Cheetahs and Bulls in Currie Cup Finals

Blue Bulls 5 Cheetahs 0

The Blue Bulls and the Cheetahs, a.k.a. Northern Transvaal and Orange Free State, have met in five finals. The Blue Bulls have won them all.

It started in the Seventies when suddenly Orange Free State rose as a rugby power in South Africa. They had not bee near winning the Currie Cup for 79 years of participation till the made the final in 1973. And when they did get to the final their opponents were Northern Transvaal.

When next they got to the final, their opponents were again Northern Transvaal. The year after that their opponents were not Northern Transvaal and for the first and only time they won the Currie Cup.

In all the Cheetahs have made the final on eight occasions, five of them against the Blue Bulls. That's tough.

Here is a summary of Currie Cup finals between the Blue Bulls and the Cheetahs.

1973: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 30-22

To get to the final Free State had done something that has almost become a tradition - beat Western Province at Newlands and that on a muddy field. In the other semi, Northern Transvaal beat Rhodesia 20-7.

There were 44,000 spectators at Loftus Versfeld. Tickets had been sold out by Tuesday. The match did not disappoint - a spectacular, high-scoring match to delight the hearts of the Pretoria faithful.

For the first half the brilliant Free State backs attacked again and again. Northern Transvaal stuck their jaws out and stood firm. Astonishingly the score was 10-all at half-time.

The second half was a different matter as mercurial, unpredictable Dirkie de Vos took over as his pack became increasingly dominant in the line-outs and the loose. In that second half it was just the boot of Jackie Snyman that kept the Free Staters close-ish as at one stage Northern Transvaal led 3013 with 15 minutes to play. It was not surprising that three of Northern Transvaal's four tries were scored by forwards.

Scorers:

For Northern Transvaal:
Tries: Lourens, De Klerk, Williams, Knox
Con: Van Zyl
Drops: De Vos 2
Pens: Van Zyl 2

For Orange Free State:
Tries: Grobler, Naudé
Con: Snyman
Pens: Snyman 4

Teams:

Northern Transvaal: Pierre van Zyl, Floris Aucamp, John Knox, André van Staden, Willem Stapelberg, Vic Booyens, Dirk de Vos, Albie Bates (captain), Magiel Eloff, Thys Lourens, Moaner van Heerden, John Williams, Daan du Plessis, Mof de Klerk, Leon Viljoen

Orange Free State: Frikkie Naudé, Japie Pienaar, Jan Schlebusch, Gerrie Germishuys, Jackie Snyman, Willie Strydom, Kleintjie Grobler, Jakes Swart, Piet van Zyl, Daan de Wet (captain), Johan Botha, Martiens le Roux, André Bestbier, Rampie Stander.

Referee: Piet Robbertse (Eastern Transvaal)

1975: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 12-6

Northern Transvaal won Section A and Orange Free State won Section B. They met in the final in Bloemfontein.

The heavens opened on the morning of the match on that late September day. The field was a mud bath when the teams went out.

The first half was a battle at close quarters as the Northern Transvaal pack kept the ball close and denied the Free Staters possession for their ever-willing backs. There was just one score - a penalty by Keith Thoreson for Northern Transvaal.

Thoreson scored a second penalty and then as time ran out Pikkie du Toit scored a brilliant try for the Free State. De Wet Ras converted and, by the reckoning of those days, the score was 6-all.

Again the Free State attacked but then Northern Transvaal came raging back. In the last movement of the match the ball went right.

The pass, a famous pass, was high to the tall athlete Pierre Spies on the right wing. He raised a long right arm at full stretch and played with the ball on his fingertips before bringing it down to race over the mud to score the try which one this tense, tense match.

Scorers:

For Northern Transvaal:
Try: Spies
Con: Thoreson
Pens: Thoreson 2

For Free State:
Try: Du Toit
Con: Ras

Teams:

Northern Transvaal: Olaf Meyer, Keith Thoreson, Christo Wagenaar, Hennie du Rand, Pierre Spies, Len Gerber, Tommy du Plessis, Wynand Claassen, Louis Muller, Thys Lourens (captain), Louis Moolman, John Williams, Daan du Plessis, Willie Kahts, Nic Bezuidenhout

Orange Free State: Piet Strydom, Gerrie Germishuys, Pikkie du Toit, Jan Schlebusch, Hermanus Potgieter, De Wet Ras, Barry Wolmarans, Gerrie Sonnekus, Basie Verster, KIeintjie Grobler, Klippies Kritzinger (captain), Ross van Reenen, Martiens le Roux, Wouter Hugo, Wilhelm Potgieter.

Referee: Justus Moolman (Eastern Province)

1977: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 27-12

Free State won Section 1, Northern Transvaal Section 2, and so they came to Loftus for the final with 55 000 people to watch them.

Northern Transvaal started winning at the very first scrum. They shoved the Free State to bits and in the process injured their captain and hooker, Wouter Hugo who suffered concussion.

But the Free State remained determined and the boom-boom boot of De Wet Ras gave them the lead till centre Christo Wagenaar raced through for a try.  At half-time Northern Transvaal led 9-3, a poor reward for all the ball the forwards had presented to the backs, especially as Free State were perhaps unlucky not to have scored a try through Hermanus Potgieter, one that would have been referred to the television match official in modern times..

To add to the visitors' woes Ras kicked so badly that Gysie Pienaar had to take over.

Pierre Spies scored in this final as well when Gerrie Germishuys knocked on and he picked up and raced away for Northern Transvaal's third try.

