No Bulls blues: 30-13
The city was abuzz with rugby fever last week as the Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs made their way to Polokwane.
POLOKWANE – The city was abuzz with rugby fever last week as the Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs made their way to Polokwane.
The two teams played a warm-up match at the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex on Saturday in preparation of the looming Super Rugby season.
The Vodacom Bulls beat the Toyota Cheetahs 30-13.
Rugby fans had the opportunity to met Vodacom Bulls players such as JJ Engelbrecht, Dean Greyling, Piet van Zyl and Duncan Matthews at Mall of the North and Savannah Mall on Friday, where the players signed autographs.
The Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs then joined Polokwane Municipality’s top brass and the public for a gala dinner at Fusion Boutique Hotel later in the evening.
“It is great to welcome the teams, coaches and managers back to Polokwane,” said the Polokwane mayor, Thembi Nkadimeng.
The Vodacom Bulls coach, Frans Ludeke, who is a former Tom Naudé Technical High School head boy said: “it is great to be back in my hometown for this event and to play against the Cheetahs again”.
“We regard the Peter Mokaba Sport Complex as our home away from home because of the support base we have in Polokwane.
“We would like to thank the Polokwane Municipality and the community for welcoming us back,” he said.
Naka Drotske, the Toyota Cheetahs coach said: “it is always tough to play against the Bulls, even if it is a warm-up match”.
“It is great to meet my former coach, Frans Ludeke, again and to compete as equals. Playing against the Bulls in a Super Rugby warm-up match always resulted in our team doing very well during the following season.”
The Vodacom Bulls will play another warm-up match against Saracens next weekend before they officially start their Super Rugby campaign against the DHL Stormers at Loftus Versfeld on February 14.
Vodacom Bulls point scorers:
• Piet van Zyl, two tries, ten points.
• Duncan Matthews, one try, five points.
• Tiaan Schoeman, three conversions, six points.
• Jacques Louis Potgieter, three penalties, nine points.
Toyota Cheetahs point scorers:
• Joe Petersen, one penalty and one drop goal, six points.
• Francois Venter, one try, five points.
• Francois Brummer, one conversion, two points.
