Durban — The Bulls ultimately prevailed 31-26 over the Pumas in an at times bizarre Currie Cup match at Loftus Versfeld that had the visitors almost seize the spoils at the death despite being constantly penalised by the match officials.
The Pumas had their flyhalf correctly red-carded for a tip tackle in the 35th minute and then also suffered two yellow cards and a penalty try against them. There was an endless avalanche of penalties against them and it is difficult to believe that they really are such an ill-disciplined rabble...
One thing they certain only are is brave and they never gave up even when down to 13 players at one point.
The Pumas had gone into the game just about in the last chance saloon in terms of making the top four for the Currie Cup semi-finals and they started with great energy.
They had the Bulls on the back foot for the opening ten minutes and then scored first when strong forward pressure created space out wide and long skip passes found right wing Sebastian de Klerk who went over unmarked in the corner.
Eddie Fouche could not convert and that was a worry for coach Jimmy Stonehouse considering Fouche squandered a host of points the week before in his team’s loss at home to Western Province.
The Bulls were stung in to action and laid siege to the Pumas’ line only to turn the ball over and the Pumas launched a spectacular counter-attack from behind their line and 95m later De Klerk scored in the corner and this time Fouche converted for a 12-0 lead.
But De Klerk then turned villan when he came in from his wing to bizarrely try and stop a Bulls maul. He managed to do it but referee Marius van der Westhuizen yellow-carded him and awarded a penalty try.
The Pumas were undaunted through and promptly hit back with a maul try of their own via hooker Eddie Swart, and they were one try away from a bonus point with only a quarter of the match gone.
Five minutes before half-time, there was a major momentum shift when David Kriel scored a try after receiving a pass from his brother Richard who was tip-tackled in the process by flyhalf Thinus de Beer.
De Beer was red carded and with the Bulls having closed the gap to 12-19, the Pumas were going to be up against in the second half after having dominated the first half an hour.
Remarkably, the Pumas were the next to score when De Klerk was gifted a hat-trick when he charged down a lazy kick by Richard Kriel, and the half-time score would be 26-12 to the visitors.
The home team were first to score in the second half when lock Ruan Vermaak scored on debut after five minutes and then the Bulls drew level when fullback James Verity-Am capped a very busy evening with a spectacular solo try.
The complete momentum shift continued when Richard Kriel went over in the corner but the Pumas are never short of pluck and they threw everything into a comeback and they managed to get over the line only for the try to be disallowed because their charge at the line had been a flying wedge of more than one player bound onto the ball carrier.
The Pumas, though were losing their war against the match officials and the game was up for them when wing Tapiwa Mafura was yellow carded for daring to contest the ball in the air. At 13 against 15 with ten minutes to go, they had little chance but they refused to give in.
Miraculously, there was a yellow card for a Bulls player two minutes from time when Juan Mostert failed to roll away from a ruck and the Pumas had a great chance to seize the spoils but lost their lineout near the Bulls line.
Scorers
Bulls 31 — Tries: Penalty try, David Kriel, Ruan Vermaak, James Verity-Am, Richard Kriel. Conversions: Morne Steyn (2)
Pumas 26 — Tries: Sebastian de Klerk (3), Eddie Swart. Conversions: Eddie Fouche (3).
IOL Sport