Northern Bulls of South Africa overwhelmed Waikato Chiefs of New Zealand 61-17 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday to record a record winning margin for a Super 14 final.
After conceding the first try of a match watched by a sell-out 52,000 crowd, the Bulls scored three quick tries en route to a 34-7 half-time advantage and crossed the line a further four times in the second half.
The previous widest margin was eight years ago when the Australian ACT Brumbies outclassed the South African Coastal Sharks 36-6 in the southern hemisphere championship climax.
Chiefs soaked up fierce early pressure before taking a seventh-minute lead when fly-half Stephen Donald fielded a kick from fullback Zane Kirchner and set up wing Lelia Masaga to score a converted try under the posts.
The home crowd were stunned, but the silence lasted just two minutes before scrum-half Fourie du Preez took a tap penalty close to the Chiefs tryline and barged over for a try fly-half Morne Steyn converted to restore equality.
Du Preez struck again soon after as he snapped up a pass after centre Wynand Olivier dispossessed Chiefs hooker Aled de Malmanche and darted down the right touchline to cross for a try with Steyn again adding the conversion.
Bulls were playing like men inspired, not giving Chiefs a second to settle, and scored a third try on 15 minutes when wing Bryan Habana snatched a grubber kick and raced away for a try Steyn converted from the touchline.
Steyn, scorer of four drop goals in the semi-final triumph over defending champions Canterbury Crusaders last weekend, dropped another one and the Bulls led 24-7 midway through the first half.
Steyn kicked a penalty and Donald missed one before 2007 World Rugby Player of the Year Habana crossed the line again in the final minute of the half after an intercept and the conversion gave the home team a 34-7 advantage.
Fullback and captain Mils Muliaina was first to score in the second half as he demonstrated good handling skills, acceleration and power to go over under the posts and Donald kicked his second conversion.
But the Bulls responded within two minutes as Steyn, leading Super 14 points scorer this season ahead of Donald, slotted a simple penalty to maintain his 100 percent record in the match.
Donald kicked a penalty and then came the Bulls fifth try as inspirational captain and lock Victor Matfield dived over a mass of players to touch down and a Steyn kick at goal failed for the first time with the conversion hitting the post.
More misery was to follow for Chiefs as centre Wynand Olivier and number eight Pierre Spies scored tries and Steyn converted the second for the Bulls to move 54-17 ahead entering the closing stages.
And there was still time for another try as replacement forward Danie Rossouw crossed the line and fly-half Burton Francis, a late entrant in place of Steyn, converted.
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May 31st 2009 @ 1:07pm
Harry said | May 31st 2009 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
Another great game to watch. A complete and 15 man game from the Bulls, peaking perfectly, deservedly gives them the Championship. Strange enough for the Bulls, I though their only real weakness was in the front 3 and at scrums.
Pothale we’ll see how the British & Irish Lions go in a few weeks agianst the Boks at home eh, they should give us an updated marker of where the North and the South stands.
May 31st 2009 @ 2:35pm
fred said | May 31st 2009 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
if the chiefs cant catch their kick offs ;compete for high balls,get their own lineout ball and strategically take on the bulls at their own game on the veldt (with a couple of stars out) they are surely destined to play catch up rugby.this is a timely reminder for some coaches and indicative of the gap between super14 and test preparation.
May 31st 2009 @ 3:21pm
wannabprop said | May 31st 2009 @ 3:21pm | Report comment
Have to concur with JC (and most others). The Bulls were irrepressible last night, but if the officiating had been fairer, it may have been a 15 point margin (and a better contest), instead of a 30 odd point landslide. I am willing to concede however, that bleary eyes at that hour contributed to seeing ignored forward passes and knock-ons as well as bias at the breakdown.
May 31st 2009 @ 3:28pm
ohtani's jacket said | May 31st 2009 @ 3:28pm | Report comment
Yeah, the reffing was awful, but I guess you can get away with that when you’re the dominant home side.
May 31st 2009 @ 3:49pm
bluey said | May 31st 2009 @ 3:49pm | Report comment
The bulls deserved the win but the chiefs played well all season
May 31st 2009 @ 4:24pm
Photon said | May 31st 2009 @ 4:24pm | Report comment
All this crying about the referee is just bull shyt. The Chiefs where just not at the races, the reasons for that are numerous. Altitude, travelling, the fact that in Super 14 away means away, I don’t think there is another competition where the away team doesn’t even have 2 percent of the crowd support. Kaplan made no more or no less mistakes that the average referee makes in a match and none ofhis decisions ,not one where match altering. there where just to many factors for the Chiefs to be expected to overcome. This whiging about the referee is also an insultto a Chiefs side that has been honourable enough to take their hiding on the chin without offering lame excuses.
May 31st 2009 @ 4:27pm
Dan said | May 31st 2009 @ 4:27pm | Report comment
pothale,
Your argument that the S14 final exhibited “everything that is wrong with the competition” is pure dribble. There being a mismatch this years final proves nothing more than there being a close fought encounter in last years final in Christchurch (what did that game prove?).
The number of things you’re failing to recognise here just make you seem utterly ignorant of SH rugby. There are several factors that led to this game being hard on the chiefs. For starters the Chiefs had lost several key players to injury, not an easy thing to deal with before a grand final, and then of course they were playing a side without injury problems and studded with test players. Add to that fact that they were playing 4,600 feet above sea level (a factor that excaserbates the home ground advantage several fold for the Bulls) and you have yourself one of the toughest assignments in world rugby. They should send Leinster to play them in those conditions without BOD and Elsom and see how they go.
May 31st 2009 @ 4:36pm
ohtani's jacket, said | May 31st 2009 @ 4:36pm | Report comment
Photon, the reffing was awful. I wouldn’t say it affected the outcome, but it would’ve have been reffed like that in New Zealand.
May 31st 2009 @ 4:54pm
True Tah said | May 31st 2009 @ 4:54pm | Report comment
OJ
I guess you can blame Kaplan for the Chiefs inability to get clean ball after kick-offs and at lineouts, for the Chiefs handing Spies and Habana intercepts – as a Tahs fan I have little time for Kaplan, but suggesting that was what gave the Bulls the game is a bit wide of the mark.
The Chiefs are the entertainers of the comp, but last night, apart from a burst in the 2nd half, they showed very little mongrel, maybe they were too buggered – also I reckon Leonard missing wouldnt have helped, because he would make his forwards work a bit harder.
Dan
the Bulls would probably trample Leinster like a cape buffalo goring an intrepid lion.
May 31st 2009 @ 5:19pm
ohtani's jacket, said | May 31st 2009 @ 5:19pm | Report comment
Who said Kaplan cost the Chiefs the game? The Chiefs were ordinary, but the Bulls wouldn’t have gotten away with those tactics outside of Loftus. It was about as well officiated as an NBA game.