The Bulls overpowered Western Province 48-23 in Pretoria, using their forwards to dominate territory, scrums and the scoreboard throughout.
BULLS STRANGLE WESTERN PROVINCE WITH DOMINANT FIRST-HALF DISPLAY
The Bulls wasted no time asserting their dominance, scoring from a rolling maul through hooker Joe van Zyl in the fifth minute.
WP responded with a penalty by Kyle Smith, but Zain Davids’ yellow card left them exposed against the relentless Bulls’ pack.
Scrumhalf Zak Burger took full advantage of the overlap, darting over for the Bulls’ second try after continuous attacking pressure built. The Pretoria men conceded a restart penalty, allowing Smith to close the gap again before Shilton van Wyk struck for WP.
Van Wyk intercepted a loose pass and sprinted away to score against the run of play, energising the home crowd briefly. However, the Bulls hit back with another powerful maul and Sintu Manjezi powered over to silence the fans once again.
Province’s discipline collapsed under pressure, losing both locks to yellow cards as the Bulls’ scrum turned the screw with clinical precision. Jeandré Rudolph picked up the fourth try off a dominant scrum, as WP were reduced to six forwards and little resistance.
Despite Chris Smit’s yellow card for cynical play, the Bulls stayed in control as Burger scored again before halftime approached. Boeta Chamberlain then slotted a penalty just before the break to stretch the lead to a comfortable 22-point advantage.
WESTERN PROVINCE FAIL TO MAKE SUCCESSFUL COMEBACK IN SECOND HALF
Province looked sharper after the restart and Courtnall Skosan finished a flowing move to add some hope for the hosts. But Rudolph had the final say, collecting his second try after slick interplay near the line broke WP’s fragile defence wide open.
Chamberlain punished WP further with a late penalty in the 78th minute, closing out a complete and ruthless Bulls performance. WP will need massive improvement before facing the Lions, while the Bulls look well-oiled ahead of round two next weekend.
WHICH PROVINCIAL SIDE WILL BE CROWNED CURRIE CUP CHAMPIONS THIS YEAR?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
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WHICH PROVINCIAL SIDE WILL BE CROWNED CURRIE CUP CHAMPIONS THIS YEAR?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
