Cheetahs dethrone Blue Bulls
Brad Morgan
24 October 2005
Pretoria's ultra-passionate rugby fans didn't get what they were bargaining for at the weekend when the underdog Free State Cheetahs stunned the Blue Bulls 29-25 at their Loftus Versfeld fortress to capture the 2005 Absa Currie Cup.
The three-time defending champions had beaten the men from Bloemfontein twice in the lead-up to the final - by 26-22 and 26-16 - and the score remained in the same sort of parameters in a very physical final that had plenty of niggle. And the niggle ultimately played a crucial role in the outcome of the contest.
Gamesmanship
From the start of the showdown it was clear that the Cheetahs, led by hooker Naka Drotske in his last match for the province, wanted to make a statement that they would not be intimidated by the Bulls' much-vaunted pack. There was plenty of gamesmanship off the ball - holding back of players and obstructive positioning - resulting in both teams acting a little
tempestuously.
The home side was first on the board when Morne Steyn slotted a penalty in the second minute. A short while later Free State flyhalf Willem de Waal was wide with a drop kick.
Steyn had a chance to extend the Bulls' lead after eight minutes, but was wide of the target. Three minutes later, though, he was on target again, opening up a 6-0 gap for the defending champs.
Intentions
De Waal, meanwhile, signalled his intentions when he snapped off another drop kick that failed to find the mark. A minute later, however, his penalty shot at goal was true and the Cheetahs were on the board.
Ten minutes later De Waal tied the game at 6-6 with a second penalty.
The lead was short-lived as Blue Bulls' fullback Johan Roets showed how a drop goal should be taken, knocking one over to edge the home side in front once more.
With less than half an hour played the Free Staters made a substitution in the front row,
bringing on Springbok Os du Randt to counter the power pack of the Bulls.
All square
Then, just before the clock ticked over to 30 minutes, De Waal again hit the target with a penalty to draw the visitors level at 9-9.
With halftime approaching there was an outbreak of fighting, which resulted in referee Jonathan Kaplan reaching for the yellow card. Springbok teammates Os du Randt and Victor Matfield were sent to the sin bin.
Right before the half time whistle Steyn edged the Bulls 12-9 ahead with another penalty.
Free State came out strongly in the second half and put the Bulls under pressure, but then disaster struck for the Cheetahs as Akona Ndungane intercepted a poor pass by De Waal and sprinted away to score from 70 metres out. Steyn knocked over the conversion to increase the Bulls' lead to 19-9.
Big advantage
Shortly afterwards the advantage grew bigger as Steyn stuck over a penalty
to make it 22-9.
To make matters worse for Naka Drotske and company, De Waal was unsuccessful with a penalty attempt, but not long afterwards he found the direction and the distance to reduce the deficit to 22-12.
In what proved to be a masterstroke, Cheetahs' coach Rassie Erasmus opted to send on flanker Kabamba Floors as a replacement. He immediately made an impact, making tackle upon tackle and turning over possession for his side.
Pivotal moment
In the seventy-first minute De Waal was off target with a penalty attempt, but three minutes later one of the pivotal moments in the match occurred when Bryan Habana incurred the wrath of referee Jonathan Kaplan and became the third player to be sent to the sin bin. The Free Staters took full advantage of their extra man.
The Blue Bulls, though, were the first to score, when Derick Hougaard, on as a substitute, kicked a penalty.
De Waal responded with one of his own two minutes
later and then Bevan Fortuin went over for a try to the Free State, converted by De Waal. Suddenly there were only three points in the game as the champions clung on to a 25-22 lead.
Bit between the teeth
The Cheetahs had the bit between their teeth and swung back onto the attack, and then came the moment of the match as the Blue Bulls' dream of a fourth title in succession came crashing down.
A nice chip into the box by Cheetahs' replacement scrumhalf Noel Oelschig led to confusion in the Bulls' ranks as neither Fourie du Preez nor Noel Oelschig called for the ball. Incredibly, they ran into one another. The ball bounced up kindly for Meyer Bosman, who gathered and raced through to score beneath the uprights.
De Waal converted to put Free State out of range of a penalty or drop for the Bulls.
The men in blue, sensing their title slipping away, launched a frenzied assault on the Cheetahs' superb defence, but the men in white
held out doggedly and when the final whistle blew it was time for Drotske and company to celebrate a wonderful sendoff for their captain as they claimed only their second Currie Cup title, a full 29 years after their first one.
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