Cheetahs to host Currie Cup final after trouncing woeful Bulls in Bloem

They will host either the Sharks or the Pumas in the title decider, with that semi-final kicking off at 17:30 in Durban, also on Saturday. 

FT | Cheetahs 39-10 Bulls

Veteran playmaker Ruan Pienaar, starting at flyhalf, kicked 22 points from the tee. 

The Bulls were desperate to win to salvage a disappointing season under coach Jake White, but they were poor throughout this one-sided affair. 

The Cheetahs were more clinical in all departments and had manufactured a 20-3 lead at half-time that the Bulls could not recover from. 

From the third minute of the match, the Cheetahs were ahead when centre Reinhardt Fortuin - playing his 50th match - charged down a kick from Bulls fullback Johan Goosen that he was quickest to reach before putting his side ahead. 

Goosen landed a penalty on 11 minutes, but even with the Cheetahs down to 14 men after tighthead prop Conraad van Vuuren yellow-carded, the Bulls could not break through. 

The Cheetahs defence was superb during that period, particularly their maul defence, but the Bulls were not doing themselves any favours with some poor handling at key moments. 

The Cheetahs' second try was far too easy from a Bulls perspective as flyhalf Pienaar went blindside off a scrum, passing to his right as Tapiwa Mafura went over through a toothless defence. 

Pienaar's third penalty of the day shortly after the restart put the Cheetahs 23-3 up, but the Bulls finally got some reward from their maul on 50 minutes when hooker Johan Grobbelaar went over to make it 23-10.  

Another Pienaar penalty then stretched it out to 26-10 on 57 minutes, and the Bulls had it all to do. 

With 16 minutes left on the clock and it all getting a bit frantic, the Bulls thought they were given a lifeline when replacement loose