Flyhalf Morne Steyn became the third player to score 1,000 Super Rugby points as he converted all six of the Bulls’ tries and added three penalties in their impressive 51-19 hammering of the Cheetahs on Saturday.
Steyn joined Canterbury Crusaders flyhalf Dan Carter (1,272 points) and Australian Stirling Mortlock (1,031) as he became the first South African to reach four figures. He has now scored 1,012 points in 91 games, all for the Bulls.
The Bulls went to the top of the standings with nine points despite finishing the match with 13 men after Francois Hougaard was harshly red carded in the 64th minute for a tip-tackle and flank Jacques Potgieter was yellow carded for a -shoulder-charge in the 78th minute.
However, such setbacks failed to stop the Bulls from charging to victory and condemning fellow South African side the Cheetahs to the bottom of the table.
Props Dean Greyling and Werner Kruger scored the first two Bulls tries from close range, while Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen kept the home side in touch with his immaculate kicking ability as he scored three penalties to narrow the gap to 17-9.
The Bulls kept piling on the pressure as wing Bjorn Basson scored another try to open up a commanding 31-12 lead at halftime.
Following the interval, Akona Ndungane burst clear of the Cheetahs’ defense and passed inside for fullback Zane Kirchner to score.
Steyn landed his second and third penalties to stretch the lead to 37-12 after 58 minutes.
“We’re very disappointed, but credit to the Bulls, tactically they were better than us and credit to their defense,” Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss said. “We were on their line for a while, but we couldn’t get through.”
Hougaard was then red-carded, despite center Robert Ebersohn twisting around in the tackle and going to ground head-first.
That interruption temporarily caught the Bulls off guard and Strauss pounced to score Cheetahs’ only try.
The Bulls quickly regained control and scored two more tries in the final 10 minutes through replacement center J.J. Engelbrecht and Kirchner.
“It’s easy to play well when 15 players are so willing to work hard for each other,” outstanding Bulls hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle said. “Morne Steyn is a special athlete, well done to him.”
Stormers 15, Sharks 12
Reuters, CAPE TOWN, South Africa
Replacement flyhalf Peter Grant slotted a penalty three minutes from time to give the Stormers a win over the Sharks in a second round Super Rugby match at Newlands on Saturday.
Grant, who returned from his Japanese club Kobe Steelers during the week and only had one full training session with the side, was the hero for the home team after slotting an earlier penalty.
Victory ensured a second successive win for the Cape Town-based Stormers, while the Durban-based Sharks slumped to their second straight defeat.
The Sharks started brightly and dominated the opening exchanges, with flyhalf Pat Lambie landing three first half penalties to give the visitors a slender 9-6 lead at the break.
The home team, forced to make more than 60 tackles in the first half to the 24 of the Sharks, grimly hung in with two penalties of their own via the boot of fullback Joe Pietersen.
After the break, the match turned in favor of the Stormers as they dominated field position and possession.
They enjoyed such control that the penalty count read nine-to-one in the home team’s favor, which included a yellow card against Sharks lock Ross Skeate in the 61st minute after the visitors had been repeatedly warned for slowing the ball by referee Mark Lawrence.
Under such pressure, the Sharks were unable to escape their half and only remained in contact with the home side after Pietersen missed three kickable shots at goal in the second half.
However, in the 61st minute, Grant stepped up for his first kick of the season — a reasonably straightforward attempt from 30m — and made no mistake.
Lambie leveled the scores in the 74th minute with his fourth penalty, but it was left to Grant to secure the win with a kick from against the touchline.
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