The only derby match of the weekend, and it’s an exciting one as well. The Bulls, fresh of a tasty seafood buffet at the Shark Tank, go home to face the Cheetahs, who themselves are on a healthy winning streak.
The Bulls have lost inspirational Fourie du Preez for the rest of the season and nearly had a crises at scrumhalf, but it was all in brushed aside as Francois Hougaard was passed fit to face the Cheetahs and play in his preferred position for the remainder of the season. The backline sees a liitle shuffle as Akona Ndungane takes over from Hougaard and Zane Kirchner is back at fullback in place of Gerhard van den Heever.
The Cheetahs will be relying on the Ebersohn twins who have been in full flight over the last few weeks, but one feels that this will be their toughest test especially away from home. Skipper Adriaan Strauss will have to have a storming game and motivate his charges to overcome the odds and pull off an outstanding fifth victory in a row.
The match kicks off at 19h10 and I predict a narrow victory for the Bulls.
Teams
Bulls : Zane Kirchner , Akona Ndungane , Jaco Pretorius, Wynand Olivier, Bjorn Basson , Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies , Dewald Potgieter , Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield (c), Bakkies Botha, Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Dean Greyling
Replacements: Gary Botha , Rossouw de Klerk , Flip van der Merwe , Danie Rossouw , Dustin Jinka, Francois Brummer (5), Gerhard van den Heever .
Cheetahs: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Riaan Smit, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Corne Uys, 11 Philip Snyman, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Davon Raubenheimer, 7 Ashley Johnson, 6 Kabamba Floors, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Reserves: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Lourens Adriaanse, 18 Izak van der Westhuizen/Hendrik Roodt, 19 Johan Wessels, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Naas Olivier, 22 Hennie Daniller.
Match Officials
Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Sindile Mayende (South Africa), Phillip Bosch (South Africa)
Television match official: Gerrie Coetzee(South Africa)
Tweet
Go Cheetahs!
@Ben (Comment 1) : 🙂
c’mon cheetahs!
So Blades reckons Jinka is on the bench because of FDP’s “demise”.
A fatal knee injury? Unusual… 🙄
Tjietaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhssssssssss
GO (anyone but the Bulls) 😛
Back on the fone, the pc giving me the jitters…
@Big Fish (Comment 4) : I Laughed at that as well 😀
Shoulfd be a great matchup, Francois Hougaard vs Sarel Pretorius.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 6) : 🙂
Bason try
Basson try.
I suppose it is better to shatter my illusions of the Cheetahs winning early on rather than late.
Steyn fluffs the conversion
Bulls 5 – 0 Cheetahs
4min
@franshark (Comment 11) :
Pffft: ask the lightweight if he smelled the octane as JPP burned him last week?
Bulls to bitch-slap the Cheetahs today. 😈
@McLovin (Comment 15) : by 21 points if I’m any good at SB 🙂
Floors off injured
Wessels on
Viljoen runs over Victoria 😯 😎
@Big Fish (Comment 14) : Pick JPP any day
Cheetahs not looking to badly. Bulls just soaking up the pressure though
@KSA Shark © (Comment 18) :
Zane Kirchner’s face irritates me!!! Is the feeling mutual to anyone?
Odwa in blue?….. Aikona
@Ben (Comment 22) : Actualy its more than just his face 🙂
@franshark (Comment 23) : 😛
@Ben (Comment 22) : I feel that way about Kuun and Stegmann
Bulls defending well…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 26) : Same with Meisiekind and Morne
Ebersohn fluffs it almost as bad as Steyn
Bulls 8 – 0 Cheetah
20min
Cheetahs haven’t pitched for this one.
@Ben (Comment 28) : not so much meisiekind
@KSA Shark © (Comment 31) : his just to blond
@KSA Shark © (Comment 31) : And then there is Victoria! 🙄
Great run by cheats
Cheetahs looking good until Johnson tries a skip pass and it gets dropped.
I call a try here.
@Ben (Comment 33) : it that long wet hair, must be uncomfortable
24 minutes before the 1st scrum???????????????
@KSA Shark © (Comment 38) : no sharks on the field
@Ben (Comment 36) : Never mind! 😉
@Ben (Comment 33) : his face looks like a bicycle pedal. I just want to step on it all the time.
@Ben (Comment 40) : 😛
@Ben (Comment 33) : are u gonna name all the bulls now 🙂
Ndungane saves a certain try with a cover tackle.
Cheetahs still looking good
@KSA Shark © (Comment 41) : It looks like a cricket ball to me. Just want to hit his head out of the park! 🙂
@franshark (Comment 43) : cause then I agree 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 44) : just not getting past that important piece off white line
@franshark (Comment 43) : The whole team looks like a bunch of ants. Just want to squish the whole team with one step! 🙂
Cheetahs have spent the week trying to find ways of making sure Victoria doesn’t take their LO ball.
Doing anything and everything to try and retain their ball. Quick throws, #9 coming in, 3 man LO with a difference…….
Still
Bulls 8 – 0 Cheetahs
29 minutes
@franshark (Comment 46) : Mutual! 😉
Well called Mark Lawrence. #1 broke off the front of the maul.
