The Blue Bulls played their way into the final of the Bankfin Cup with a 57-27 (halftime 33-13) victory over an injury-depleted Falcons at Loftus on Sunday.

The Bulls will face the Elephants in Port Elizabeth on Friday. Playing in front of a paltry crowd of 2,777, the Bulls raced into an early 14-0 lead within the first eight minutes.

With the region's new Super 12 coach Phil Pretorius in attendance, the Bulls certainly impressed with the five tries they scored before halftime. The second half was a more keenly contested one from the Falcons' point of view.

Tries by Gunder Williamson and Peet van Deventer closed the gap to nine points at one stage. But Joost van der Westhuizen shifted the goalposts with his second try, a 48-metre sprint to the line.

It managed to lift his side from their temporary lull, with Anton Leonard and Jacques Olivier both going on to score their second tries as well. Van der Westhuizen produced the kind of performance he intended to in what he said would be his final game for the Bulls.

His two tries helped soothe the effect of the bitter contractual battle he has had with a union that indicated his services are no longer needed. But it was hardly a farewell worthy of one of South African rugby's greatest products.

For the Bulls, though, yet another dismal season might still have something for a Loftus trophy cabinet that is merely taking up space at the moment.

Scorers:

Blue Bulls - Tries: Franco Smith, Anton Leonard (2), Joost van der Westhuizen (2), Brendell Brandt, Jacques Olivier (2); Conversions: Franco Smith (7); Penalty: Smith.

Falcons - Tries: Ettiene Botha, Gunder Williamson, Peet van Deventer; Conversions: Pieter Jordaan (3); Penalties: Jordaan (2).