Bulls put down huge marker with Scotstoun win

MATCH REPORT: The Bulls put down a huge marker in the last match of a month-long European tour, beating defending champions Glasgow Warriors 26-19 in a brutal United Rugby Championship Round 16 match.

Not even a very late change, with Juann Else coming in for Marcel Coetzee – the veteran loose forward ruled out due to a knock to the knee picked up during the warm-up – could halt the visitors’ charge.

The win allowed the Bulls to close the gap on the Warriors to just one point.

Two tries in the last four minutes earned Glasgow the losing bonus point that kept them in second place.

Having learned from the loss in the 2024 Final, the Bulls displayed sublime game management and tactics to keep the home team under constant pressure, until the final few minutes, when they clearly took their collective feet off the gas.

Their set-piece play, especially in the scrums that earned them numerous penalties, laid the platform.

They were also brutal on defence, and some great defensive sets by the visitors blunted any Warriors attack.

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The game started with a high tempo, but both teams made some early errors that cost them momentum.

It required some desperate scrambling by the Bulls to save their bacon in the opening 10 minutes.

A couple of scrum penalties saw the Bulls open the scoring in the 17th minute with a Johan Goosen penalty.

Goosen made it 6-0 after 24 minutes- a breakdown penalty just inside his half.

Minutes later, Bulls prop Wilco Louw was yellow-carded for a dangerous, high tackle.

The Warriors made their numerical advantage count when, under advantage, a floating pass found replacement Jamie Dobie out wide for the opening try. Scrumhalf George Horne added the conversion for a 7-6 lead after 36 minutes.

On the stroke of half-time, Goosen had a shot at goal from 50 metres out on the angle, reclaiming the lead, 9-7 at the half-time break.

The second half started with the Bulls’ forwards showing the power-play to the fullest effect – hooker Johann Grobbelaar barging over, after a maul was stopped just short. Goosen added the conversion – 16-7 after 52 minutes.

Glasgow’s discipline started the deteriorate, and a string of penalties followed – Goosen making it a 19-7 lead after 55 minutes.

On the hour mark, from a kick deep in the Bulls’ half, Sebastian de Klerk won the race to the ball and popped it up for David Kriel to score the visitors’ second try. Goosen made it a 19-point (26-7) lead with the conversion.

Jake White now cleared the Bulls bench, giving all his young replacements a run.

There was enough time for captain Kyle Steyn and centre partner Stafford McDowall to get two consolation scores for the home team. Horne could not add the first conversion, but slotted the second to get his team a losing bonus point – 19-26 the final score.

Man of the match: You can look at most of the Bulls, especially the forwards. There was the brute power of Wilco Louw – in and outside the scrums. My award goes to Bulls prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels for the enormous amount of work he did on defence (12 tackles inside the opening half-hour), including running back 40 metres and holding up an opponent over the line. Then there was his general play, strength in the scrums and even an attacking grubber.

The scorers

For Glasgow Warriors
Tries: Dobie, Steyn, McDowall
Cons: Horne 2

For the Bulls
Tries: Grobbelaar, Kriel
Cons: Goosen 2
Pens: Goosen 4

Yellow card: Wilco Louw (Bulls, 26 – foul play, dangerous high tackle)

Teams

Glasgow Warriors: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Sebastian Cancelliere, 13 Kyle Steyn (captain), 12 Stafford McDowall, 11 Kyle Rowe, 10 Tom Jordan, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Mann, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Gregor Brown, 5 Alex Samuel, 4 Max Williamson, 3 Patrick Schickerling, 2 Gregor Hiddleston, 1 Nathan McBeth.
Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Euan Ferrie, 21 Sione Vailanu, 22 Jamie Dobie, 23 Adam Hastings

Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sebastian de Klerk, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Marco van Staden, 7 Ruan Nortje (captain), 6 Jannes Kirsten, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johann Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-hendrik Wessels.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Jacobus Grobler, 20 Juann Else, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Willie le Roux, 23 Stedman Gans.

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Ru Campbell (Scotland), Finlay Brown (Scotland)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)

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