Blue Bulls scoop Tens title

The Bulls used smothering defence and good options from turnover ball to create opportunities and frustrate their opponents in a hugely physical contest.

Fullback Duncan Matthews opened the scoring in the final when he ran on to a well-weighted grubber by scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl.

After the halftime hooter sounded, it was the Bulls who kept probing. Wing Sibhale Mxwane made a good break from deep and produced a deft offload to the supporting Shaun Adendorff, who went in for the score.

After the break defensive pressure led to a third Bulls try when flank Nick de Jager scored from turnover and less than a minute later Matthews went in for his second with an intercept. That ended the match as a contest although the Cheetahs kept fighting.

Loose forward Niel Jordaan gave the Cheetahs a glimmer of hope with a try from the back of a rolling maul. But there wasn’t enough time to stage an unlikely comeback against a defence as miserly as the Bulls’.

“We had a good team vibe all week and we wanted to use this tournament as a team building exercise as we look ahead to the Currie Cup,” Bulls captain Boom Prinsloo said.

“The Cheetahs were probably a bit tired after such a tough semi-final so we’re happy with the result.

“Tens is a great game – it’s more physical than sevens – there are big hits and a lot of contesting at the breakdown, which makes it a real challenge.

“This is also a great tournament from the excellent Beachcomber Hotels were we have been staying to the wonderful organisation behind the scenes. Thanks to everyone in Mauritius for hosting us.”

The high quality final brought the curtain down on another successful event that is sure to grow in stature in the coming years.

Australia’s Western Force made a good fist of defending the title they won last year, losing 33-14 to the Bulls in the semi-finals while the composite African Pacific Dragons team, coached by Springbok legend Victor Matfield, were the surprise package of the event.

It was unsurprising that the two South African powerhouses with star-studded lineups staffed by Super Rugby players contested the final in a repeat of their day one pool match.

The Cheetahs were too strong with a 29-14 win over the Bulls in the Pool phase but were not as fluent during the knockout stages on day two while the Bulls slowly improved with each outing.

They battled to a 17-10 win over the Kubota Spears in the quarterfinals and then were nearly upset by the Africa Pacific Dragons (APD) before emerging with a 17-14 win.

The Cheetahs had to hold out a last minute surge by the APD, who came up inches short of scoring the winning try and advancing to the final.

Final scorers:

Bulls – Tries: Duncan Matthews (2), Shaun Adendorff, Nick de Jager. Conversion: Andre Warner (2), Ivan van Zyl.

Cheetahs – Tries: Niel Jordaan. Conversion: Neil Marais.

 RESULTS

Quarterfinal:

Western Force 33 Brumbies 0

APD 36 Tsunami Pyrenees 0

Cheetahs 17 Kubota Spears 10

Bulls 26 Harlequins 19

Cup semi-finals

Bulls 33 Western Force 14

Cheetahs 17 APD 14

 Semi-finals:

Brumbies 24 Harlequins 17

Tsunami Pyrenees 12 Kubota Spears 5

Shield Final:

Kubota Spears 13 Harlequins 10

Bowl Final:

Tsunami Pyrenees 21 Brumbies 12

Plate Final:

APD 17 Western Force 12

 Cup Final:

Bulls 26 Cheetahs 7