The Vodacom Bulls scored the first four-try bonus point of the season on local soil in Bloemfontein on Saturday as they beat the Toyota Cheetahs 51-19 to move to the top of the table after two weeks of Vodacom Super Rugby action.
In the process, Springbok flyhalf Morné Steyn followed in the footsteps of Dan Carter and Stirling Mortlock to become the first South African and third player overall to reach 1 000 Vodacom Super Rugby points.
Also on Saturday, the DHL Stormers kept The Sharks tryless for a third successive game and even though they also failed to cross the tryline, the team from Cape Town still won this coastal derby, 15-12, at DHL Newlands.
On Friday evening in Johannesburg, a late Hurricanes penalty goal broke the MTN Lions’ hearts as the visitors from New Zealand left South Africa on the back of a 30-28 victory. Both teams scored three tries each.
Note: By clicking on the score-lines below, you will be routed to the statistical breakdown for that specific match on www.sarugby.co.za, where team line-ups, replacements and run of play can be found.
Toyota Cheetahs 19 Vodacom Bulls 51
Despite finishing the game with only 13 players, the Vodacom Bulls outscored the Toyota Cheetahs by six tries to one at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein to record the first four-try bonus point on South African soil of the 2012-season.
It was the second biggest victory for the Vodacom Bulls over their opponents from Bloemfontein. The biggest of their eight wins over the Toyota Cheetahs came in the Free State capital in 2008, when the team from Pretoria won by 60-20. In 2010 the Bulls also scored 51 points, but then they conceded 34.
The Vodacom Bulls were ahead by 31-12 at the break and built their victory on a massive forward onslaught. Both props, Dean Greyling and Werner Kruger, scored tries, while fullback Zane Kirchner crossed for a brace.
In the second half, scrumhalf Francois Hougaard was sent off with a red card for a tip tackle and flanker Jacques Potgieter got a yellow card for a shoulder charge, but that did not break the Vodacom Bulls’ momentum.
Bulls flyhalf Morné Steyn contributed 21 points, which saw him become the first South African and third player overall to reach 1 000 Vodacom Super Rugby points. The Bok pivot is now on 1 012 points.
Scorers:
Toyota Cheetahs – Try: Adriaan Strauss. Conversion: Johan Goosen. Penalty goals: Goosen (4).
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Dean Greyling, Werner Kruger, Bjorn Basson, Zane Kirchner (2), JJ Engelbrecht. Conversions: Morné Steyn (6). Penalty goals: Steyn (3).
MTN Lions 28 Hurricanes 30
DHL Stormers 15 The Sharks 12
Other results – Round 2:
Chiefs 29 Blues 14 (Hamilton)
Rebels 19 Waratahs 35 (Sydney)
Highlanders 27 Crusaders 25 (Dunedin)
Reds 35 Force 20 (Brisbane)
Vodacom Super Rugby Logs –
Round 2
Combined Log
|
Pos
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
PF
|
PA
|
PD
|
TF
|
TA
|
BPts
|
Pts
|
|
1
|
Vodacom Bulls
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
69
|
32
|
37
|
6
|
2
|
1
|
9
|
|
2
|
Reds
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
60
|
41
|
19
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
8
|
|
3
|
Highlanders
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
50
|
43
|
7
|
5
|
3
|
0
|
8
|
|
4
|
DHL Stormers
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
54
|
38
|
16
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
8
|
|
5
|
Brumbies
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
19
|
17
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
8
|
|
6
|
Waratahs
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
56
|
44
|
12
|
6
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
|
7
|
Chiefs
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
48
|
37
|
11
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
6
|
|
8
|
MTN Lions
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
55
|
55
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
|
9
|
Crusaders
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
43
|
45
|
-2
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
5
|
|
10
|
Hurricanes
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
56
|
67
|
-11
|
5
|
6
|
0
|
4
|
|
11
|
Rebels
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
19
|
35
|
-16
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
|
12
|
Sharks
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
25
|
33
|
-8
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
|
13
|
Blues
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
32
|
48
|
-16
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
1
|
|
14
|
Force
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
37
|
54
|
-17
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
|
15
|
Toyota Cheetahs
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
44
|
78
|
-34
|
2
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
South African Conference
|
Pos
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
PF
|
PA
|
PD
|
TF
|
TA
|
BPts
|
Pts
|
|
1
|
Vodacom Bulls
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
69
|
32
|
37
|
6
|
2
|
1
|
9
|
|
2
|
DHL Stormers
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
54
|
38
|
16
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
8
|
|
3
|
MTN Lions
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
55
|
55
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
|
4
|
The Sharks
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
25
|
33
|
-8
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
|
5
|
Toyota Cheetahs
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
44
|
78
|
-34
|
2
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
New Zealand Conference
|
Pos
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
PF
|
PA
|
PD
|
TF
|
TA
|
BPts
|
Pts
|
|
1
|
Highlanders
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
50
|
43
|
7
|
5
|
3
|
0
|
8
|
|
2
|
Chiefs
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
48
|
37
|
11
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
6
|
|
3
|
Crusaders
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
43
|
45
|
-2
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
5
|
|
4
|
Hurricanes
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
56
|
67
|
-11
|
5
|
6
|
0
|
4
|
|
5
|
Blues
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
32
|
48
|
-16
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
1
|
Australian Conference
|
Pos
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
PF
|
PA
|
PD
|
TF
|
TA
|
BPts
|
Pts
|
|
1
|
Reds
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
60
|
41
|
19
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
8
|
|
2
|
Brumbies
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
19
|
17
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
8
|
|
3
|
Waratahs
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
56
|
44
|
12
|
6
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
|
4
|
Rebels
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
19
|
35
|
-16
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
|
5
|
Force
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
37
|
54
|
-17
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
Top points’ scorers – Round 2
|
Player
|
Team
|
Tries
|
Conv
|
Pen
|
Drops
|
Tot
|
|
Mike Harris
|
Reds
|
0
|
3
|
13
|
0
|
45
|
|
Morné Steyn
|
Vodacom Bulls
|
0
|
6
|
8
|
1
|
39
|
|
Elton Jantjies
|
MTN Lions
|
0
|
2
|
11
|
0
|
37
|
|
Beauden Barrett
|
Hurricanes
|
1
|
2
|
9
|
0
|
36
|
|
Johan Goosen
|
Toyota Cheetahs
|
0
|
2
|
9
|
1
|
34
|
|
James Stannard
|
Force
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
0
|
32
|
|
Johan Pietersen
|
DHL Stormers
|
0
|
3
|
8
|
0
|
30
|
|
Tyler Bleyendaal
|
Crusaders
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
0
|
28
|
|
Aaron Cruden
|
Chiefs
|
0
|
4
|
5
|
0
|
23
|
|
Daniel Halangahu
|
Waratahs
|
0
|
4
|
5
|
0
|
23
|
|
Patrick Lambie
|
The Sharks
|
0
|
1
|
6
|
0
|
20
|
|
Michael Hobbs
|
Blues
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
0
|
17
|
|
James O`Connor
|
Rebels
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
14
|
|
Chris Noakes
|
Highlanders
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
13
|
|
Lima Sopoaga
|
Highlanders
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
12
|