Cheetahs 29 - 25 Blue Bulls
The Cheetahs were crowned Currie Cup champions of 2005 after they upset the odds to beat the Bulls 29-25 at Loftus Versfeld.
In a bad tempered game that would have done little to attract new fans to the game, the Cheetahs refused to be intimidated by the occasion and fought back from 22-9 down with just fifteen minutes remaining. The Bulls, who were aiming for their fourth successful title were perhaps guilty of complacency and could not react positively when their visitors tore up the form book and played their own game plan.
Morné Steyn opened the scoring for the Bulls with a penalty after just two minutes and extended the lead to 6-0 after ten minutes. Fly-half Willem de Waal got the Cheetahs on the board with his first penalty and then levelled the scores after the Bulls were penalised for slowing the ball down.
The Bulls tried to get their formidable pack moving, but were unusually at sixes and sevens in the lineout and at the mauls and rucks. They did extend their lead after Johan Roets struck a drop-goal two minutes later, but it all kicked off when Springbok team mates Os du Randt and Victor Matfield were sinbinned for fighting.
Steyn and de Waal exchanged penalties and the Bulls went into the break 12-9 up. JP Nel should have scored the Bulls first try but he spilled the ball diving for the line, however they were soon on the try sheet when Akona Ndungane intercepted and raced 70 metres to score.
With Steyn's conversion taking the score to 22-9 it looked like The Bull's were home and dry but De Waal clawed back three before the game turned really ugly. A fight between two players saw the Bulls physio run onto the field to join in which in turn saw the Cheetahs reserves to also run on.
Referee Jonathan Kaplan was forced to talk sternly to players on and off the field. Two minutes later Bryan Habana was shown the yellow card for a high tackle although it was the Bulls who extended their lead as Derick Hougaard - on for Morné Steyn - slotted his team´s fifth penalty.
The touch judges had to be extremely alert as off the ball incidents got worse and worse. The Cheetahs began to spin the ball around and after another penalty from De Waal, winger Bevin Fortuin found space where Habana usually patrolled and scorched over for his team's first try.
De Waal narrowed the gap to just three points with the conversion. The Cheetahs sensing blood mauled well up field but looked to have given the ball away with a kick ahead. Unfortunately for the Bulls Fourie du Preez and Johan Roets collided trying to catch the ball, allowing Meyer Bosman to scoop it up and race over for the winning try.