Mon, Mar 01, 2010 page19

• Bulls repulse Waratahs assault to lead Super 14

  • AFP
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  The Northern Bulls repulsed a ferocious assault by the New South Wales Waratahs to win a 10-try Super 14 thriller 48-38 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

  The Waratahs shocked the Bulls with a ferocious, fast-paced assault in the opening 10 minutes, taking a 17-0 lead and they were 26-17 ahead at halftime, before the defending champions stormed back.

  “They came at us firing, but luckily the guys kept their heads,” Bulls captain Victor Matfield said. “Our fitness came through in the end and I think also the altitude helped us a little bit.”

  

  Francois Hougaard of the Bulls, left, dives over the line to score a try despite being tackled by Lachie Turner of the Waratahs during their Super 14 match at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday.

  PHOTO: EPA

  Waratahs captain Phil Waugh said a 17-point lead was never likely to be a safe cushion.

  “The way the rules are and the way the game is going these days a lot of points are scored,” he said. “They came back well just before halftime and came out very well after halftime, and scored some good points against us.”

  The Bulls went to the top of the table with a perfect record of three wins, adding a bonus point for the third time when they scored the fourth of their six tries. The Waratahs went away with a bonus point for scoring four tries.

  The Australian side attacked from the kick-off and opened the score in the third minute when hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau crashed over. Six minutes later, scrumhalf Luke Burgess switched play superbly with a flick pass to flanker Ben Mowen, who scored near the corner.

  Barnes converted both tries and kicked a penalty goal.

  The Bulls hit back strongly and scored through left wing Francois Hougaard in the 15th minute.

  With Barnes landing two more penalties and a 40m drop-goal, the Waratahs led 26-10 with less than half an hour played, forcing the Bulls to change tactics when they were awarded two penalties.

  Instead of points machine Morne Steyn kicking for goal, they first kicked for touch, then took a tap-kick when the Australians were penalized again.

  Bulls pressure eventually brought a converted try by center Stephan Dippenaar to reduce the Waratahs lead to 26-17 at halftime.

  It seemed business as usual at the start of the second half when the Bulls took the lead through a Steyn penalty and a second try by Hougaard, which was converted from the touchline by Steyn.

  Although the Bulls scored three more tries, however, the Waratahs never gave up and scored two more tries themselves.

  ■OTAGO 31, CHEETAHS 24

  AFP, BLOEMFONTEIN

  The Otago Highlanders gained their first win of the season, beating the Central Cheetahs 31-24 at the Free State Stadium on Saturday.

  The Highlanders were good value for their win in a hard-fought contest between two of the competition’s struggling teams — the New Zealanders always looked superior when they had the ball in hand.

  The Cheetahs, seeking to win two matches in a row for the first time since they became a separate franchise, took an early lead through a penalty goal, but trailed for the rest of the match. The home team stayed in contention, however, with solid forward play and committed defense.

  The Highlanders led 15-9 lead at halftime, scoring two tries, while the Cheetahs replied with three penalty goals by flyhalf Naas Olivier. The home side were awarded seven penalties to two during the first period, but the penalty count was even after the break.

  The first try after seven minutes came after a well-worked move, with the Highlanders building up patiently, before flyhalf Michael Hobbs made a half-break and offloaded to hooker Jason Rutledge, who in turn fed prop Clint Newland. Center Kenny Lynn ran into space and romped over after receiving from Newland.

  There was an element of luck about the second try, however.

  Cheetahs hooker Adriaan Strauss was tackled about 10m in from touch and as the forwards gathered to contest the ball, it popped out and was picked up by an unmarked Fetu’u Vainikolo. The left wing was able to run 65m to score.

  The Cheetahs came back strongly in the second half, getting to within two points midway through the second period after flanker Heinrich Brussow bullocked over for a converted try.

  The New Zealand team hit back, however, and scored an excellent try through flyhalf Michael Hobbs after slick inter-passing with center Jason Shoemark eight minutes from time.

  At that point the Highlanders were 12 points ahead, but the Cheetahs scored again through flanker Juan Smith.

  Both the Cheetahs tries needed confirmation from the television match official as the scorers barged through a melee of opponents.

  The Highlanders, who finished 11th last season, while the Cheetahs were in last place, almost scored a bonus-point try in the last minute as their forwards mauled furiously near the Cheetahs line. Television evidence was inconclusive.
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