TSHWANE, October 15 (ANA) – The Blue Bulls timed their victory effort to perfection with a match winning try to run out deserved 36-30 victors over Western Province in a pulsating Currie Cup semifinal at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, on Saturday evening.
Right at the death, the Bulls overturned a 30-29 deficit with a converted try to deny WP and in doing so advanced to the 2016 Currie Cup final in Bloemfontein next week where the hosts, the unbeaten Free State Cheetahs lie in wait.
Both sides managed three converted tries but in the end the golden boot of Bulls flyhalf Tian Schoeman made the difference with a faultless display from the kicking tee as he landed five penalties.
The Bulls sounded an ominous warning in the fourth minute when a deft punt to touch by Schoeman saw WP lose the ensuing line-out and it required a try-saving tackle from centre Juan de Jongh to thwart the try-scoring effort. However, five minutes later the Bulls’ pressure took its toll out wide and rightwing Travis Ismaiel ran in unchallenged for the opening try.
Schoeman added the extras for a 7-0 lead.
Once WP absorbed another pressure spell they transferred play to the opposite of the field and despite two line-outs in the Bulls’ 22m area were unable to use the platform to their advantage. But they turned things around at a 15th-minute line-out when they set off on a maul that drove the Bulls back for some 20 metres before their eighth man Nazeem Carr secured the touchdown. Flyhalf Robert du Preez converted to level scores at 7-all.
Schoeman punished a high tackle offence by Carr when he struck a 30m penalty and the Bulls regained the lead in the 23rd minute (10-7).
The Bulls continued to hold the upper hand as they were the winning the breakdown battles and their forwards and backs were dovetailing splendidly on a wave of attacks upfield. Their next reward came via another Schoeman penalty after a WP conceded a scrum penalty (13-7).
In the final four minutes of the first half, each side was punished for breakdown infringements and Schoeman and Du Preez rifled their attempts through the posts to advance the scoreboard to 16-10, giving the hosts a 6-point lead at the break.
The Bulls just about deserved the lead at the break given their territorial and possession advantage which they used to good effect although their efforts were helped along by a shaky WP defence.
A mere 20 seconds into the second half, Du Preez reduced the deficit with a penalty after the Bulls were penalised for a breakdown infringement virtually under their posts (16-13).
WP thwarted a fine response by the Bulls who were brought down some seven metres from the tryline but while waging valiant defence they went offside and Schoeman was on hand to convert the 45th-minute penalty to reopen a six point lead at 19-13.
At this stage the Bulls were rampant and a further looked imminent until WP captain Chris van Zyl pulled off an interception and the penetrative counter-attack ended with rightwing Werner Kok dotting down under the posts to crown a stunning team effort. Du Preez’s conversion gave WP the lead for the first time in the match in the 49th minute (20-19).
The lead was short-lived however as WP were blown up for obstruction close to the halftime and Schoeman restored the lead with a penalty in the 54th minute (22-20).
The ding-dong scoring persisted moments later when WP worked the ball wide from a failed maul five minutes from the tryline and lock Jan de Klerk bulldozed by way over for a converted try for a five-point lead (27-22).
This setback brought the best out of the Bulls and their leftwing Jamba Ulengo tore down the WP defence out wide before he was brought down some five metres from the tryline. A few pick and go’s later the Bulls were rewarded with a converted try through substitute Jason Jenkins and they were back in the lead at 29-27, with 11 minutes’ playing time left.
Rather dramatically the lead changed four minutes later when the Bulls were penalised for offside and Du Preez struck from 25m out to give WP a one-point lead (30-29).
WP heroically – for the moment at least – secured a turnover on their tryline as the Bulls waged one last desperate to snatch a last-gasp victory but two minutes from the end, replacement Ivan van Zyl miraculously crashed over for a matchwinning try which Schoeman converted to give the Bulls the green light to the 2016 Currie Cup final (36-30).
Scorers: Blue Bulls 36 (16): Tries: Travis Ismaiel, Jason Jenkins, Ivan van Zyl. Conversions: Tian Schoeman (3). Penalties: Schoeman (5)
Western Province 30 (10): Tries: Nizaam Carr, Werner Kok, Jan de Klerk. Conversions: Robert du Preez (3). Penalties: Du Preez (3) – African News Agency (ANA)
