Western Province blew a 17-point half-time lead in Saturday’s 50-34 Currie Cup loss to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
The hosts ran in six second-half tries to the one of the Kapenaars, who have now lost home and away to the Bulls in this year’s competition.
But Saturday’s loss in Pretoria will sting more after Province made a brilliant start to the game as flyhalf Jurie Mathee slotted a fourth-minute drop goal and a penalty after 17 minutes to give WP a 6-3 lead after Bulls No. 10 Jaco van der Walt drew first blood with his second-minute three-pointer.
Province then started to pull away in the 20th minute after Bulls captain Nizaam Carr was sent off for 10 minutes with a yellow card for a high tackle in the lead-up to Gary Porter’s try for the visitors.
Next on the scoresheet for Province was Wandisile Simelane, who cut through the Bulls defence to dot down for Mathee to convert and give the visitors a 20-3 lead.
And just before Carr’s return from the sin-bin WP stretched their lead to 27-3 with the Bulls looking planloos.
The tide, however, turned as Van der Walt, who scored 25-points on the night, finished off a brilliant counter-attack by the Bulls for a 27-10 half-time score.
Province looked like headless chickens on defence early in the second half as the Bulls’ physicality started to wear down WP, with flanker Celimpilo Gumede scoring early.
Francois Klopper’s converted try five minutes later then saw the Bulls cut Province’s lead cut to just three points before scrumhalf Zak Burger put the Bulls in front after dotting down in the 52nd minute.
But the Bulls’ scoring spree was not over as hooker Joe van Zyl got in on the action and gave them a 36-27 lead.
Province winger Angelo Davids’ try after running over Van der Walt in the left corner would temporarily stop the bleeding, but the Bulls ran in two more late tries with Van der Walt scoring his second five-pointer after the hooter to send the Kapenaars packing stert tussen die bene.
Gumede ➡️ Dyantyi ➡️ Van der Walt 🔥
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 27, 2024
Bulls close out a tough game against Western Province with a spectacular try 💪 #CurrieCup pic.twitter.com/jntYiN2DnS
Bulls – Tries: Jaco van der Walt (2), Celimpilo Gumede, Francois Klopper, Zak Burger, Joe van Zyl and Juann Else; Conversions: Van der Walt (6); Penalty: Van der Walt.
WP – Tries: Gary Porter, Wandisile Simelane, Imad Khan and Angelo Davids; Conversions: Jurie Mathee (4); Penalty: Mathee; Drop Goal: Mathee.