first in SA and second on the table, they might face 2 weeks without a game… which would really suck for them.
Wie van julle wil graag die OPNAMES wat ek gemaak het van die Bulls en Lions preskonferensies na die game Saterdag hoor?
Wat duidelik uitgekom het uit die Bulls konferensie is dat Matfield baie diep betrokke is in die beplaning van “Shapes on attack”, die maak van goeie besluite en om vinnig weer op die voete te wees by die afbreekpunte…. en dat die Bulls op toer positiewe en aanvallende rugby wil en gaan speel.
Wat ek baie van gehou het van Johan Ackermann se hele benadering teenoor sy span, is hoe vierkantig hy agter hulle staan en hulle back met alles… dit maak duidelik van hulle ‘n gelukkige groep en passievolle span!
@ grootblousmile:
Webmonster, die load times is baie stadig vandag my maat.
29 @ MacroSssss:
Nie hier by my nie!
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