The Cheetahs defeated the Bulls 62-52 in the Currie Cup on Saturday, extending their recent winning streak while the hosts suffered their fifth consecutive defeat. The match took place at Loftus Versfeld on 2026-08-16, with the visitors proving too strong for a side that has not won since July.
The result leaves the Bulls looking increasingly precarious in the standings. They lost 19-52 to New Zealand last week, then 31-33 to Pumas, 19-42 to Lions, 26-56 to Griquas, and 10-24 to Boland Cavaliers. By then the pattern was clear — they could not afford another slip, and this time they did not.
The Cheetahs arrived in better shape. They beat Stormers 31-26, then saw off Griquas 21-24, Sharks 43-21, and Lions 29-27 in their previous four matches. The only blemish came on 2026-01-18 when they lost 28-31 to Racing 92. To be fair, they put the game to bed early, and the margin reflected their superiority.
What stands out is the contrast in momentum. The Bulls have been second to everything, while the visitors have extended their unbeaten run to eight across all competitions. The scoreline tells its own story — six tries for the Cheetahs against four for the hosts, with the visitors dominating the breakdown.
This result means little in terms of immediate table movement, but the psychological weight is considerable. The Bulls need to find something — any improvement — before the gap widens further. The Cheetahs, meanwhile, will be confident heading into their next fixture.