By Lucky Maree
Any match featuring veteran Ruan Pienaar is worth watching and this match is no different.
After 10 minutes he has kicked two great line kicks, made a try saving tackle and kicked a penalty.
But he is not the only player on the field. The Cheetahs are top of the log, but they are ahead of the Pumas only by points difference. The Blue Bulls have to do something about going winless after two matches.
It takes until 18 minutes before Gideon van der Merwe scores the first try of the match for the Cheetahs, but that doesn’t mean the game is not worth watching. Both teams play positive, high paced rugby.
The Blue Bulls respond immediately with a try for Jan-Hendrik Wessels in the corner. The Cheetahs lead by three points.
At least two situations where referee Cwengile Jadezweni could have gone for the yellow card, but didn’t. But after 28 minutes he hands a card to Blue Bulls’ Muller Uys for cynical play.
Gideon van der Merwe scores his second giving the Cheetahs an eight point lead which they take into halftime.
For fully the first ten minutes of the second half the Cheetahs do everything but score. This kind of positive, attacking play cannot be held out forever.
The dam wall eventually breaks when Munier Hartzenberg picks up a perfectly weighted kick pass at full speed and scores in the left corner. With 25 minutes to go, the Cheetahs lead by a dominant 13 points.
Just five minutes later the Cheetahs score the bonus point try through Marko Janse-van Rensburg and they are now 20 points ahead.
For the rest of the match, the Blue Bulls defend bravely and don’t allow the Cheetahs to score.
But defence doesn’t turn into points. Right on the final hooter, they surrender one more time and the Cheetahs’ Marco Janse-van Rensburg. The Blue Bulls, with only one try, once again go home empty handed.
Cheetahs (5 tries) 32-7 (1 try) Blue Bulls.
Pictured above: Ruan Pienaar
Image source: Currie Cup
