
Rampant Bulls humble Sharks in one-sided Currie Cup clash
The Bulls delivered a dominant display to dismantle the Sharks in a one-sided Currie Cup clash at Loftus Versfeld.
Phiwe Nomlomo's side started strong and never let up. Hooker Juann Else opened the scoring from a powerful lineout maul, before prop Dylan Smith followed with a near-identical try just minutes later. The Bulls were 14-0 up within 10 minutes.
The Sharks showed some defensive fight midway through the first half, holding up Jeandre Rudolph over the line, but they couldn't stop the flood for long. Centre Chris Smit scored back-to-back tries to break the game open.
Else then grabbed his second from yet another lineout drive, and fullback Boeta Chamberlain nailed his fifth straight conversion to give the Bulls a 35-0 lead at the break.
There was no let-up after half-time. Rudolph finally got on the scoreboard two minutes into the second half before winger Stravino Jacobs carved through the defence with a 50-metre sprint for the Bulls' seventh try.
Rudolph crossed again soon after to take the score past 50. Replacement Cornel Smit added the ninth try, and debutant JJ Theron wrapped things up late on to complete the 10-try rout.
The result sent the Bulls to the top of the Currie Cup log with 10 points from two matches, edging ahead of the Lions on points difference.
For the defending champion Sharks, the result was a humbling blow. They failed to fire in any area and now sit bottom of the table after two rounds.
Next weekend, the Bulls will look to continue their form against the Pumas at home, while the struggling Sharks host the Cheetahs in Durban.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Bathobele Hlekani signing a positive step for the Lions
Having seen a lot of their best young talent leave the union, the Lions will be relieved to have lured one of the best rising young talents in SA rugby. Whether it is a sign of things to come, or a strange one-off move for the Lions, who are used to seeing their best talent departing for greener pastures, the signing of Junior Springbok star Bathobele Hlekani is a welcome boost for the struggling union. In recent times the Lions have fostered some of the country's best up and coming junior talent, only to see them snapped up by the rest of the 'big four'. Top rising talent who have left the Lions over the past few years include Vincent and Emmanuel Tshituka and Jordan Hendrikse, all to the Sharks, Wandisile Simelane, to the Bulls, and Hacjivah Dayimani to the Stormers. So to see one of the brightest young U20 talents making a move up to the Highveld, from the much more fancied Springbok-laden coastal Sharks, is a surprise that many didn't see coming. Hlekani, who is a utility forward that has featured at lock and flank, was a star performer for the Junior Springboks during their recent World Rugby U20 Championship winning campaign, and that has been recognised by the Springbok management. Springbok feel Hlekani, along with two other Junior Bok stars, scrumhalf and soon to be teammate Haashim Pead, and Bulls outside back Cheswill Jooste, were called into the Springbok training squad for the Rugby Championship, to get a feel for the system, even though coach Rassie Erasmus said they wouldn't feature for the Boks this year. Hlekani's burgeoning talent is undeniable and he will add plenty of competition to the Lions' utility forward department. The Lions aren't hurting for loose forwards, boasting some top talent in Francke Horn, Ruan Venter, JC Pretorius, Jarod Cairns, Renzo du Plessis, and Siba Qoma among others, while their lock department also isn't wanting. But Hlekani may believe he has a better chance of getting valuable game time to push his Springbok ambitions at the Lions, rather than at the Sharks, where he would have had to challenge players like Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, the Tshituka brothers Vincent and Emmanuel, Phepsi Buthelezi and Jason Jenkins.


The South African
6 hours ago
- The South African
REVEALED: Why Kaizer Chiefs have failed to do a deal for 'Cafu'
Kaizer Chiefs wanted to sign Thibang 'Cafu' Phete, but a surprise hurdle got in the way of them and the 31-year-old holding midfielder. Sekhukhune are the frontrunners to sign the seasoned star. Phete is currently with the Icelandic side IF Vestri. Chiefs coaching staff get the best email of 2025 Chiefs chase teenage striking prodigy Thibang Phete has dropped a strong hint that he's ready to return home. Local outlet FARPost believe Sekhukhune are favourites to sign a man whose extensive experience includes stints in Portugal and the UAE. Phete has four caps for South Africa. 'Things have been good so far, I'm trying to adapt to the weather [in Iceland], but I'm very grateful for the opportunity they [IF Vestri] gave me,' Phete said, via FARPost . 'I have considered coming back home, especially now with having a new family, my decision will always be surrounding them. Even coming to Iceland was a bit difficult for them, but I had to make the sacrifice.' Former Orlando Pirates full-back duo Paseka Mako and Thabiso Monyane would add experience in defence. 25-year-old Nkanyiso Shinga is another new option at left-back, after spending seven years in Portugal. 31-year-old Thibang 'Cafu' Phete is a versatile operator who can play as the hard man in midfield or in defence. 22-year-old winger Asanele Velebayi has been a long-standing target, while 26-year-old playmaker Ethan Chislett returns to South Africa after Port Vale got relegated to the fourth tier of English football. Etiosa Ighodaro and the relatively unknown Flavio Silva could bolster the attack. A deal for Ighodaro, however, has stalled. Finally, some good news for Kaizer Chiefs fans SEVEN arrivals, TWO big surprises coming at Naturena? Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.


The Citizen
7 hours ago
- The Citizen
Selection strategy key as Lions and Bulls stake claim as Currie Cup favourites
The Lions and Bulls are the only unbeaten teams in the Currie Cup after two rounds of action. The Lions and Bulls have both staked their claim to be considered favourites for the Currie Cup title, after two big wins on the opening two weekends of the competition. Of the country's 'big four', the two Highveld teams have gone with a different selection strategy to their coastal rivals and it looks to be paying off with both picking up bonus point wins to take an early lead on the Currie Cup log. The Lions started with two home games, and comfortably swatted aside the Sharks 46-5 and Western Province 40-19, while the Bulls opened their campaign in Cape Town with a 48-23 win over Western Province, before thrashing the Sharks 64-0 back at home over the past weekend. Both the Lions and the Bulls have loaded their Currie Cup squad with players who are largely considered backup to their United Rugby Championship (URC) team, while the Sharks and Western Province have mostly backed inexperienced youngsters for the competition. And that has made a notable difference in their fortunes based on the results over the first two weekends of action. In the past weekend's match the Lions' entire starting 15 were players who had featured regularly over the previous URC campaign, although none are considered regulr starters, while Western Province only had a handful of players with decent URC experience. International experience The Bulls also went with a strong lineup, boasting players with international experience such as Marvin Orie (Springboks) and Jaco van der Walt (Scotland), and a host of URC regulars, while the Sharks featured a few players with URC experience, and a large number without. It will be interesting to see which player strategy pays off when it comes to the start of the coming URC season, when a number of backup players will need to be utilised due to the unavailability of Springbok players, who will still be in international action. But in the Currie Cup, the Bulls, who sit top on 10 points, only ahead of the Lions on points difference, are currently the two teams to beat and with them now coming up against the other teams in the competition, we will gain a better understanding of where they truly stand. Of the other four teams it is hard to gauge if they will be able to challenge the top two, as they have all picked up one win, with the Kavaliers beating the Cheetahs, Pumas beating the Griquas, Cheetahs beating the Pumas and Griquas beating the Kavaliers over the first two weekends. The Bulls will now host the Pumas at Loftus on Saturday afternoon, while the Lions travel to Wellington to take on the entertaining Kavaliers in what should be another Sunday afternoon classic. The other two games see the Griquas up against Western Province in Kimberley on Friday, and the Sharks host the Cheetahs in Durban on Saturday.