The Toyota Free State Cheetahs completed a fairytale story by lifting the 2016 Currie Cup with a convincing 36-16 (halftime 18-9) victory over the Vodacom Bllue Bulls at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
It was a frenetic match, dominated by the home side with a few fluttering attacks from the Bulls despite only three tries being scored between the two finalists. The first half was dominated by the boot with the Cheetahs flyhalf Niel Marais, slotting six penalties to the three from his opposite number, Tian Schoeman.
The back three of Clayton Blommetjies, Sergeal Petersen and Raymond Rhule gave the Bulls many anxious moments throughout the match with only some handling errors preventing the Cheetahs from scoring more than the two tries they managed.
Blommetjies and Rhule had two excellent breaks in the first 20 minutes but the moves broke down as their teammates failed to provide support or the final pass going forward from the hand. Marais opened the scoring in the fourth minute after the Bulls were penalised at ruck time. Schoeman leveled matters straight from the kickoff before left wing Jamba Ulengo was shown a yellow card for a professional foul after another scything break from Rhule. Marais slotted the resulting penalty to give the Free Staters a 6-3 lead.
Marais slotted another four penalties to the two from Schoeman as the teams headed into the changeroom with the Cheetahs leading by nine points.
Marais had a chance to extend the lead to 12 points at the start of the second stanza but pushed his effort wide before the Bulls came close to scoring the opening try. Outside centre Dries Swanepoel intercepted the ball with the Cheetahs on the attack and broke free, offloading to replacement scrumhalf, Piet van Zyl.
Van Zyl darted down the left hand touchline only to be hauled in and bundled into touch by Number 8, Neill Jordaan. The Cheetahs then worked their way up the field and were awarded a penalty which Marais converted to set a new record in a Currie Cup final, beating Pat Lambies previous record of six penalties.
The Cheetahs then put the game beyond doubt with 17 minutes left on the clock as Petersen intercepted a ball inside his own half after another break down the left by Van Zyl. The right wing darted down the righthand touchline before breaking inside, finding support from Conrad van Vuuren and and his captain, Francois Venter, who moved the ball to the left for Blommetjies to score in the corner. Fred Zeilinga, who replaced Marais, slotted the conversion from the lefthand touchline.
Zeilinga added another three points to extend the lead to 22 points after the Bulls were caught offsides with the Cheetahs running from every angle. But Van Zyl, who looked lively since he came onto the field, finally crossed the whitewash after the Bulls managed to find some ball possession and work their way into the Cheetahs 22m area.
A lineout was taken and the ball driven close to the line and then worked to the middle of the park. Van Zyl picked up at the base of the ruck, dummied to his left and then dived over for the Bulls' only try of the game. Replacement flyhalf, Joshua Stander added the two extra points in double-quick time but the Cheetahs had the final say.
Zeilinga broke down the middle of the field and fed Petersen, who ran to the lefthand corner to score to seal the game, despite Zeilinga missing the conversion, and seal their first title since 2007.
Scorers
Toyota Free State Cheetahs - Tries: Clayton Blommetjies, Sergeal Petersen; Conversions: Fred Zeilinga; Penalties: Niel Marais (7), Zeilinga.
Vodacom Blue Bulls - Tries: Piet van Zyl; Conversions: Joshua Stander; Penalties: Tian Schoeman (3).
Vir die Bulle - julle het vandag 5 jaar ouer geword manne. ons sal weer bo uitkom. Op die regte pad. Net vasbyt nou en hef aan vir volgende jaar. Ons het RG baie gemis soos verwagte, middleveld verdediging het ons gedrop vandag en Cheetahs se defense was baie goeed gewees - te goed vir ons. Ons het nog baie werk wat hier voorle.
Ek het regtig gedink ons staan n kans.
Soos Bloukaap se : Ons sal weer bo uitkom.
Odendaal's stupid decision not to pass to Ulengo with the score on 9-18 was the final nail in the coffin. I also had questions about the reserves - Piet van Zyl's passing was terrible and Rudy Paige was dismal too. (too slow). He got the ball away from kicks but we were stuck from him. Cheetahs' ability to hold on the ball was the sign of a real champion side. Our loosies disappointed me a bit today. Cheetahs back three was awesome and killed us.
But hats off to Franco Smith who turned the Cheetahs around and established a new era for them.
As for Nollis, this was quite a big score, but you took the Bulls to their first final in 7 years.
Nollis en afrigters, dankie, ons het die finaal gehaal en dit lyk beter.
Maar vandag was 'n teleurstelling, ons was eintlik nooit in die game nie. Cheetahs was die groot gunstelinge maar ek het gehoop ons sou 'n baie beter geveg opsit.
