Blue Bulls snatch late win at Newlands

A 14-man Blue Bulls side fought back to snatch a dramatic victory with a late 22-20 win over Western Province in their Currie Cup game at Newlands on Saturday night.

Province looked to have it sealed with their third try by flank Ernst van Rhyn, as they took a 20-15 lead in the dying stages, but then the Blue Bulls scored the match-winning try with just three minutes left by replacement Marco Janse van Vuren to steal the win.

The home team enjoyed a massive possession and territorial advantage, taking a lead of 10-5 into half-time, but the Blue Bulls came more into their own at the breakdowns after the restart.

The red card to Blue Bulls prop Jacques van Rooyen for a dangerous charge on Province fullback Warrick Gelant early in the second half was always going to have an effect, and so it did.

Ten minutes after Van Rooyen left the scene, Province scored their vital second try by wing Angelo Davids after a favourable bounce to give his side a crucial 15-8 lead with just the last quarter of the match left to play.

The Blue Bulls, however, showed great character with wing Kurt-Lee Arendse scoring his second try to tie the scores up at 15-15, leaving everything left to play for in the last 10 minutes.

Scorers

Western Province: Juarno Augustius, Angelo Davids, Ernst van Rhyn. Conversions: Damian Willemse (1). Penalties: Willemse (1).

Blue Bulls: Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse (2), Marco Janse van Vuren. Conversions: Chris Smith (2). Penalties: Smith (1).

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.