Bulls bounce back to thump Ospreys
URC REPORT: The Bulls got their United Rugby Championship campaign back on track with a 61-24 win over the Ospreys in Round 15 on Saturday.
After going down 22-27 to Munster a week earlier, Jake White’s side outscored the visiting Welsh side by nine tries to three at Loftus Versfeld.
Bok wings Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse both scored a brace in the 80 minutes.
Saturday’s bonus-point win also strengthened the Bulls’ chances of finishing in the top four with just three rounds left to play.
The Bulls were magnificent from the start and their driving maul made its presence felt early on with Grobbelaar the scorer. Not to be outshone, however, the backs then combined stylishly for David Kriel to touch down.
The home defence was unpicked near the half-hour mark when slick handling by the Ospreys’ tight five forwards created a chance that was finished by Luke Davies, but the theme of the home side scoring freely promptly resumed.
Kurt-Lee Arendse claimed one of the easier tries he will score after the Bulls forwards showed skill to keep the ball alive before scrumhalf Embrose Papier found his wing with a bullet pass.
Kriel then picked off a Rhys Henry offload to set up an easy finish for Canan Moodie and the centre was provider once more shortly after the interval when his grubber was collected and touched down by Moodie.
The Ospreys continued to accelerate their downfall when Justin Tipuric knocked on in the tackle and inevitably it was Kriel who reacted best to the mistake by setting up Papier.
Keiran Williams crossed to temporarily halt the one-way traffic but the rout resumed through Arendse and a penalty try awarded for a deliberate knock-on by Max Nagy, who was sent to the sinbin as a result.
Ospreys wing Keelan Giles produced an athletic finish but just as his side were pushing for the try that would clinch a bonus point, Willie le Roux capitalised on an error to plunder a late score.
Man of the match: David Kriel’s breakthrough season continued with an influential display in attack. The 25-year-old centre’s vision set up three touchdowns and he also crossed himself as he took hold of the game in the second and third quarters.
The scorers:
For Bulls:
Tries: Grobbelaar, Kriel, Arendse 2, Moodie 2, Papier, Penalty Try, Le Roux
Cons: Smith 6, Van der Walt
For Ospreys:
Tries: Davies, Williams, Giles
Cons: Walsh 3
Pen: Walsh
Yellow card: Max Nagy (Ospreys, 62′ – cynical play, deliberate knock-on)
Teams:
Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw (captain), 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Reinhardt Ludwig, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Jannes Kirsten, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Devon Williams.
Ospreys: 15 Max Nagy, 14 Luke Morgan, 13 Owen Watkin, 12 Keiran Williams, 11 Keelan Giles, 10 Jack Walsh, 9 Luke Davies, 8 Morgan Morris, 7 Justin Tipuric (captain), 6 Morgan Morse, 5 Huw Sutton, 4 Adam Beard, 3 Rhys Henry, 2 Sam Parry, 1 Gareth Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Dewi Lake, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Ben Warren, 19 James Ratti, 20 Harri Deaves, 21 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Evardi Boshoff.
Referee: Chris Busby (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadzweni (South Africa) and Hanru van Rooyen (South Africa)
TMO: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Additional reporting: @URCOfficial
