Ken Borland

The scoreboard shows a 44-22 triumph for the Bulls over Benetton in Treviso, but they had to work extremely hard for the win, with coach Jake White saying how proud he was of the way they stuck together like a family to end their two-match losing streak overseas.

The Bulls were fortunate to only be 9-3 down at halftime, and even though they were much-improved after the break, Benetton were still leading 22-20 on the hour mark. It was a titanic tussle, but the Bulls finished superbly with three tries in the last 10 minutes to not only snatch a hard-fought win, but also claim an unlikely bonus point.

“It’s a massive relief and I’m really proud of the players for the way they stuck together and got the reward for the work they put in at training,” White said. “And it’s wonderful that it’s a bonus point win, I’m really happy.

“The second half was fantastic, after the first half when we did not finish our chances and gave them a couple of soft penalties through silly mistakes. I had a feeling that we would finish well because Benetton looked dead on their feet.

“The talk at halftime was that we’ve got them on the ropes, every time we got down their end, we could feel the ascendancy. We just had to keep going and bashing at the wall, and it did eventually break.

“From a game that could have gone either way, we won with forty points. Not many teams come here and win, so a bonus point win is really good,” White said.

The most outstanding area of the Bulls game was at the breakdown and, were it not for numerous steals in the first half, Benetton would surely have been much further ahead and the mountain to climb away from home would have been too much for the visitors.

“Having Bismarck du Plessis, Marco van Staden and Marcell Coetzee together really helps at the breakdown, they are masters of understanding when to go in and what to do,” White said.

“I was very pleased with the defensive breakdown and we were also able to get quick ball, unlike the last two weeks. When we get go-forward ball, we play so much better.

“It’s a credit to the captain [the man of the match Coetzee] and the belief in the team. Sometimes these sort of wins can be a catalyst to jumpstart the season, turn it around.

“Coming off two losses in a row, 9-3 down away from home, how much more character can the team show? And it gets rid of what happened here last year in the Rainbow Cup final,” a delighted White said.

It was perhaps even tougher than coach Jake White expected but the Bulls managed to end their tour on a winning note as they beat Benetton 44-22 in their United Rugby Championship match in Treviso on Friday night, but their performance was still not good enough to muzzle their critics.

The Bulls were a puzzle in the first half, showing occasional glimpses of promise but being unable to sustain pressure for long due to unforced errors. Defensively they also failed to contain a physical Benetton team that also attacked with purpose and width.

Were it not for the Bulls managing to stifle Benetton at the breakdown, where Marcell Coetzee led the way in winning numerous turnovers, helped by Bismarck du Plessis and Marco van Staden, the home side would have been much further ahead than 9-3 at halftime.

The Bulls started brightly in the second half, strong driving play by the forwards earning flyhalf Chris Smith a penalty and then a superb carry by flank Van Staden had defenders hanging off him, scrumhalf Embrose Papier was quick to the ball, sniped and broke through and lock Ruan Nortje was up in support as ever for the try.

A 13-12 lead became 20-12 when eighthman Elrigh Louw plunged over for a try from close range, but Benetton were back in front 22-20 by the hour mark as scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage orchestrated a clinical dissection of the Bulls defence for flank Manuel Zuliani to score.

It took a moment of good fortune to shift the momentum as the Bulls escaped sustained pressure inside their 22 when the ball mysteriously popped out on their side. They swept upfield and Smith kicked a penalty to put them back in front 23-22.

Morne Steyn then came on to ensure the Bulls dominated territory in the final quarter, kicking the ball into the corners and the maul was able to set a solid platform. The veteran flyhalf also slotted his conversions from tight angles.

In the last 10 minutes, the Bulls scored three ties as replacement hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels tidied up well at a five-metre lineout to score, just managing to stay in touch, man of the match Coetzee scored a well-deserved try and Stravino Jacobs rounded off a breakaway in the final minute.

Scorers

Benetton Treviso – Try: Manuel Zuliani. Conversion: Tomas Albornoz. Penalties: Albornoz (5).

Bulls – Tries: Ruan Nortje, Elrigh Louw, Jan-Hendrick Wessels, Marcell Coetzee, Stravino Jacobs. Conversions: Chris Smith (2), Morne Steyn (3). Penalties: Smith (3).

BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal – Johannesburg-born Steyn City representative Dylan Naidoo is acknowledged as one of the most talented young golfers in the country and the 24-year-old claimed his maiden Sunshine Tour title on Friday down by the seaside as he won the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya at Umhlali Country Club by two shots.

For all his talent, Naidoo said the key to his breakthrough title, having picked up four previous top-10 finishes on the Sunshine Tour, was becoming a creature of habit out on the golf course, taking comfort from a set process.

“The most important thing is that I felt I had the win coming, I’ve been playing very well for the last few weeks. It’s the culmination of having really good processes and discipline out on the course.

“So the best part is that it does not feel like a lightning bolt came down from the sky and I got lucky and won. I feel like I can replicate this because I have a really good process. But of course we will have to wait and see what happens because you never know in golf.”

Naidoo began the final round two shots off the lead and settled himself with a wonderful front nine that was bogey-free and featured back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes. But he was still a couple of shots behind Luke Brown until a brilliant eagle on the 489m par-five 10^th saw the former Big Easy Tour golfer vault strongly into contention.

Naidoo then targeted the short par-fours on the back nine, picking up birdies on three of them, and dropping a shot on the 15^th, which he described as “a good bogey”.

A pair of birdies on 16 and 17 beat back the tentacles of the chasing golfers trying to reach him at the top of the leaderboard.

“My goal was just to turn under-par because I had not done it the whole week, so I got that job done on two-under, I played really solid,” Naidoo recalled.

“We had 209 to the flag on 10, but we wanted to pitch it well short because the greens were really starting to firm up. It was a little downwind and my seven-iron pitched and bounced exactly where it needed to and I sank the eight-foot putt for eagle.

“There are so many opportunities on the back nine and good tee shots set me up. I hit really good iron shots too, we were super-consistent with where we wanted to hit them and I putted really well. I sank a 25-footer on 17 which was not expected because it’s a very uphill putt, tricky just to get to the hole,” Naidoo said.

Once the job was done with a four-under 67 leading him to six-under-par for the tournament, he was grateful for all the supporting cast to his biggest win yet in his fledgling golf career.

“It’s taken thousands of hours of hard work and I could not have done it without the team around me – my sponsors, parents and loved ones – and everyone who helped along the journey. I’m just so ecstatic,” Naidoo said.

Brown fell away on the back nine as he dropped three shots by the 15^th hole, finishing on four-under and in a four-way tie for second place with Jaco Prinsloo, amateur Jonathan Broomhead and Ian Snyman.

Prinsloo produced a top-class round of 68 that included two birdies and an eagle on the par-four ninth.

SA Strokeplay champion Broomhead, playing in just his second Sunshine Tour event, also shone with marvellous 69.

Overnight leader Richard Joubert went through hell on the front nine with two double-bogies and then three more bogeys on the back nine, finishing on one-under, in a tie for ninth.

Temba Bavuma

Age: 32
Role: right-hand batter
T20I matches: 28
Runs: 565 (23.54 ave)
High score: 72
Strike-rate: 116.49

A gritty competitor who will be out to prove the rest of the world wrong when it comes to criticism of his T20 game and his low strike-rate.

Quinton de Kock

Age: 29
Role: wicketkeeper/left-hand batter
T20I matches: 72
Runs: 2032 (32.25 ave)
High score:  79*

Strike-rate: 134.12

A powerful hitter and excellent strokemaker whose innings are usually populated with a high percentage of boundaries, especially in the opening powerplay.

Aiden Markram

Age: 27
Role: right-hand batter/off-spinner
T20I matches: 26
Runs: 780 (41.05 ave)
High score: 70

Strike-rate: 151.16

Wickets: 6 (24.66 ave)

Best bowling: 3/21

Economy: 7.40

A classically elegant batsman who has now found his niche in the middle-order; he scores all around the wicket, but extra cover to long-on is his strongest area. His improving off-spin is a valuable second string to his bow and brings sixth-bowler balance to the team.

Rilee Rossouw

Age: 32
Role: left-hand batter
T20I matches: 21
Runs: 558 (37.20 ave)
High score: 100*

Strike-rate: 152.87

A potential matchwinner for the Proteas who has played for numerous teams in global T20 leagues, an extremely dangerous batsman.

David Miller

Age: 33
Role: left-hand batter
T20I matches: 107
Runs: 2069 (33.91 ave)
High score: 106*
Strike-rate: 145.49

‘This guy can hit the ball out of the ground, I tell ya!,’ is perhaps what Tony Greig would have said about South Africa’s ace finisher, who is in superb form at the moment.

