The Cheetahs secured their fourth appearance in a Currie Cup final in 15 seasons when they outplayed the Bulls 39-10 in their semifinal in Bloemfontein yesterday.
The Cheetahs, who are unbeaten in their last four finals on home soil, bossed the big moments in the game, while the Bulls were left to rue the chances that came their way.
It was an error-strewn game but the hosts showed composure when it was needed to decisively pulled away from the visitors. No one showed more composure than flyhalf Ruan Pienaar.
There was no Morne Steyn for the Bulls, or namesake Frans for the Cheetahs, but up stepped fellow time defier Pienaar to show how it is done.
In a blemish-free performance off the kicking tee, Pienaar contributed 22 points off, which helped keep the Bulls on the backfoot.
His halfback partnership with Rewan Kruger further served to undermine the visitors who also fell short in the aerial battle for territory.
Daniel Kasende proved a menace on the right wing but it was upfront that the Cheetahs more than matched the Bulls.
Flank Sibabalo Qoma and lock and captain Victor Sekekete relished the confrontation as much as they did the occasion. They helped blunt a Bulls pack that did not lack effort but lacked execution.
As much as Elrigh Louw, Marcell Coetzee and Co battered away as ball carriers, the Cheetahs’ defence, especially in the way they repelled the Bulls’ maul, stood resolute.
The Cheetahs, who fell foul of the referee at Loftus Versfeld Stadium last week, would have had coach Hawies Fourie despairing in the opening 10 minutes when a slew of penalties again went against them.
One of them saw Conraad van Vuuren banished to the sin bin, but Johan Goosen only made one of the two presented him count off the kicking tee. The hosts’ recidivism threatened to give the Bulls a foothold but the visitors failed to capitalise.
Instead, the hosts proved more ruthless. Centre Reinhardt Fortuin, in his 50th appearance, benefited when he charged down a lethargic Goosen, before fullback Tapiwa Mafura took advantage from the visitors’ momentary indecision.
Pienaar marvelously converted to hand the Cheetahs a 20-3 advantage at the break.
Though the Bulls started the second-half with greater vigour, they still found ways of fluffing their lines when it mattered.
WJ Steenkamp made it over for the Bulls but the officials should probably have ruled out the effort before the conversion was taken on account of the final pass drifting forward.
The Bulls continued to make life difficult for themselves. When Goosen dispensed pointed advice at referee Cwengile Jadezweni once too often, a penalty for the visitors was reversed against them.
Soon after Jan-Hendrik Wessels saw yellow but by then the fans in orange had reason to celebrate another final heading to Bloem.
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