Lots of hating guys. Is it necessary?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 52) : And then at the scrum #1 goes down and gets penalised.
Cheetahs go for LO
@Ben (Comment 48) : thought so 😆
@robdylan (Comment 53) : not necessary but entertaining 😉
@robdylan (Comment 53) : sorry rob, still hurting from last week 🙁
@KSA Shark © (Comment 56) : lekke 😆
Steyn slots a PK
Bulls 11 – 0 Cheetahs
33min
@robdylan (Comment 53) : not hating, just not love either
Nice slip of the tackle by Ebersohn there but the pass was forward 🙁
missed by Lawrence 🙂
Sevens Full Time
SA 19 – 5 Aus
I just think that any non-Sharks fan who were to read this would think we are just as bad as all the other rugby sites… Doesn’t make me particularly proud
Cheetahs really trying to keep on passing and not doing the bashing as the sharks do too much off
I would love to see that hal time stat for 5 phases plus from the cheetahs. Will be quite a few IMO.
@robdylan (Comment 63) : Sorry Robbo, were just kidding around.
@Ben (Comment 62) : ag man ben, taped it to watch nou nou,
@franshark (Comment 67) : Lol, sorry I pooped you party there. 🙂
HALF TIME
Bulls 11 – 0 Cheetahs
@Ben (Comment 68) : no worries, GO bokke!!! Love it when they beat the Ausies
It’s cool guys. Just imagine how you would react if guys wrote stuff like that about Sharks players…
I’ll be happy if the Bulls don’t get a bonus here. Not convinced that a cheetahs win is possiible
@robdylan (Comment 72) : Cheetahs not finishing great moves, bulls not good in 2nd halfs this season…
Steyn playing better with every week
Half time stats
Handling Errors
Bulls 2
Cheetahs 5
Turnovers Conceded
Bulls 2
Cheetahs 8
Penalties conceded
Bulls 4
Cheetahs 5
Free Kicks Conceded
Bulls 0
Cheetahs 2
Tackles made
Bulls 48
Cheetahs 48
Tackles missed
Bulls 5
Cheetahs 5
Possesion
Bulls 54
Cheetahs 46
Territory
54% played in the Bulls half
46% played in the Cheetahs half
@robdylan (Comment 63) : Rob, I’ve always maintained that the sharks have supporters who equal or better the worse of any other franchise 😯 Pity, but true & then it irritates the BLUE blazes when some wants to take the high road and bluff themselves into believing ALL shark suporters are great. 😉
Anyway, enjoy – I’ve a game to watch.
@diablo (Comment 76) : not all but most 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 72) : It might just be on still.
i’m hoping.
Cheetahs Butcher a Try IMO (TWICE)
WP knocks on tryline
4 man overlap and Sarel pretorius still stops them. 😯
Great defence sarel
Super Sarel!! Who do u think is winning the Hougaard vs Sarel comp?
Adriaan should have passed.
@Mocho (Comment 84) : Sarel IMO, but Hougaard’s team is winning 🙁
@Mocho (Comment 84) : Has to be Hougaard BUT only because the Bulls forwards are dominating.
Yessssss!!!!!! AJ!!!!!!
Ashley Johnson TRY!!!!!!!!!
Ashley score’sssss
Wynie Strydom shops at my Spar. 😕
Conversion from the corner over, after miss two sitters earlier???????????
Bulls 11 – 7 Cheetahs
52min
Great conversion. Cheetahs back in it.
@klempie (Comment 91) : Does your Spar sell Brandy by the Case?
@Ben (Comment 88) : Ben in 3 weeks time we’re part off that noise 🙂
Kirchner has a brain fart. Had a 2 man overlap! 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 94) : Wouldn’t know. 😛
Olivier throws a punch on Ebersohn. 😳
Who will be playing center against us next week? 😛
@KSA Shark © (Comment 94) : 🙂
@franshark (Comment 95) : Can’t wait. Its going to be awesome!!!!!!!!
@diablo (Comment 76) : I’m under no illusions that all Sharks supporters are wonderful. But really like to think that the ones we have here are the best of the breed
@KSA Shark © (Comment 98) : Huh?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 98) : A punch is only cite-worthy if a saffa punches a kiwi/aussie. 😈
@KSA Shark © (Comment 98) : Sorry not next week.
he’ll probably be back by the time we play in 3 weeks time.
Rossouw Try!!!!!!!
Damnit!!
@McLovin (Comment 103) : 🙂
Steyn slots the conversion
Bulls 18 – 7 Cheetahs
57min
@McLovin (Comment 103) :
Oh man, Daniller skinned on the outside by Daniesaurus! 😆
Cheetahs can’t seem to get out of Danie’s way quick enough. 😆
@robdylan (Comment 101) :
I think that’s fair. And I agree with your earlier sentiments, Robbo.
Pakslae is having a great season. Seems to be peaking just at the same time Alberts started to struggle
@Ben (Comment 100) : just listen to that bulls crowd, we gonna have to take our a game there…
Rossouw TRY again
Danie 2nd
3rd try for the Bulls.
