Bulls topple Cheetahs

The Bulls continued to make a late charge in Super Rugby after their latest bonus-point victory over the Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld, eventually running out 32-21 winners in the all-South African clash.

Danie Rossouw scored two tries for the Bulls, who also had the accurate kicking of Morne Steyn to thank for pulling out to an insurmountable lead, while Ashley Johnson also crossed on two occasions for the Cheetahs.

The Bulls took an early lead after a fantastic try by wing Bjorn Basson but Steyn missed the conversion before adding two penalties to give his team an 11-0 half-time lead.

The Cheetahs did not trouble the home defence anywhere near enough but managed to get on the scoreboard in the 52nd minute when Philip Snyman made a good run down the wing and handed off to Johnson to bring the visitors back into the game.

Only four minutes later Roussouw took centre stage as he ran over twice in seven minutes, with Steyn converting them both to pull the Bulls well clear.

But the Cheetahs were not going to give up and went straight down the other end of the pitch and gave themselves hope once more when Johnson ran over his second try of the match.

Sias Ebersohn then took the visitors within six points of the Bulls when he dived over after a well-worked penalty before he converted to close the gap further.

But the Bulls scored the bonus-point try three minutes into extra-time when scrum-half Francois Hougaard lunged over the line, Steyn again converting as the hosts moved up to seventh in the table.