Staff Reporter.
The Boland Cavaliers recorded a famous win in Wellington by defeating the Bulls by 28-20 to move up to second spot in the Currie Cup standings.
It has been an incredible season for the Kavaliers so far, winning three of their four matches, including beating the Lions and Bulls in their last two games, to sit joint top of the log with the Toyota Cheetahs, just trailing them on points difference.
The Bulls struck first, with outside centre Demitre Erasmus finishing to take advantage of Boland prop Doctor Booysen’s early yellow card. Junior Bok lock Jaco Grobbelaar added another try soon after, and flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain converted to put the visitors 12-0 ahead and firmly in control.
Boland regrouped and hit back in the second quarter. Hooker Sidney Tobias powered over from close range, with flyhalf Ashlon Davids adding the extras to reduce the gap to 12-7 at the break.
The Bulls stretched their lead again after the restart through a Chamberlain penalty, but momentum soon swung back to the hosts when Blitzboks flyer Donavan Don finished smartly to bring Boland back into the contest.
Boland were briefly reduced to 13 men when former Saracens scrumhalf Louis Schreuder and lock Michael Benadie were both shown yellow cards in quick succession, and the Bulls made the most of the opportunity to send captain Nama Xaba across the line and restore some daylight on the scoreboard.
Discipline proved decisive in the second half as Bulls centre Cornel Smit was sent to the naughty chair and Boland’s response came from former Bulls lock Khwezi Mafu, who powered over to put the hosts up 21-20 going into the final quarter.
The Bulls’ frustration grew when promising replacement hooker Esethu Mnebelele received a yellow card. Boland seized the moment, tighthead prop Dayan van der Westhuizen, another former Bull, driving over to seal a 28-20 win in Wellington.
Meanwhile Toyota Cheetahs, despite being down to 13 men late in the game, overcame DHL Western Province with a 31-24 (halftime 12-10) bonus-point victory in the Carling Currie Cup at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon.
Elsewhere the Fidelity ADT Lions enjoyed a dominant third quarter to pip the Airlink Pumas 36-35 in an exciting Carling Currie Cup encounter at the Nelspruit Rugby Club on Saturday.