As it happened: Cheetahs v Bulls

CHEETAHS 15-9 BULLS

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Commentary by Sport24's Herman Mostert

21:19 - PICTURES

Willie le Roux was a class act... (Gallo Images)

Caylib Oosthuizen on the charge... (Gallo Images)

21:08 - Well done to the Cheetahs. They took their chances out there and won the tactical game. The Bulls will have to vastly improve their skill-set! They simply made to many errors and looked like a team with no plan.

Yes it was atrocious weather conditions, but there were just too many silly errors made. Not what you'd expect from a professional outfit like them. One positive for the Bulls is that they got a bonus point for losing by fewer than seven - a point they probably didn't deserve it has to be said.

The Cheetahs will have to look at their scrums after conceding a lot of possession there. But otherwise, there's a lot to build on for Naka Drotské's charges.

In next weekend's action, the Cheetahs head to Australia where they will tackle the Rebels in Melbourne, while the Bulls host the Lions in Pretoria.

21:07 - MAN OF THE MATCH

Cheetahs No 8 Phillip van der Walt was tonight's stand-out performer.

21:04 - QUOTES

"If you’re not there 100% you’re going to lose the game. We’re not pleased with our game at all. We made a lot of errors. We have to learn and play our own game," said Bulls captain Flip van der Merwe.

"I’m actually speechless. Very proud of the guys. It lifts the spirits in the camp. Credit to the guys. We kept them under pressure and showed we can play in this weather," said Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss.

"When are the Bulls going to become an attacking threat. They're not going to be a threat unless they start attacking," said in-studio SuperSport commentator John Mitchell.

21:00 - TWEET

That final Bulls kick down field with 3 seconds left is an early contender for brainfart of the season - Stephen Nell

20:58 - A deserved win for the Cheetahs. It's their first ever win over the Bulls in Super Rugby!

20:56 - But they kick it away! Can you believe it!?

Willie le Roux catches the high ball and a ruck is formed. The Cheetahs secure possession and Coenie Oosthuizen carries it over the touchline...

That's FULL-TIME: Cheetahs 15-9 Bulls.

20:55 - One last chance for the Bulls as they try to run it from deep inside their own half...

20:54 - Pollard kicks the PENALTY. Cheetahs 15-9 Bulls after 79 minutes.

20:54 - And they'll get that chance now after another penalty at scrum time!

20:53 - Three minutes left and the Bulls have a scrum right outside the Cheetahs 22m area. Best they can hope for now is a bonus point for losing by fewer than seven...

20:51 - The Cheetahs have found effective ways to counter the Bulls maul this evening...

20:50 - Lyrics from a Bon Jovi song "we're half-way there" are chanting in the background. I reckon the Cheetahs are more than half-way there by now! Five minutes left.

20:48 - But the move ends as centre Jan Serfontein knocks it on just outside the Cheetahs 22. Pretty much sums up the Bulls' night. Error after error.

20:43 - Willie le Roux keeping the game in the right side of the field...

20:40 - An ironic cheer from his former home fans as replacement scrumhalf Piet Van Zyl throws a shocking pass into touch... Looks like nothing's working for the Bulls tonight...

20:38 - Bulls win a scrum penalty after they were pushed backwards! Referee Stuart Berry says Cheetahs illegally turned the scrum.... sigh...

20:37- PICTURE

Lood de Jager reigns supreme...  (Gallo Images)

20:37 - TWEET

Good time to be asleep in Auckland rather than have to eke one's way through this muck ... Bulls in poo ... 15-6 - Front Row Grunt

20:36 - Rain starting to fall very heavily now with 16 minutes left. Nine points a big lead in these conditions!

20:35 - Bulls kick another ball straight into touch! This time Bjorn Basson is the culprit. It's a comedy of errors from the Bulls tonight. 

20:33 - Piet van Zyl has now replaced Francois Hougaard at scrumhalf for the Bulls. 

20:32 - Goosen kicks the PENALTY. Cheetahs 15-6 after 61 minutes.

20:31 - But the home side immediately win another penalty after Jono Ross is caught in an off-side position... Goosen lines up from inside his own half this time.

20:31-  He narrowly misses, strikes the right hand upright.

20:31 - Goosen lining up a penalty from 59m out...

20:29 - Cheetahs scrum looking better in the second half with Trevor Nyakane on in place of Caylib Oosthuizen now.

20:27 - A brilliant break from a scrum by Cheetahs No 8 Phillip van der Walt brings them into the Bulls 22m area for the first time in the second period... 

20:27 - TWEET

This is such a battle for territory .. kicks not always accurate . Perhaps not fair to be too critical at this stage of the season... - Jonathan Kaplan

20:25 - Willie le Roux tries to slot a 60m drop goal. He misses...

20:23 - This time Pollard kicks the PENALTY. Cheetahs 12-6 Bulls after 52 minutes.

20:22 - Another kickable penalty for the visitors...

20:19 - How much are the Bulls missing Morné Steyn tonight???

20:18 - But he also misses! Three very kickable penalties now missed by the men from Pretoria.