Hopelik sal ons eerlik die foute raaksien en hard daaraan werk. Groot klem op fiksheid en balvaardighede vir die toekoms.
Volgende jaar moet ons sorg dat ons nr.1 eindig, finaal op Loftus. Rus goed uit vir 'n paar weke, en begin nou al beplan en werk na volgende jaar se finale.
Sterkte Bulle !
Bulle het baie karakter gewys om nie so ver te verloor as die leeus nie. Ek dink selfs NZ spanne sou teen hierdie vrystaat span gesukkel het.
Ons het dalk laat begin en is so jaar agter die vrystaat en 2 jaar agter die leeus, maar ons is vinnag besig om in te haal. Veels geluk bulle met 'n goeie seisoen en goeie vertoning hierdie jaar. Volgende jaar vat ons hom.
Ek was vandag weer by die stadion gewees en die atmosfeer was nogals lekker gewees. Nie so lekker soos 'n vol loftus nie, maar dit was die moeite werd om Bloem toe te gaan. Een crucial oomblik waar ek voel ons ons stempel moes afdruk was toe ons ogekeerde besit op ons doellyn gekry het met die telling op 6-3. Beyers kry die bal en hy klop toe een man toe moes hy net trek en pass en vir Travis langs die kantlyn af wegsit, maar hy besluit toe om die bal onder die arm te druk en toe word hy getackle. Die scrums was, maar bietjie morsig en ongelukkig voel ek dat die laaste strafskop wat die cheetahs gekry het voor halftyd het ons moed gebreek, want op daardie stadium was ons besig om terug te veg. Ons hantering was vandag ook glad nie op dreef nie wat ons van baie momentum ontneem het. Paige het te stadig die afbreek punte skoongemaak wat die cheethas kans gegee het om te hergroepeer. Vandag was net nie ons dag gewees nie en alle krediet aan die cheetahs. Ek dink Nollis hulle het ook 'n konserwatiewe gameplan gehad omdat hulle bang was vir die cheetahs se agterlyn wat ons foute kan uitbyt. Ons was ook te voorspelbaar met ons spel vanaf die breekpunte want die cheetahs het presies geweet wattervoorspelers die bal gaan ontvang so daar was altyd twee of drie verdedigers wat ons ontvanger gaan duik het. So ons sal meer afwisseling daar moet kry.
Daar is nog 'n hele paar dinge wat mens kan noem, maar ek voel ons het broodnodige ervaring gekry vandag en soos Bloukaap sê "ons manns is nou 5 jaar ouer". En dis nog 'n klomp jong ouens en ek dink hierdie verloor mag hulle dalk net motivering gee vir die toekoms (soos daai sigaar foto van ollie le roux die Bulle motivering gegee het om nooit weer teen die cheetahs te verloor nie vanaf 2006-2010 se kant). Ek is teleurgesteld, maar ek sien uit vir die toekoms. Lekker aand verder vir julle !
My Bloed Bly Blou !!
En na elke strafskop skop Tiaan die bal diep in hulle kele in, Wat het geword van vlak koppe waar mens ten minste die kans het om die bal terug te wen?
Powere vertoning deur die Bulle nie goed genoeg nie.
Darem nou 'n finaal maar my geduld raak stadig maar seker op.
HOU BY DIE BLOU MY VOLK!!!!!!!
In the end we only conceded 2 tries when I really thought the Cheetahs would outrun us with 6. So hats off to our scramble defense. The Cheetahs also did not execute well at times like they did against the Lions.
But the Bulls need to learn to keep composure and keep on doing what we did well this season. As said above, we panicked and started to kick posession away in great attacking situations or lost the ball at crucial times or even held on to the ball when there was space and men on the outside. The pressure and panick made us stumble and we started to distrust ourselves. This is unfortunately a learning curve for the players themselves and is not the coach's responsibility on the field.
So where was the Bulls last season this time?
We lost the semi at home. We were miles apart from the two top teams. We lost badly to WP twice as well as the Lions.
This year We progressed to the final, loosing against a very good Cheetah side. Our scrums improved 100%. Last year this time we did not even have proper tight heads.
Yesterday we were caught sleeping, with Reniel Hugo making us look like amateurs in the line outs (again on Arno's channel) and giving Sean Venter way too much space. That is where everything starts for the Cheetahs' attacking play. In allowing Venter too much space you allow the Cheetahs backline more line speed and they will bring in the rest of their attackers to confuse you.
