Bulls hold out as Lions charge back

The Blue Bulls held on for a deserved 21-10 win over the Golden Lions on Day Four of the Craven Week in Middelburg on Thursday.

After taking a 18-point (21-3) lead into the half-time break, the Bulls were forced to defend for most of the second half.

And they did so manfully, restricting the hard-charging Lions to a solitary second-half try – and that from a driving maul.

With the wind picking up as the day progressed, the young players had all kinds of problems with their kicking – often either too short or too long.

It also meant the team with the wind at their backs – the Bulls in the first half and the Lions after the break – enjoyed territorial advantage.

That was not the only source of the high error count – with handling and breakdown transgressions further contributing to a stop-start affair.

The opening exchanges were marked by some poor finishing, a number of intercepts on both sides – not that either team managed to turn the gifts into points.

In fact the opening points, from Lions flyhalf Wikus van Biljon, came by way of a breakdown penalty.

The Bulls did not take long to respond, flank Juandre Michau worming his way over from close range – after a series of powerful raids that involved strong running by both the forwards and backs. Flyhalf Tinus de Beer added the extras – 7-3 after 10 minutes.

Their next score was a touch more fortuitous – wing Ruan de Beer picking up a stray ball, coming off a Lions boot, after lock Aston Fortuin had produced a powerful burst down the left touchline and then passing inside after being tackled deep inside the Lions 22. Instead of finding a teammate's hands, it was a Lions boot that propelled the ball forward, for the supporting player, De Beer, to collect and flop over. Namesake TRinus de Beer added the extras – 14-3.

The next score was sublime skill – great hands putting Andell Loubser into space down the right touchline, from where he passed inside to Stedman Gans – the centre stepping the remaining defender. Tinus de Beer added the extras as the Bulls took a 21-3 lead into the break.

It was a more determined Lions outfit that came out after the break – their first try coming from a powerful maul, flank Constant Beckerling sitting pretty at the back. Scrumhalf Ralton October kicked the conversion – 10-21, after 45 minutes.

The Lions now laid siege to the Bulls line – opting for line-outs and quick-taps, instead of kicking at goal with their penalty opportunities.

Despite their best effort, the Lions failed to close the gap – through a combination of the Bulls' resolute defence and the Lions' own erroneous ways – as the Bulls won 21-10.

Man of the match: Lions left wing Sibusiso Nkosi was his team's most potent attacking weapon. No.8 Juan Lemmer worked hard and often got his team over the gainline, with some good support from flanks Constant Beckerling and Gavin Delport. Franco Naude had a few good runs, Stedman Gans showed good feet and flyhalf Tinus de Beer pulled the strings to keep his team on the front foot. Our award, by the narrowest of margins, goes to Bulls lock Aston Fortuin – not only for his hard work in the tight exchanges, but also his ability with ball in hand.

The scorers:

For the  Blue Bulls:

Tries: Michau, R de Beer, Gans

Cons: T de Beer 3

For the Golden Lions:

Try: Beckerling

Con: October

Pen: Van Biljon

Teams:

Blue Bulls: 15 Eduan Keyter, 14 Andell Loubser, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Franco Naude, 11 Ruan de Beer, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Eduan Lubbe, 7 Juandre Michau, 6 Peter-John Toerien, 5 Ettiene Matthys, 4 Aston Fortuin, 3 Rohan Goosen, 2 Jungqo Hennings, 1 Michael Kumbirai.

Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Luyolo Qinela, 18 Sarel Smith, 19 Arnold Gerber, 20 Justin Meintjies, 21 Coneree Poole, 22 Eddie Fouche.

Golden Lions: 15 Preston Karstens, 14 Odwa Nkunjana, 13 Ashley Lindewal, 12 Adriaan van Blerk, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 Wikus van Biljon, 9 Ralton October, 8 Juan Lemmer, 7 Constant Beckerling, 6 Gavin Delport, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Bradley Van Waardhuizen, 2 Willem du Plessis, 1 Franco van den Berg.

Replacements: 16 Justin Brandon, 17 Jaco Holtzhausen, 18 Ricky Nwagbara, 19 Nyasha Tarusenga, 20 Willem Massyn, 21 Armandt Grobler, 24 Sibusiso Mngomezulu.

Referee: Archie Sehlako

Assistant referees: Eduan Nel, Francois Pretorius

TMO: Jason Jaftha