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The Vodacom Blue Bulls pipped defending champions Griquas 22-17 in a top-class Vodacom Cup thriller at the A.R. Abass Stadium in Kimberley on Friday.
The Bulls were grateful for the boot of national U20 star Francois Brummer, who kicked two penalties and a second-half drop goal to keep them in touch, while Griquas did not help their cause with a number of handling errors.
The Bulls tries came from scrumhalf Ruan Snyman and flank Okkie Kruger, both of whom gave excellent service around the fringes.
The Northern Gautengers opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a penalty by Brummer, but the Bulls were then called for obstruction from the kick-off and Griquas flyhalf Coenie van Wyk equalised.
Flyhalf Brummer was offered another shot at goal in the 17th minute and he restored the Bulls' three-point lead.
The players then took a water break on a hot evening and Griquas suffered a sorry breakdown in defence almost immediately after the re-start as Snyman threw a delightful dummy and then galloped away for the opening try.
The Bulls were 11-3 ahead, but their fortunes took a turn for the worse in the 27th minute when fullback Tiger Mangweni was blown up for a late tackle and yellow-carded. It signalled a shift in the momentum as Griquas piled on the pressure.
The Bulls initially wriggled off the hook thanks to some silly basic mistakes by the home side but, in the 35th minute, scrumhalf Warren Malgas popped up like a cork on the blindside and a quick burst set up wing Dewald Pretorius, who enjoyed a top-class game with ball in hand, on a dash down the touchline. Although Pretorius was tackled, the threat was not over as Griquas recycled the ball quickly and prop Albertus Buckle, who is well-nigh impossible to stop from close range, ambled over the tryline with two men on his back.
Van Wyk converted and, by half-time, the lights had changed from amber to red for the Bulls as Griquas scored another try to take a 17-11 lead at the break.
Griquas were quickly back on attack and Van Wyk made it look easy as his quick feet saw him step past two defenders and score under the poles. Van Wyk converted and the last 13 minutes of the first half had provided a dramatic turnaround.
The second half saw the Bulls peppering Griquas with up-and-unders, several of which were missed, and Brummer took immediate advantage of the territorial gains when he slotted a drop goal one minute into the second half.
Inside their own half is where Griquas stayed for most of the second half, and the Bulls' equalising points also came from a drop goal, from replacement flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff with just five minutes remaining.
The Bulls were back where they belonged in the closing minutes, deep in the Griquas 22, and the defence was finally stretched enough for Kruger to go over in the left-hand corner for the match-winning try on the hooter.
The Bulls were grateful for the boot of national U20 star Francois Brummer, who kicked two penalties and a second-half drop goal to keep them in touch, while Griquas did not help their cause with a number of handling errors.
The Bulls tries came from scrumhalf Ruan Snyman and flank Okkie Kruger, both of whom gave excellent service around the fringes.
The Northern Gautengers opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a penalty by Brummer, but the Bulls were then called for obstruction from the kick-off and Griquas flyhalf Coenie van Wyk equalised.
Flyhalf Brummer was offered another shot at goal in the 17th minute and he restored the Bulls' three-point lead.
The players then took a water break on a hot evening and Griquas suffered a sorry breakdown in defence almost immediately after the re-start as Snyman threw a delightful dummy and then galloped away for the opening try.
The Bulls were 11-3 ahead, but their fortunes took a turn for the worse in the 27th minute when fullback Tiger Mangweni was blown up for a late tackle and yellow-carded. It signalled a shift in the momentum as Griquas piled on the pressure.
The Bulls initially wriggled off the hook thanks to some silly basic mistakes by the home side but, in the 35th minute, scrumhalf Warren Malgas popped up like a cork on the blindside and a quick burst set up wing Dewald Pretorius, who enjoyed a top-class game with ball in hand, on a dash down the touchline. Although Pretorius was tackled, the threat was not over as Griquas recycled the ball quickly and prop Albertus Buckle, who is well-nigh impossible to stop from close range, ambled over the tryline with two men on his back.
Van Wyk converted and, by half-time, the lights had changed from amber to red for the Bulls as Griquas scored another try to take a 17-11 lead at the break.
Griquas were quickly back on attack and Van Wyk made it look easy as his quick feet saw him step past two defenders and score under the poles. Van Wyk converted and the last 13 minutes of the first half had provided a dramatic turnaround.
The second half saw the Bulls peppering Griquas with up-and-unders, several of which were missed, and Brummer took immediate advantage of the territorial gains when he slotted a drop goal one minute into the second half.
Inside their own half is where Griquas stayed for most of the second half, and the Bulls' equalising points also came from a drop goal, from replacement flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff with just five minutes remaining.
The Bulls were back where they belonged in the closing minutes, deep in the Griquas 22, and the defence was finally stretched enough for Kruger to go over in the left-hand corner for the match-winning try on the hooter.
