WATCH: Blue Bulls win it late in Currie Cup semi-final
Sunday 16 October 2016 01:00, UK
The Free State Cheetahs and Blue Bulls took contrasting routes to first appearances in the Currie Cup final for seven years.
Cheetahs, who topped the regular season standings by winning all eight games, thrashed title-holders Golden Lions 56-17 in Bloemfontein, with Sergeal Petersen scoring a hat-trick.
In contrast, Ivan van Zyl scored with two minutes remaining in Pretoria to earn the Bulls a 36-30 victory over Western Province in the other semi-final after a thriller featuring flawless goal-kicking.
Bulls defeated Cheetahs in the 2009 final, but finishing higher on the log means the Bloemfontein outfit enjoy home advantage next Saturday, and will start as slight favourites.
Free State Cheetahs 56-17 Golden Lions
A mix of clinical finishing and aggressive defending by Cheetahs and the sin-binning of Lion Cyle Brink allowed the hosts to build a 26-0 half-time lead at Free State Stadium.
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That advantage stretched to 33 points before Lions got on the scoreboard with a line-out leading to an opportunity for substitute Sylvian Mahuza to score.
However, there was no dramatic comeback from the Johannesburg outfit, even though Cheetahs were twice reduced to 14 men when Ryno Benjamin and Paul Schoeman received yellow cards.
The home side scored three more tries through Benjamin, Clayton Blommetjies and Petersen to win by a comfortable margin.
A neck injury that forced Lions prop Julian Redelinghuys off the field will be a concern for Springboks coach Allister Coetzee ahead of a four-match tour to England, Italy and Wales during November.
Blue Bulls 36-30 Western Province
Province came to Loftus Versfeld stadium seeking a hat-trick of semi-final victories over the Bulls, having beaten them by five and eight points in the past two seasons.
After the two most successful Currie Cup teams, with 56 titles between them, scored a converted try each, Bulls' Tian Schoeman slotted three penalties to create a nine-point gap.
That was trimmed to a 16-10 lead by half-time after rival No 10 Robert du Preez kicked a penalty.
Province led three times in the second half and Bulls twice, before Van Zyl struck the crucial blow.
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When a Bulls' surge was held up just short of the try-line, Van Zyl gained possession and evaded a tackle by fellow substitute Scott van Breda to score.
Schoeman converted from near the touchline to complete a perfect goal-kicking performance with eight consecutive successes from the tee.
He also stretched his lead over Curwin Bosch of Sharks to 31 points in the race to finish leading scorer in the Currie Cup this season.
Du Preez was an equally impressive goal-kicker, slotting his six attempts between the posts.
