The Sunday News
VODACOM Blue Bulls flyhalf Tian Schoeman produced 16 points with his kicking boot in his side’s Absa Currie Cup victory of 46-32 over ORC Griquas at Griqua Park in Kimberley yesterday. Schoeman struggled with the gusting wind when it came to restarting the game, but he missed only once with his goal kicking, converting five of the Blue Bulls tries and kicking two penalties.
His kicking display means that he is now the top points scorer in the competition, besting Golden Lions flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff, who led the standings last week.
The visitors came away with a bonus point victory, but it almost seemed like the tale of Rip van Winkle playing off before supporters eyes. The Blue Bulls awoke from a 20-minute slumber in the first half before putting their foot down.
For the first 20 minutes it seemed like they were cat napping on the field, with Griquas doing almost all the playing. The hosts couldn’t have asked for a better start, claiming a penalty and try in the opening minutes by winger Ntabeni Dukisa. The latter scored in the seventh minute after Bulls flanker Lappies Labuschagne was sin-binned after the visitors had to scramble on defence.
Griquas were in the pound seats and it reflected in their scrums and on the attack. As Dukisa slotted another penalty, the Blue Bulls regrouped and Schoeman came into play with a penalty of his own.
That gave the Bulls some confidence and it resulted in their first try shortly thereafter. Winger Travis Ismaiel scored as the only one of Schoeman’s attempts deflected from the upright. The Bulls regathered possession and Ismaiel rounded off to leave the visitors trailing by one point 10 minutes before halftime.
In what can best be described as role reversal, Griquas suddenly went into a slump on defence. The Bulls started running from all over the field, scoring another three tries before the break.
Two of those came via centres Dries Swanepoel and Burger Odendaal, with winger Jamba Ulengo adding the other five points. In what would turn out to be a masterful kicking display, Schoeman converted them all to help make the halftime score 31-11 in favour of the Bulls.
The introduction of impact players at the start of the second half by Griquas worked as replacement eighth man Carel Greeff scored just after kick off. Greeff’s try helped Griquas to settle on defence and the following five pointer by hooker AJ le Roux did give them a sniff at victory, but it was only a matter of time before the Blue Bulls scored again via Ulengo.
Griquas went down fighting with fullback Riaan Viljoen scoring in the last couple of minutes. Centre Clinton Swart converted, as was the case with Le Roux’s try, but the Blue Bulls scored another try via replacement Louis Fouche — as Griquas flanker Hilton Lobberts was yellow carded — to put the game beyond the hosts’ reach.
POINTS SCORERS:
Vodacom Blue Bulls 46 (31) : Tries: Travis Ismaiel, Dries Swanepoel, Burger Odendaal, Jamba Ulengo (2), Louis Fouche. Conversions: Tian Schoeman (5). Penalties: Tian Schoeman (2).
ORC Griquas 32 (11) : Tries: Ntabeni Dukisa, Carel Greeff, AJ le Roux, Riaan Viljoen. Conversions: Ntabeni Dukisa, Clinton Swart (2). Penalties: Ntabeni Dukisa (2). — SuperSport
