The Blue Bulls ended Griquas' amazing unbeaten run in the Currie Cup, when the men from Pretoria came from behind to score a last-gasp 25-24 bonus-point win in Kimberley on Saturday.

While the solitary bonus point, for losing by less than seven, kept Griquas firmly entrenched in first place, the Bulls raced into the top four with a well-deserved five points from the match.

It is a heartbreaking loss for the Griquas at home, as they led for nearly all of the game, but as powerful Bulls loose forward Dewald Potgieter said: "The game is 80 minutes and we managed to sneak it at the end."

Kicks and cards cost Griquas dearly. The Blue Bulls could not subdue them when they had 15 men, not even when they had 14. But when they were down to 13 men there was just not enough of them to hold. But they came within less than two minutes of doing so. It took a frantic last quarter of an hour for the Blue Bulls to win this match by just one point.

Two yellow cards helped the Blue Bulls. They came after warnings for infringements at the tackle as the Blue Bulls attacked more and more. First brave Rohan Kitshoff went to the win bin and then his captain bustling Jonathan Mokuena. There was not time for them to return and in their absence the Blue Bulls scored the try that won the match by a point.

Griquas had not kicked well enough. Naas Olivier missed three conversions. Riaan Viljoen missed two long-range penalties. They also missed with three drop attempts. Then with the 19-13 they preferred trying for a try instead of three comfortable points. They won the five-metre line-out but Deon Stegmann won the turnover and the Blue Bulls cleared.

Mind you the Blue Bulls' kicking was also poor on a hot but breezy day in Kimberley.

There was something of an irony that the Griquas were yellowcarded. In the match the Blue Bulls were penalised twice more than they were. The Blue Bulls were penalised once more (7-6) at the tackle than the Griquas. The problem was a concentration of penalties at the tackle against Griquas late in the second half.

They lost but yet again the Griquas have stood up and said: Look at us. It's no fluke that we are where we are. They have the commitment and ability to compete. Their hope must now be that their bubble has not been [pricked, that they can reform and carry on courageously.

There certainly was commitment and intensity as both sides flew into each other. The opening exchanges were fast as first François Hougaard had his team attacking but Mokuena saved. Then the Blue Bulls let the ball bounce high on the hard field and the Blue Bulls were under pressure. Under pressure they conceded penalties -0 three in quick succession at the tackle, the last two by Deon Stegmann. Olivier goaled the second. 3-0. Stegmann later in the half gave away another six points through penalties.

The Blue Bulls got onto the attack when Derick Kuün burst away from insecure tackles. The Blue Bulls bashed and Jacques Burger was close to the line. They made a penalty into a five-metre line-out and mauled. The Griquas fought back but eventually Kuün swirled and lying on his back grounded the ball next to himself for a try, which was not all that far out but François Brummer missed the conversion.

Stegman was penalised. 6-5 after 18 minutes. Ruaan du Preez was penalised at a scrum. 8-6 after 22 minutes. Stegmann was again penalised., 9-8 after 25 minutes. Fortunes were fluctuating.

Then Mokuena burst away from tacklers. Griquas went left and then came back right where the ball again came to Mokuena who chipped into Blue Bulls' in-goal. There were no defenders but it was touch and go whether Egon Seconds or the dead-ball line would win. Seconds just got there first, diving, scoring, and hurting himself against a hoarding. 14-8 after 32 minutes.

Back came the Blue Bulls. From a scrum they attacked till suddenly Hougaard burst from a tackle-ruck, bursting past four wold-be tacklers to score. 14-13 after 35 minutes. That was the half-time score.

At half time Griquas' assistant coach Abrie Minnie said that the side which scored first in the second half would go on to win. The Griquas scored after 19 seconds.

Bjorn Basson charged down a Hougaard clearance and Rayno Barnes snapped up the ball and forced his way over in the left corner. 24-13 and Griquas, wind at their backs, were dominating proceedings.

Davon Raubenheimer caught the ball deep in a line-out, dummied and darted ahead to set the Griquas attacking. They went right and cut back. Olivier sent a perfect pass to Rayno Barnes who passed inside to Trompie Nontshinga who was over in the left corner with a high dive. 24-13.

This seemed to galvanise the Blue Bulls. Springbok Zane Kirchner attacked down the left with a forceful run. The Blue Bulls bashed until they went wide right and a batted-on pass by Jaco Pretorius set up an overlap for Gerhard van den Heever and a try. 24-18 with 13 minutes to play.

Those 13 minutes were all frantic Blue Bull attack and Griqua defence - brave, committed defence till penalties and dwindling numbers enabled Pedrie Wannenburg to squeeze over for a try under the posts. Burton Francis converted.

Man of the Match: Jonathan Mokuena rather spoilt his performance with a yellow card at such a crucial time. In stead our Man of the Match is Mokuena's immediate opponent, whole-hearted action man, Dewald Potgieter.

Scorers:

For Griquas:
Tries: Seconds, Barnes, Nontshinga
Pens: Olivier 3

For the Blue Bulls:
Tries: Kuün, Hougaard, Van den Heever, Wannenburg
Con: Francis
Pen: Brummer

Yellow cards: Rohan Kitshoff (Griquas, 75 - repeated infringements), Jonathan Mokuena (Griquas, 77 - repeated infringements)