The Vodacom Blue Bulls kept up their unbeaten run in this year’s Carling Currie Cup with a workmanlike 40-24 victory over the Airlink Pumas in Mbombela on Friday night.
The Bulls are now eight points clear of the second placed Fidelity ADT Lions and Toyota Cheetahs, although both those sides will still play this weekend and need a win to keep in touch with the Pretoria side.
That no-look assist from Canan Moodie 🥶
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 16, 2024
The Vodacom Bulls balling out in their 40-24 win over the Airlink Pumas.
They remain unbeaten after seven rounds of #CarlingCurrieCup action 👏 pic.twitter.com/Q9UNjVuWom
In an entertaining game, the Bulls marched to a 26-0 lead in as many minutes, then watched as the Pumas scored four tries in the space of 14 minutes - one just before the halftime break and three just after as they hauled the visitors in.
But two late tries by the Bulls showed their class as they put in the hard yards to continue their impressive run in the domestic competition.
Katlego Letebele on his senior Vodacom Bulls debut 💥
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 16, 2024
An absolutely 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 hit on Tino Swanepoel. Referees had no problems in their review.
Our commentators were literally lost for words 🤣#CarlingCurrieCup pic.twitter.com/NNfxrdYY2h
On the national front Canan Moodie looked hungry for work but also seemed to lack match sharpness as he completed another game since returning from injury. He knocked the ball on as he was going over the line late in the game, but had at least one highlight when he gave a telling reverse pass for Devon Williams’ try in one of the key moments in the match.
Given the depth that the Bulls have in this competition, they have made their intentions clear on winning the Currie Cup and if they continue like this, should book themselves a home semifinal and possible final in the next few weeks. Seven wins from seven has made Phiwe Nomlomo a very happy coach indeed.
The Pumas weren’t that poor in the opening half hour, but they made their lives difficult as they got themselves into promising positions, only to thwart their own efforts with handling errors at crucial times.
The Bulls, by contrast, were clinical, taking the chances they got, scoring in their first three forays into the Pumas 22. The first came from an intercept from Chris Barend Smit, who hoofed the ball upfield, where Darron Adonis failed to gather, and Cornel Smit picked up and went over for the opening try.
The Bulls second came from some beautiful quick hands to move the ball down the blindside in very limited space, with Sibongile Novuka taking the last pass and going over in the corner.
Joe van Zyl grabbed two equally powerful lineout drive tries shortly after that and the Bulls were suddenly 26-0 up and the Pumas were looking as if they were going to be on the end of a hiding on their home field.
PUMAS FIGHTBACK
But then the Pumas started to find their straps, and the Bulls defence was not only sloppy, but buckled under the pressure and became very ill-disciplined.
So much so that Cornel Smit received his marching orders near the end of the half, for trying to rip the ball while off his feet in front of his own tryline, and shortly afterwards, Eduan Swart crossed the line from a lineout drive to get his side on the board.
Some hard words must have fallen at the break because the home side emerged energised and ready for action, and started hauling in the Bulls lead.
Adonis received the perfect skip pass on the blindside from the impressive Ross Braude, that beat every defender, to go in at the corner.
Clinton Swart then added his name to the scoresheet, and shorty afterwards, after some poor ball watching by the Bulls, Braude chipped over the defence and Tino Swanepoel snuck between Smit and Canan Moodie to snatch the ball and sprint 50 metres to score.
Suddenly the scoreline was 26-24 in the Bulls’ favour and the game had a totally different complexion.
However, another Pumas handling error was turned over and pounced on by the Bulls as they spread the ball wide to captain Nizaam Carr, who sent it inside to Sintu Manjezi (who had a blinder). Manjezi found Moodie, who looked like he would be caught, only to put the perfect reverse pass into the flying Williams’ hands to score and give the Bulls a sigh of relief.
From there the visitors never looked back, and while the Pumas were unlucky that a stunner of a try was disallowed for a forward pass when Adonis smoked Junior Bok winger Kathlego Letebele on the outside, the Bulls saw it home when Jaco van der Walt spiralled out of a tackle close to the line and passed to Chris Barend Smit to score.
Scorers
Airlink Pumas - tries: Eduan Swart, Darron Adonis, Tino Swanepoel, Clinton Swart. Conversions: Clinton Swart (2)
Vodacom Bulls - tries: Cornel Smit, Sibongile Novuka, Joe van Zyl (2), Devon Williams, Chris Barend Smit. Conversions: Keegan Johannes (4), Jaco van der Walt.