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Blue Bulls trample Falcons

Friday 01st August 2008

Hat-trick hero: Wikus van Heerden

The Blue Bulls moved to the top of the Currie Cup table with an easy 50-7 victory - complete with a bonus point - over their Gauteng neighbours the Falcons at Bosman Stadium in Brakpan on Friday.

The Blues Bulls captain Wikus van Heerden weighed in with a hat-trick as his side outscored their hosts six tries to one.

In front of a packed stadium, the visitors dominated every aspect of the game to show why they are the favourites for the 2008 Currie cup.

One-time Springbok captain Chiliboy Ralepelle made his return to high level rugby when he came off the bench for the last quarter.

The Blue Bulls wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as Morn� Steyn opened proceedings with a penalty inside the first minute.

It took the visitors less than five minutes to open up a ten point lead as number eight Pedrie Wannenburg scored the first try as part of a blue pack driving over the tryline.

The Falcons were trying to get under the Blue Bulls skin and the next ten minutes were characterised by scrappy play and lots of needle.

The Bulls kept their heads about them though and continued to dominate play. Their discipline at the breakdown was exemplary and has been the hallmark of their all-around improved discipline since the strt of the competition.

The home side, forced to play deep within their own half, were sticking to their run-it-from-everywhere style of play but were unable to penetrate the Blue Bulls' stiff defence.

Two tries in the space of three minutes from Blue Bulls captain Wikus van Heerden as the game entered it's second quarter essentially ended the match as a competitive contest. Van Heerden showed his strength when he nearly single handedly drove over the Falcons line from a line-out to score his first.

Len Olivier, a who received a late call-up into the Falcons starting line-up to full-back made a poor up-and-under kick to allow Steyn to burst into space. Van Heerden then showed he also has a turn of pace when he dotted down for his second after receiving a pass out on the wing from Dannie Rossouw.

Falcons fly-half Riaan 'True Blue' Smit scored his side's only points against the run of play when he hacked a fumbled ball from Van Heerden ahead and received a kind bounce to dive over. He added the extra two points himself to make the score 22-7.

The visitors kept the pressure on their hosts, forcing a number of errors from the Falcons loose forwards at the breakdown. Steyn added two more penalties before the half-time whistle and the teams swapped sides with the score at 28-7.

Falcons playmaker Smit didn't return to the field due to a shoulder injury and his opposite number Steyn added three more to start the second half. Things went from bad to worse for the Falcons with half-an-hour to play when Warren Perkins was shown a yellow card for his side repeatedly going off their feet at the breakdown.

The Blue Bulls were in complete control and Van Heerden got his hat-trick and the Pretoria side's bonus point after 55 minutes when he again used his immense leg strength to stay upright long enough to allow his pack to push him over the Falcons' tryline.

Prop Werner Kruger scored a powerful individual try five minutes from time. Kruger recieved the ball ten metre out and simply put his head down and charged through a bunch of Falcons players to score the kind of try front-rowers dream of.

The leading try scorer in this year's Vodacom Cup, Rocco Jansen, in Blue Bulls team in place of the Akona Ndungane who has the flu, rounded the game off for the visitors with arguably the try of the night. The 22-year-old right wing finished off a flowing Bulls back-line move in style to score is on his Currie Cup debut in the 80th minute.

The Scorers

For the Falcons:
Try: Smit
Con: Smit

For the Blue Bulls:
Tries: Wannenburg, Van Heerden 3, Kruger, Jansen
Cons: Steyn 3, Francis
Pens: Steyn 4,

Yellow cards: Perkins (Falcons - 49th minute - repeatedly going off feet); F. Hougaard (Blue Bulls -62nd minute -reckless tackle)

Falcons: 15 Len Olivier, 14 Johan Swartz , 13 Johan Jackson, 12 Hanno Coetzee (c), 11 Nicky Kritzinger, 10 Riaan Smit, 9 Gerrie Odendaal, 8 Sean Plaatjies, 7 Emile Verster, 6 Warren Perkins, 5 Ruhan van Jaarsveld, 4 Wouter Moore, 3 Nico Pretorius, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Gavin Whittingham.
Replacements: 16 Jody Jeneker, 17 Frik Venter, 18 Lungelo Payi, 19 Du Preez , 20 Reg Muller, 21 Fredie van Zyl, 22 Jeff Perkins.

Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Rocco Jansen, 13 Marius Delport, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 John Mametsa, 10 Morn� Steyn, 9 JP Joubert, 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, 7 Wikus van Heerden (c), 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Bandise Maku , 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle , 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Francois van Schouwenburg, 19 Jacques Burger, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Tiger Mangweni.

Referee: Jaco Peyper
Touch judges: Pro Legoete, Peet Badenhorst
Television match official: Michael Cupido
Assessor: Andr� Watson