@Big Fish (Comment 112) : maybe I’m just overreacting as usual.
@robdylan (Comment 113) :
He has been there and done that for Bulls and Bokke – a must for the WC.
@franshark (Comment 114) : what does our A game look like? 🙂 haven’t seen it in 2011
@McLovin (Comment 111) : They did a better job of it there! 🙂
Ashley Johnson outruns Basson. Mwahahahahahahaha 🙂
Johnson TRY
@robdylan (Comment 120) : I was actually talking about we as supporters….
Yes onother try. Hopefully!
Conversion Over
Bulls 25 – 14 Cheetahs
66min
Daniller TRY but being refered to the TMO.
Damn that was close.
@robdylan (Comment 118) :
Don’t think so – but you now my feelings on this.
JUST ON the touch line
@franshark (Comment 124) : ah yes. I have full faith in you guys!
Cheetahs doing much better with only 14 men on the field.
3 tries to the Bulls?
@Ben (Comment 122) :
Johnson is a phenom!
Basson got burnt and then handed-off: can’t feel nice that.
I am not really surprised by the Yellow to Ooosthuizen he is the leading offender in the Super 15.
BEFORE this game and he conceded at least 2 in this game.
Most Penalties Conceded
1. Coenrad Oosthuizen (Cheetahs) 24
2. Greg Somerville (Rebels) 18
3. Beast Mtawarira (Sharks) 16
3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies) 16
3. Deon Stegmann (Bulls) 16
3. Francois Louw (Stormers) 16
7. Jarrad Hoeata (Highlanders) 15
7. Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders) 15
9. JC Janse Van Rensburg (Lions) 14
10. Adam Thomson (Highlanders) 13
@Big Fish (Comment 134) : Yup I rate him. Awesome try.
@klempie (Comment 133) : yes
@KSA Shark © (Comment 135) : ouch beast
@Big Fish (Comment 134) : All that with what must be a terrible drag coefficient created by that mop on his head.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 135) : Wow Coenie making that No.1 spot his own.
Score?
25-14
Yellow for Steggman! 🙂
Stegmann YC for coming in the side and playing the ball at a ruck
EBERSHON!!! 1 minute left!!
Ebersohn TRY!!!
Sias scores! 25 21 with 1 min left. Come on Cheetahs!
Conversion Over
Bulls 25 – 21 Cheetahs
79min
Converted!!
BUlls 25 – 21 Cheetahs.
79 mins.
Siren goes.
Hooter goes and Ebersohn knocks on.
Bulls run it
Both teams trying to score in injury time.
Yay, the bulls won.
Bulls almost score!!
5m penalty!
Bulls PK 5m from Cheetahs line.
81:31 on the clock
@Lyndy_in_Mtl (Comment 153) : 😯
SHIT!! 👿
Hougaard TRY BP!!!!!!!!!
Shit Hougaard scores the BP try!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 158) : aah man….
Well done Bulls. 🙂
Excellent result for them. 😎
Good effort Cheetas: well done Bulls!
Steyn converts
FULL TIME
Bulls 32 – 21 Cheetahs
@klempie (Comment 156) : What? I picked them to win the in t suprebru pool.
Congrats Bulle.
@Lyndy_in_Mtl (Comment 153) : Hey young lady. Long time?
Oh and the Highlanders lost 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 166) : Hands off! 👿
@KSA Shark © (Comment 166) : Omigosh, I know. I am very sad about that. How are you KSA?
Okay now for the Champions League final.
@Lyndy_in_Mtl (Comment 168) : Going strong.
looking forward to 4 weeks in SA over August. 😎
@klempie (Comment 167) : Bwhahahahahahahaha
@Lyndy_in_Mtl (Comment 168) : You still coming to visit in August?
Actually, I have been thinking about heading to Hawaii instead to visit a friend.
@Lyndy_in_Mtl (Comment 172) : Hawaiiiii NICE!!!!!!
I’ll get there Onnnnnnnnee Day.
Also, a little jaunt down to Las Vegas and Utah to visit family.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 171) : 😈
yo klemp.
@Lyndy_in_Mtl (Comment 176) : I’m online if ya wanna chat. 😎
Um, no you aren’t. You offline.
wait… where are you?
Somebody please explain,my dad just told me that at a crucial part at the end bakkies came on for a maul th and Danie went of but it was not for blood.Bakkies was he subbed before that and just subbed Danie again.I did not watch.
@Honey Badger (Comment 180) : I had the same concern. Then I watched the replay (PVR you good thing)
Flip vd Merwe went off for blood and Bakkies came back on. There was no skulduggery by the Bulls. The Ref pointed out the blood to vd Merwe and he got off chop chop. Bakkies then came on as a blood sub.
The only time this would not have been allowed was if Bakkies had gone off injured.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 181) : It did create a POD of Bakkies, Matfield and Danie Rossouw for the Cheetahs to try and stop from a PK tap and go, which they actually mannaged.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 181) : Ok thanks,so bakkies were subbed and he came back on because of blood.