20:17 - Another easy penalty chance for the Bulls from right in front - 30m out and Pollard lines up...

20:15 - MILESTONE FOR MATFIELD

Victor Matfield has just become the most capped South African Super Rugby player with 126 caps.

20:14 - And it comes back to bite them as the Cheetahs steal the ball via Boom Prinsloo. You can't afford not to take easy three points in these conditions...

20:14 - Big call from the Bulls opting not to kick an easy three points.

20:13 - BULLS REPLACEMENTS

Handré Pollard on for Louis Fouché and Victor Matfield on for Grant Hattingh.

A night Fouché would like to forget quite frankly...

20:12 - They win a penalty as Goosen and Coenie Oosthuizen are caught off-side.

20:12 - Bulls attacking just outside Cheetahs 22m area. 

20:11 - Just as I write, Big Vic is spotted warming up on the touchline...

20:10 - The Bulls lineout has also had a couple of bad malfunctions. Maybe time for Matfield to come on?

20:09 - Another attempt at a drop from Goosen from way out... again he misses badly...

20:08 - Fouché starts the second half. Good news for Bulls is he hasn't kicked it out on the full...

20:02 - What the Cheetahs are also doing well is they're playing the game in the right side of the field. And they've got the better flyhalf...

20:02 - PICTURE

Francois Hougaard stopped in his tracks by Francois Venter... (Gallo Images)

20:01 - QUOTE

"The man who is having a bit of a tough night is Louis Fouché for the Bulls," says in-studio commentator Breyton Paulse.

19:56 - But he misses and that's HALF-TIME: Cheetahs 12-3 Bulls.

Cheetahs deservedly in front. They kicked better and simply took more of their chances...

19:55 - Right on the stroke of half-time the Bulls win a penalty about 2 metres inside their own half after Cheetahs No 9 Venter slows the ball down at a ruck... Fouché lines up for three points...

19:52 - A bit of a ding-dong kicking affair at the moment. Goosen has also missed two drop-goal attempts in the space of a few minutes, but at least is keeping his side on the right side of the field...

19:52 - PICTURE

SOLID UNDER THE HIGH BALL... Springbok and Cheetahs fullback Willie le Roux (Gallo Images)

19:49 - Fouché kicks way too far while inside his own 22, putting pressure on his team... Having a bit of a shocker so far...

"A monster-overcook from Fouché," says commentator Matt Pearce.

19:48 - This time the Cheetahs win a penalty at scrum time and Goosen brings relief... Van der Merwe just on for Bulls and gives away a penalty.

But jeepers, it's tough to scrum in these slippery conditions!

19:47 - Cheetahs again under pressure at the lineout and Venter is forced to dot down dead. Five-metre scrum to the Bulls.

19:48 - BULLS REPLACEMENT

Prop Marcel van der Merwe on for Dean Greyling.

19:46 - Good defending on the short side sees the Bulls barged over the touchline...

19:44 - Bulls have a chance to attack with a scrum 3 or 4 metres inside the Cheetahs 22m area. Scrums about the only area where the Bulls have dominated tonight...

19:43 - TWEET

Willie le Roux is impressing with his line-kicking in the rain. Taking a lot of pressure off Goosen #SSRugby - Brenden Nel

19:41 - PENALTY converted. Cheetahs 12-3 after 28 minutes.

19:41 - Goosen lines up another penalty from in front when the Bulls again go off-side 30m in front of their own posts...

19:38 - And Fouché AGAIN kicks the restart directly into touch...

19:38 - PENALTY converted by Goosen. Cheetahs 9-3 Bulls after 25 minutes.

19:37 - Cheetahs hit right back when the Bulls go off-side. Goosen to line up on the 22m line. Easy kick...

19:36 - PENALTY converted by Fouché. He'll feel much better now. Cheetahs 6-3 Bulls after 23 minutes.

19:35 - Bulls win a penalty. Fouché lines up from about 15m to the touchline...

19:33 - Another free kick at a scrum for the Bulls.

Cheetahs No 9 Venter again punished for a skew feed to the scrum. He gets a warning from referee Stuart Berry. He's had three transgressions there now. Two for a skew feed and one for feeding too late...

19:32 - ATTENDANCE FIGURE

17 301 fans at the Free State Stadium tonight.

19:30 - An excellent clearance from Willie le Roux brings relief to the home side. Cheetahs have two good options in Le Roux's left boot and Goosen's strong right boot!

19:29 - Francois Hougaard so nearly scores after the Cheetahs badly mess up a lineout on their own line. He is stopped just short though...

19:27 - PICTURE: Former players watching the derby in France...

Cheetahs vs Bulls game on livestream with @Wynand_olivier .#roomies - Robert Ebersohn

19:26 - A promising Cheetahs attack close to Bulls line is stopped when Werner Kruger wins a penalty at a ruck. Bulls get time to breathe...

19:23 - TWEET

Scrums are a mess in Bloem at the moment - EWN Sport

19:22 - We've had three scrums now and not once has the ball reached a flyhalf...

