Blue Bulls run WP ragged

Cape Town - A strong second half performance saw the Blue Bulls crush Western Province 47-29 in their Currie Cup clash at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday night.

After trailing 16-15 at half-time, the hosts ran in five second half tries to stun the defending Currie Cup champions and move into top spot on the Currie Cup log.

It was the Bulls' first Currie Cup win over their old rivals since 2012.

WP enjoyed dominance at scrum time, and led 26-15 after 46 minutes, but were left stunned as the Bulls backs ran at them from all parts.

A costly yellow card to WP wing Dillyn Leyds inside the final quarter of the match cost the Cape side dearly - with the Bulls scoring 12 unanswered points during his 10-minute spell in the sin-bin.

Leyds had earlier scored a brilliant intercept try to put his team up by 23-15 in the 46th minute, a Demetri Catrakilis penalty then extending the lead to 11 points shortly before the 50-minute mark.

The Bulls scored straight from the restart, via inside centre Burger Odendaal, but Catrakilis again added three points to make it 29-22 - only for the Bulls to hit back straightaway from another restart, left-wing Jamba Ulengo crossing for a try.

The hosts then took the lead for the first time since the first half when left-wing Travis Ismaiel scored down the right-hand flank, but worse was to follow for WP when Leyds was pinged for taking the man out in the air at the very next restart.

The Bulls targeted his vacant wing and scored two quick tries, through Ulengo and fullback Warrick Gelant - scores which knocked the stuffing out of a stunned WP.

Gelant, the enterprising Bulls fullback, was named man-of-the-match.

In next weekend's action, the Bulls travel to Kimberley to face Griquas, while WP face the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Scorers:

Blue Bulls: 

Tries: Burger Odendaal, Jamba Ulengo (2), Travis Ismaiel, Warrick Gelant

Conversions: Tian Schoeman (2)

Penalties: Schoeman (5), Louis Fouche

Western Province:

Tries: Seabelo Senatla, Dillyn Leyds

Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (2)

Penalties: Catrakilis (5)

Teams:

Blue Bulls:

15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Lappies Labuschagne (captain), 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Dean Greyling

Substitutes: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 18 RG Snyman, 19 Jannes Kirsten, 20 Ivan van Zyl, 21 Louis Fouche, 22 Dan Kriel

Western Province:

15. Cheslin Kolbe, 14. Dillyn Leyds, 13. Johnny Kotze, 12. Jaco Taute, 11. Seabelo Senatla, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Nic Groom, 8. Nizaam Carr (captain), 7. Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 6. Rynhardt Elstadt, 5. Ruan Botha, 4. Jean Kleyn, 3. Wilco Louw, 2. Bongi Mbonambi, 1. Oli Kebble

Substitutes: 16. Scarra Ntubeni, 17. Alistair Vermaak, 18. Chris van Zyl, 19. Chris Cloete, 20. Jano Vermaak, 21. Kurt Coleman, 22. Huw Jones