Cheetahs condemn Bulls to third straight Currie Cup defeat

The Cheetahs made it three out of three in the Currie Cup with an emphatic 32-7 win over the Bulls in Bloemfontein on Friday in a game they dominated from the outset. 

RECAP | Cheetahs v Bulls

The first half saw both sides feeling each other out in the early stages, but the Cheetahs opened the scoring in the 10th minute thanks to a penalty from veteran scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar that gave the home side a 3-0 lead.

The Cheetahs kept up their pressure on the Bulls' defence, and an excellent maul saw flanker Gideon van der Merwe crash over in the 20th minute.

Pienaar added the extras as the home side extended their lead to 10-0.

The Bulls then scored one of the tries of the season as slick handling put Jan-Hendrik Wessels in space down the wing. Showing impressive pace, he managed to outstrip the defence to bring them back into the contest with a converted try to cut the Cheetahs' lead to 10-7 in the 24th minute. 

Wessel was sent to the bin for cynical play soon after, and the Cheetahs used their extra man and impressive mauling to good use as hooker Marnus van der Merwe secured their second try of the match.

With Pienaar unable to convert, the home side led 15-7 with 10 minutes left in the first half. 

While the Cheetahs had an excellent chance to extend their lead on the stroke of half-time, the Bulls' defence held out as the home side took a 15-7 lead into the shed at the break. 

It wasn't only the Cheetahs' rolling maul that was impressive, as the Bloemfontein outfit were prepared to give the ball air and work the space at every opportunity.

That paid dividends in the 52nd minute when after a period of possession, flyhalf Reinhardt Fortuin saw space out on the left and aimed a perfectly weighted kick into the hands of winger Munier