Scorers

For Northern Transvaal:
Tries: Wagenaar, Daan du Plessis, Spies
Cons: Botha 3
Drop: Botha
Pens: Botha 2

For Free State:
Drop: Pienaar
Pens: Ras, Pienaar 2

Teams:

Northern Transvaal: Pierre Edwards, John Knox, Christo Wagenaar, Hein Piater, Pierre Spies, Naas Botha, Tommy du Plessis, Wynand Claassen, Burger Geldenhuys, Thys Lourens (captain), Louis Moolman, Moaner van Heerden, Daan du Plessis, Willie Kahts, Nic Bezuidenhout

Orange Free State: Gysie Pienaar, Gerrie Germishuys, Edrich Krantz, Jan Schlebusch, Hermanus Potgieter, De Wet Ras, Barry Wolmarans, Gerrie Sonnekus, Eben Jansen, Theuns Stoffberg, Hennie Bekker, Ross van Reenen, Martiens le Roux, Wouter Hugo (captain), Henning van Aswegen

Referee: Jimmy Smith-Belton

1981: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State, 23- 6

It was hard to get to the final in 1981. Just to determine second place in Section A required the Free State to beat Eastern Province and then Western Province and then, in a semi-final, Eastern Transvaal in Springs. Then, phew, they limped up to Loftus for a final before 56 000 spectators.

That year the Springboks had played Ireland and then gone on the demo tour to New Zealand and the UISA. It became a matter of debate whether the provinces would play their returning Springboks.  Northern Transvaal played theirs, Free State did not.

Free State dominated the first half but then faded away and by half-time the home side led 10-0.  The second half was just a matter of how big the victory would be.

Scorers:

For Northern Transvaal:
Tries: Strauss, Heunis, Geldenhuys
Con: Naas Botha
Drop: Naas Botha
Pens: Heunis 2

For Orange Free State:
Pens: Ras 2

Teams:

Northern Transvaal: Pierre Edwards, Darius Botha, Christo Wagenaar, Dirk Hoffman, Johan Heunis, Naas Botha (captain), Tommy du Plessis, Johan Marais (replaced by Jannie Breedt), Thys Burger, Burger Geldenhuys, Louis Moolman, André Skinner, Ockie Oosthuizen, JC Strauss, Jan Oberholzer

Orange Free State: Ernest Viljoen, Christo Fichet, Johan Coetzee, Gert Jordaan,. Jan du Toit, De Wet Ras, Toetie Marais, Barry Schoeman, Willie Bolton, Gerrie Sonnekus, Herman van Heerden, Vleis Visagie, Martiens le Roux (captain), Callie Wegner, Schalk Oosthuizen

Referee: Johan Gouws (Eastern Transvaal's)

2004: Blue Bulls vs Cheetahs, 42-33

The Blue Bulls were stampeding through South African rugby in 2004, as they have been doing in 2005. They beat the Lions in the semi-finals while the Cheetahs did what they did again this year - beat Western Province at Newlands.

The faithful came in blue to Loftus, 50 000 of them, and they had a whale of a time as their heroes won more comfortably than the score suggests. It was a fun game, as much as too eager and ambitious sides could make a final a fun game. It was a generous game. Ten tries were scored.

The Blue Bulls scored their penalty goal two minutes into the match and for the next 78 minutes did not score another as they went for tries.   Tries mattered.

The Cheetahs went ahead with a remarkable try by energetic Anton Pitout who fell on the ball after Rassie Erasmus had dropped it over the Blue Bulls' goal-line - a try which needed careful advice from the television match official.

The Blue Bulls were having none of this and went on the rampage, scoring 24 points in 20 minutes as the Cheetahs' defence opened up to Frikkie Welsh, then Etienne Botha, then Victor Matfield and then Keegan Fredericks scored tries. Tsepo Kokoali got over for the Cheetahs but at half-time, even if the score was only 27-16, there was no doubt who would win.

Willem de Waal kicked a penalty for the first score of the second half  but then threw a woeful pass, Welsh made a thumping tackle and Gavin Passens dashed off to score.

Derick Hougaard kicked a drop goal, and then came the try of the match as Ettienne Botha went on a long solo run, dancing past Cheetah after Cheetah to score at the posts. That made it 42-19 and the rest was pleasant but immaterial.

Last year there were farewells to Peet Kleynhans as coach and Rassie Ersmus as player. This year there are farewells to the captians, Anton Leonard and Naka Drotské - and the spirit of Ettienne Botha will certainly be there.

Scorers:

For Blue Bulls:
Tries: Etienne Botha 2, Fredericks, Passens, Welsh, Matfield
Cons: Hougaard 3
Pen: Hougaard
Drop: Hougaard

For Cheetahs:
Tries: Pitout 2, Scholtz, Kokoali
Cons: De Waal 2
Pen: De Waal 3

Teams

Blue Bulls: Johan Roets Keegan Fredericks, Frikkie Welsh, Ettienne Botha, Gavin Passens Derick Hougaard, Fourie du Preez Anton Leonard (captain), Warren Brosnihan, Jacques Cronjé Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha Richard Bands, Gary Botha, Kees Lensing
Replacements: Danie Coetzee, Wessel Roux, Danie Rossouw, Pedrie Wannenburg, Norman Jordaan, Morné Steyn, JP Nel

Free State: Tsepo Kokoali Eddie Fredericks, Chris Kruger, Jacques Claassens, Anton Pitout Willem de Waal, Noel Oelschig Rassie Erasmus (captain), Juan Smith, Hendro Scholtz Barend Pieterse, Boela du Plooy CJ van der Linde, Naka Drotské, Os du Randt
Replacements: Gurthrö Steenkamp, Hanyani Shimange, Rayno Gerber, Gerrie Britz, Michael Claassens, Jaco van Schalkwyk, Barry Goodes

Referee: André Watson