19:21 - MISSED CHANCE

Fouché misses the kick at goal from right in front, 30m out...

19:20 - Penalty to the Bulls after Cheetahs prop Caylib Oosthuizen is penalised by referee Stuart Berry. Before the ball was even put in...

19:18 - Second scrum and it collapses when the front-rankers slip... Free kick for Bulls after Cheetahs No 9 Shaun Venter takes too long to feed. They opt for another scrum.

19:16 - QUOTE

"Massive early statement from Johan Goosen in this game," says SuperSport commentator Matt Pearce.

19:15 - PENALTY converted by Goosen. Cheetahs 6-0 Bulls after 5 minutes.

19:15 - Goosen lines up from close to the touchline...

19:14 - Cheetahs win a penalty after Bulls hooker Callie Visagie prevents a quick ball at a ruck. The Cheetahs got deep into Bulls half after a brilliant break from inside his own 22m area by Johann Sadie.

19:13 - First scrum. First transgression. Free kick to Bulls...

19:12 - Louis Fouché responds by kicking the restart out directly. Scrum on half-way to Cheetahs...

19:11 - DROP GOAL! What a start by the Cheetahs as Johan Goosen kicks a 35 drop goal! 3-0 to the Cheetahs after 90 seconds. It came after they won a scrappy lineout...

19:10 - TWEET

I can hear the echos in Bloem from here .... Jeez, what a traumatic disaster to see the lack of troops ... Do Cheetahs deserve to be here? - Front Row Grunt

19:10 - Goosen gets play under way...

19:09 - Adriaan Strauss leads out the hosts at a rainy Free State Stadium.

19:08 - Flip van der Merwe leads out the Bulls - still clad in blue camo!

19:06 - Talented flyhalf Johan Goosen can make a big statement tonight. If he plays a good tactical game in these conditions he'll certainly catch the attention of Bok coach Heyneke Meyer.

19:03 - PICTURE

Raining in the pressbox - boer maak n plan - rainjacket for the laptop - Brenden Nel

19:00 - QUOTE

"We're only focused on today. We're not looking at history. On the day we need to be better," says Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss when asked about their poor record against the Bulls.

18:54 - The Bulls will love this rainy weather though...

18:51 - It's bucketing down with rain at the moment. That could be a reason for the poor attendance, but last week's game against the Lions was played in bright sunshine and empty stands...

18:46 - Not a very big crowd at the Free State Stadium expected. Always a poor crowd in Bloemfontein. There must be something else to do there on a Friday night that I don't know about...

18:45 - Since the Cheetahs joined Super Rugby full-time in 2006, they have never beaten the Bulls. Can they break their duck tonight?

18:44 - ARE YOU AT THE GAME?

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18:37 - RAINY CONDITIONS IN BLOEM

The heavens are open in Bloemfontein. This will suite the Bulls with their more structured kicking game.

18:32 - In case you missed, the Chiefs beat the Crusaders 18-10 in the day's earlier game in Christchurch.

CLICK HERE for a full match report.

18:30 - The Bulls will miss their skipper Pierre Spies, who was ruled out with an elbow injury. He has been replaced by Jacques Engelbrecht, who moves up from the bench, while Wiaan Liebenberg replaces Engelbrecht on the bench.

"Vleis" is no slouch though and should make his presence felt in Spies's absence.

Springbok lock Flip van der Merwe will take over the captaincy.

18:26 - Welcome to LIVE UPDATES and INTERACTIVE COMMENTARY of tonight's Super Rugby derby in Bloemfontein.

Important game for both teams after losses last week - the Cheetahs stunned 21-20 by the Lions at home and the Bulls going down 31-16 to the Sharks in Durban.

So expect a desperate duel!

But I'm going to go Bulls by 3. They were better than the scoreline suggested in Durban last week and for some reason always get the better of the Cheetahs in Super Rugby.

OFFICIALS

Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa), Francois de Bruin (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

RECENT RESULTS

2013: Bulls won 30-25, Bloemfontein
2013: Bulls won 26-20, Pretoria
2012: Bulls won 40-24, Pretoria
2012: Bulls won 51-19, Bloemfontein
2011: Bulls won 32-21, Pretoria
2011: Bulls won 25-23, Bloemfontein

TEAMS

Cheetahs

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Shaun Venter 8 Phillip van der Walt, 7 Lappies Labuschagné, 6 Boom Prinsloo, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen

Substitutes:16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Maks van Dyk, 19 Rynard Landman, 20 Jean Cook, 21 Sarel Pretorius, 22 Elgar Watts, 23 Rayno Benjamin

Bulls

15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht , 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Louis Fouché, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Jono Ross, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Flip van der Merwe (captain), 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling

Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Marcel van der Merwe ,19 Victor Matfield, 20 Wiaan Liebenberg, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Handré Pollard, 23 Ulrich Beyers

Welcome to Sport24's LIVE scoring and interactive commentary on today's Super Rugby match between the Cheetahs and Bulls from Bloemfontein!