The question off course is, if the CC was its usual 14 rounds, would the Cheetahs still be unbeaten? With saying that I am not taking away anything from Franco's men. He did a remarkable job. But modern rugby is a game where your opponents will figure you out and in a few months from now what seemed unstoppable back them, could actually get you stuck in the future. And injuries to key players could also hamper your dreams. The Cheetahs are now the new pacesetters but they will have to perform in the Superrugby tournament as well. And lets be honest, while we just missed out in the play offs, the Cheetahs was poor only 3 months ago.
The Bulls also did not have the luxury to field players like Jacques Potgieter, Ronaldo Bothma, RG Snyman, Jesse Kriel, Jan Serfontein, Warrick Galant, Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane and next year we will add Lood de Jager's name. And off course, our biggest King Pin, Handre Pollard. A total of 10 top internationals that was not in action yesterday.
Put all those aspects in perspective. The Bulls can only grow by learning the hard way. Next season will be even harder taking on the NZ sides, but that will improve our game and ability to respond to their type of game. People need to see the bigger picture and really ask themselves: have we progressed since 2015 or did we took a few steps back?
Ek hoor die mense praat nou van die Cheetahs wat AB rugby speel. Hulle speel miskien AB rugby MAAR die vraag is of hulle dit teen die NIeu Zeelandse spanne kan doen.
Soos BlueBulls uitgewys het die klomp spelers wat volgende jaar vir die Bulle beskikbaar gaan wees. Ons moet net onthou dat die Lions ook met n erg verswakte span teen die Cheetahs gespeel het. CC en Super Rugby is n groot verskil.
Weereens haal ek my hoed af vir die Cheetahs en wil niks wegneem van hul oorwinning nie. Met die beskikbare spelers het Franco uitstekend gedoen.
Nou vra ek myself af.......is Nollis die regte man vir die job. Ons het wel baie verbeter maar om in die finaal so te verloor was n bitter pil
Geluk Cheetahs wel verdiend
Nou ja die vraag is wie het basies "kop" verloor is dit Nollis of die spelers. Ons het so min bal besit gehad maar 90% wat ons gehad het was nogsteeds weggeskop? Is die die spelers of Nollis? Nollis indien die spelers moet hulle betaal daar voor jammer. Indien instruksie dat wys maar weeens die ou bulle style is nog lank nie weg nie
NOu bietjie oor die spelers
1) Arno Botha - ai ai ai hoeveel kanse soek die man nog. Hy lei eenvoudig nie soos n kaptein moet nie. Wil hande klap wanneer cheetash fout begaan en self vir Rhule op die kop getik na n aanslaan, maar sy spel is 10 keer swakker?
2) Kirsten - Tackle werk is goed maar word keer op keer vir so groot man terug geduik.De Jager goed gelyk
3) Visagie / Maku - Kort dringend n woelwater haker julle is eenvoudig nie goed genoeg nie
4) Orie en Jenkins - Goed in die seisoen tot in die finaal. Swak gewees
5) Paige - Skop skop skop
6) Pvz - drie gedruk maar direk daarna skop die bal eenvoudig doelloos weg
7) Schoeman - geen BMT nie
8) Odendaal - Die mees overrated speler. Suinig, na onderskep hardloop eenvoudig kant lyn i.p.v reguit. Drie broodnodig weggegooi. Miskien benodig ons Jan en Dries volgende jaar.
9) Beyers - bestendig maar gaan jou nie wedstryde wen nie
Maak Pollard asb kaptein volgende jaar.
NOu oor die bokke dis n jammer om spelers soos Strauss, Beast, Nyakane, Alberts, Adriaanse, Jannie Dup, Paige, Schoeman daar te sien en nie spelers soos Shaun Venter, Jordaan, Robbie Coetzee nie.
Geluk aan Swys, RG, Roelof en al die ander.
Mees eensydige final wat ek in my lewe gesien het. So bly my cheetah span het weer die CC gewen..
Haahahhahahh, lekker bulletjies...
Kirsten beteken niks
Ons het 30% bal dan skop jy dit weg , dit was regtig biae flou van Bulle
hoe kan hugo 2 of 3 keer selle trick doen in lynstaan ??
Arno of Hanro , nie een was goed nie
Snit wel done
Ek dink ook ons is op die regte pad.
Hopenlik is al ons top manne fiks vir Superrugby 2017!
AS manne soos RG, Lood, Jan, Pollard, Kriel , Ulengo net almal op vorm kan wees!
2017 promises to be a good season for the Bulls, and its supporters!! Looking forward to it with great anticipation.
Much has been talked about the Bulls loosies on the blog all season. This blog is no different. It is interesting that the consistent performances of Nic de Jager, comfortable at 6, 7 and 8, have not received due recognition. He is underrated as a player and his talents are wasted on the bench.
Congratulations to the players that earned places on the year-end tour. Well done guys!!
End of season greetings to all.