Bulls vs Cheetahs

The Cheetahs started explosively, scoring through Michael Annies inside two minutes, converted by Jaco van der Walt. The Bulls hit back through Riyaad Bam in the 8th minute, but the Cheetahs' attack was relentless.

Zander du Plessis (13'), Prince Nkabinde (16') and Annies again (23') all crossed for the visitors, with van der Walt landing three of the conversions. At 5-28 after 23 minutes, the Cheetahs looked set to run away with it.

The Bulls showed fight through a Kebotile Maake try from a driving maul (27'), but Nkabinde grabbed his second (30') and captain Neels Volschenk powered over (34') to stretch the lead. Cohen Jasper scored just before half-time (39'), and van der Walt's conversion made it 17-47 at the break.

The second half began with Jasper's second try (47'), converted, and Victor Sekekete added another (52') to put the Cheetahs 17-59 ahead.

Down by 42 points, the Bulls mounted a remarkable fightback. Marnus Rademeyer (55'), Brooklyn Newman (61'), Nizaam Carr (73'), Devon Williams (76') and Newman again (78') all scored tries. Keagan Johannes landed five conversions, dragging the Bulls to within seven at 52-59 with three minutes left.

But Cheetahs replacement Jandre Nel kicked an 82nd-minute penalty to seal the win at 62-52 after the Bulls had lost their discipline chasing the game.

The Cheetahs' response to the Bulls' second-half surge was the defining passage. With the home side scoring five tries in 23 minutes to close a 42-point gap to seven, the visitors needed a moment of composure.

They got it through Nel's penalty under pressure, maintaining their attacking intent even after Marko Janse van Rensburg was sent off (66') and Michael Annies was yellow-carded (72') — reducing the Cheetahs to 13 men at one stage.

Cohen Jasper (Cheetahs) — Two tries and a constant counter-attacking threat from full-back. His ability to find space in the Bulls' defensive line created multiple scoring opportunities.

Michael Annies (Cheetahs) — Two first-half tries set the platform for the Cheetahs' early dominance.

Prince Nkabinde (Cheetahs) — A brace of tries on the wing, continuing his impressive form.

Brooklyn Newman (Bulls) — Two tries and one conversion in a late cameo off the bench, emblematic of the Bulls' refusal to surrender.

Player of the match: Cohen Jasper (Cheetahs)

The Cheetahs moved to 20 points (four wins from five matches), keeping pace with Suzuki Griquas at the top of the Currie Cup Premier Division log with two rounds remaining before the semi-finals.

The Bulls remain rooted to the bottom of the table on three points from five matches — all losses. Their playoff hopes are mathematically all but over.

Next fixtures:

• Toyota Cheetahs vs Sanlam Boland Kavaliers — Sunday, 23 August, Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein (15:00 SAST)
• Vodacom Bulls XV vs DHL Stormers XXIII — date TBC

The combined 114 points is the highest-scoring match of the 2026 Carling Currie Cup season. The Cheetahs' 62-point haul is their biggest of the campaign, surpassing the 43 they scored against the Sharks in Round 2.

The teams scored 17 tries between them (9 for Cheetahs, 8 for Bulls) — a rate of one try every 4.7 minutes of play.

The SA Rugby official match centre listed the score as 52-62, confirming the margin.

This was a match defined by its extremes. The Cheetahs' first-hour attack was lethal — nine tries, relentless width and ruthless finishing. The Bulls' character in scoring 35 unanswered points in the final quarter deserves credit but cannot mask the defensive fragility that has left them winless after five rounds.

For the Cheetahs, this performance — even with the late wobble — confirms they have the attacking firepower to challenge for the title. For the Bulls, an off-season rebuild looms.