Reeza Hendricks

Age: 33
Role: right-hand batter
T20I matches: 48
Runs: 1372 (29.82 ave)
High score: 74

Strike-rate: 125.41

Revitalised as a white-ball cricketer and now one of the hottest T20 batsmen South Africa has; now how to fit him in the starting XI?

Heinrich Klaasen

Age 31
Role: wicketkeeper/right-hand batter
T20I matches: 36
Runs: 651 (25.03 ave)
High score: 81

Strike-rate: 147.61

Powerful and good against spin, Klaasen can help build a partnership and also smite a few boundaries in quick time; an accomplished finisher but currently playing second-fiddle to Miller and Stubbs.

Tristan Stubbs

Age: 22
Role: right-hand batter
T20I matches: 9
Runs: 142 (28.40 ave)
High score: 72

Strike-rate: 191.89

Our newest batting sensation, if he stays at the crease for any length of time he takes the game away from the opposition; a phenomenal talent waiting to explode on the biggest stage.

Tabraiz Shamsi

Age: 32
Role: left-arm wrist-spin bowler
T20I matches: 57
Wickets: 69 (21.42 ave)
Best bowling: 5/24

Economy: 7.15

There may have been thoughts about Shamsi not making the XI after his rough time in India, but he immediately bounced back to his best when he arrived in Australia, bamboozling New Zealand in their warm-up match. Always difficult for the batsmen to read, attacking him is not easy due to the uncertainty he creates by spinning the ball both ways.

Keshav Maharaj

Age: 32
Role: Left-arm orthodox spin bowler
T20I matches played: 21
Wickets: 19 (27.15 ave)
Best bowling: 2/21

Economy: 7.18

An extremely accurate and skilful spinner who just never disappoints; the Proteas are blessed with one of the strongest spin attacks thanks to the control and cunning of Maharaj and the striking ability of Shamsi. South Africa are in trouble if they need runs from him, but Maharaj can hit big.

Lungi Ngidi

Age: 26
Role: right-arm fast bowler
T20I matches: 32
Wickets: 51 (18.52 ave)
Best bowling: 5/39

Economy: 8.91

Bowls with seam movement and bounce up front to take wickets in the first powerplay, and with excellent skill and variation at the death; his talents are needed alongside the greater pace of the other quick bowlers.

Anrich Nortje

Age: 28
Role: right-arm fast bowler
T20I matches: 24
Wickets: 24 (24.79 ave)
Best bowling: 3/8

Economy: 7.50

His sheer pace brings the fire to the Proteas attack and he will rattle a few cages on the firm Australian pitches. Can go for a few runs, but likely to take crucial wickets as well.

Kagiso Rabada

Age: 27
Role: right-arm fast bowler
T20I matches: 49
Wickets: 54 (27.64 ave)
Best bowling: 3/20

Economy: 8.42

Has already made his mark in the eight T20 World Cup matches he has played, taking 13 wickets. So accurate up front, and skilful enough to extract whatever assistance there is in the pitch; when he finds his range at the death, then his yorkers are deadly. Has contributed valuable runs in the past.

Wayne Parnell

Age: 33
Role: left-arm fast bowler/left-hand batsman
T20I matches: 48
Wickets: 52 (25.00 ave)
Best bowling: 5/30

Economy: 8.28

Runs: 163 (27.16 ave)

High score: 29*

Strike-rate: 102.51

A welcome returnee to the Proteas set-up after his dark days in the squad in the past. He can swing it whether it’s a red ball or white, to deadly effect up front and could be in his element with Australia having a wet summer. A lovely freeflowing batsman when set, he can hit a mean long ball.

Marco Jansen

Age: 22

Role: left-arm fast bowler/right-hand batsman

T20I matches: 1

Wickets: 1 (38.00 ave)

Best bowling: 1/38

Economy: 9.50

Runs: 12 (12.00 ave)

High score: 12

Strike-rate: 70.58

The more advanced of the twin Jansen bros from Potchefstroom, Jansen has firmly established himself in the Proteas red-ball squad and was a late replacement for Dwaine Pretorius in the T20 World Cup squad. Will add yet more pace and bounce to the bowling attack, but also left-arm variation. Has impressed with the bat on several occasions.