Penalties on both sides within the first six minutes of the game promised a titanic battle but the Bulls scored the first try when eighthman Mpilo Gumede went over the line in the 11th minute. Cheetahs flyhalf Ethan Wentzel added three more with the boot, before Bulls’ right-winger Henry Immelman dotted one down with two minutes to go to the break, bringing the score to 17 – 6 at half-time.

Immelman scored his second try ten minutes into the second half, leaving the Cheetahs a mountain to climb in the last 30 minutes of the game. Cheetah replacement Dan Maartens managed to score a try with then minutes remaining, but a late penalty by Bulls replacement flyhalf Jaco van der Walt secured the win for the men from Pretoria.

This means that the Bulls have won all three of their matches so far and places them in second position on the table, behind the Lions with 13 points.  The Cheetahs are in third place with 10 points and will next face their Free State neighbours, the Griffons, in Welkom on the 26th of July. 

The Bulls’ next game will be against the Western Province, at home, on Saturday, the 27th of July.

OFM Sport/Ilse Smalberger