The Windhoek Draught Griquas produced a gutsy fightback but ultimately their dominant first half performance was enough for the Vodacom Bulls to secure a 48-38 win at Loftus on Saturday that sends them back to the top of the Carling Currie Cup log.
The Toyota Cheetahs went to the top of the log on Friday night with their bonus-point win over the Sigma Lions in Johannesburg, but the Bulls made up the four point leeway and then topped it by notching the try-scoring bonus point that gives them a one point lead over the side from Bloemfontein.
It is important to note, however, that the Cheetahs do have a game in hand.
The Bulls, fielding several of their Vodacom United Rugby Championship stars, were a level above Griquas in the first half.
They started as if they had a train to catch, and scored a point a minute for the first 29 minutes before finishing the half with a 36-5 lead.
The Bulls looked like they might run up a huge score but they were a bit sloppy and ill-disciplined in the third quarter.
By contrast, Griquas got the bit between their teeth during that period and after Jan-Hendrik Wessels had notched the first try of the half to stretch the Bulls’ advantage to 41-5 after 44 minutes, the visitors struck back with three tries, one of them a penalty try, to cut the deficit to just 17 points when Hanru Sirgel crossed on the hour mark.
A try from Harold Vorster a few minutes later restored some of the Bulls’ dominance and ended any visions the Kimberley team might have had of an heroic and historic come from behind win.
However, given how close it now is between Griquas and the Pumas in the fourth and fifth places, the four-try bonus point would have been treated like a valuable achievement by Griquas.
They were back on the scoreboard again later too, as they continued to play good rugby for the rest of the game, and Sirgel was able to cross for his second try with 11 minutes to go before Chris Hollis added the sixth try in the 74th minute to make it a 10 point game.
Bonus-Point Try
The game was effectively won in the first half though for the Bulls, with Stavino Jacobs crossing for their first as the ball was moved from a lineout and left wing Madosh Tambwe popped up at the end of the cross field sweep on the right hand side of the field to create the extra man.
Right wing Jacobs did well as he still had work to do, and defenders to beat, before he swivelled through and reached out to touch down.
Griquas struck back quickly with an impressive try to centre Sango Xamalashe, who took the ball as first receiver off an attacking lineout and showed impressive length strength as he carried a mass of bodies with him over the line to dot down.
Neither kicker was successful with the first two conversion attempts so after nine minutes the scores were level at 5-all.
Griquas were to pay immediately for their indiscipline as Bulls flyhalf was given the opportunity to regain the lead for his side from in front of the posts and a couple of minutes after that blindside flank Cyle Brink bounced over the line to score the Bulls’ second try and put daylight between the teams on the scoreboard.
Brink should really have had his second try almost immediately, but while it looked like he dotted down, the referee let play continue.
From the quick George Whitehead goallline drop out the Bulls piled on the pressure once more and good drawing of the opposition defenders before passing put Jacobs in for his second try.
Lock Rhynhardt Ludwig dotted down the bonus-point try as the Bulls took a 29-5 lead in the 29th minute and after young fullback Canan Moodie was set up for his team’s fifth try by a deft offload from Tambwe to make it 36-5, the Bulls would have felt comfortable.
Perhaps they were too comfortable, for by taking control of possession in the second half, Griquas did come back strongly and will return to Kimberley feeling that they did enough after halftime to salvage any pride that might have taken a bashing in that first half.
Not everyone goes to Loftus and scores five tries in the second half.
Scorers
Vodacom Bulls 48 – Tries: Stravino Jacobs 2, Cyle Brink, Rynhardt Ludwig, Canan Moodie, Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Harold Vorster; Conversions: Chris Smith 5; Penalty: Chris Smith.
Windhoek Draught Griquas 38 – Tries: Sango Xamalashe, Munier Hartzenberg, Hanru Sirgel 2 and Chris Hollis; Penalty try; Conversions: Zander du Plessis 3.