Bulls blitz Sharks in Loftus thriller

MATCH REPORT: The Bulls cemented their place in the top four with a bonus-point (40-27) win over a willing Sharks team in an entertaining United Championship match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, in Pretoria, on Sunday.

The Sharks made a good first of it for the first hour, but a two-try blitz took the game away from the visitors.

Coming back from 10-16 at half-time, the Sharks held a one-point (20-19) lead just past the hour mark.

However, tries by Embrose Papier (65th minute) and Stravino Jacobs (68th minute) saw the Bulls race into a 33-20 lead – from where there was no coming back for the visitors.

The first half, despite a later score by the Sharks, belonged to a determined Bulls team – the hosts dominating both possession and territory. With their forwards getting the netter of the physical exchanges, backs like Johan Goosen, David Kriel, Chris Smith and Izak Burger made merry – especially the halfback pair of Smith and Burger, through their kicking games.

After the break, the Sharks appeared to be the more composed of the two sides and soon claimed the lead against what appeared to be a rattled Bulls team.

However, the senior campaigners in the Bulls side managed to rein in the youngsters’ emotions, allowing the hosts to take control in the final quarter.

* To recap all the drama, CLICK HERE!

A couple of dominant scrums, early on, earned the Bulls a penalty, which Chris Smith used to set up a line-out inside the Sharks’ 22 – only for the referee to award a ‘double-banking’ penalty against the hosts.

On the 10-minute mark, the Sharks’ Wallaby import Ben Tapuai got his head on the wrong side in an ugly-looking tackle, getting knocked out and as a result was forced to leave the field.

When Sharks skipper Thomas du Toit was penalised for a tackle offence in the 10th minute, Smith opened the scoring – 3-0.

At the end of the first quarter, the Bulls earned a line-out close to the Sharks’ line through some determined chasing. After a few phases, David Kriel went over in the right corner, but the TMO found a forward pass. The Bulls had a penalty advantage and set up another line-out five metres out.

That became two more penalty advantages against the Sharks, only for a call by the TMO about another ‘no-arms’ tackle by Bulls hooker Bismarck du Plessis resulting in the penalty being turned over.

The Sharks gifted the penalty back to the Bulls, with a call for ‘double-banking’ at the line-out. Smith added the three points – 6-0 after 25 minutes.

The Sharks won a scrum penalty on the halfway line, with Henry Chamberlain opening the visitors’ account – 3-6 after 29 minutes.

The tit-for-tat nature of the game continued when Sharks centre Francois Venter conceded a penalty for encroaching over the 10-metre mark. From the resulting line-out and ruck, the Sharks won a breakdown penalty.

That was followed by a scrum penalty against the Sharks, Smith stretching the lead to six points again – 9-3.

The first five-pointer came in the 37th minute – the Bulls winning a turnover from another kick-and-chase, Izak Burger putting David Kriel into a hole, with the wing sending captain Marcel Coetzee over for a sublime team try. Smith’s conversion made it 16-3.

Replacement Marnus Potgieter got the Sharks right back into the contest on the stroke of half-time – stepping and weaving his way past defenders and over the line. Chamberlain added the conversion – 16-10 at the break.

It was a very scrappy start to the second half, with both teams unable to establish any rhythm – that was until the Shark won a penalty and set up a line-out deep inside the Bulls’ 22-metre area, from which Chamberlain sent Aphelele Fassi into a huge gap and over the line. Chamberlain put the Sharks in the lead for the first time with the conversion – 17-16 after 50 minutes.

The Bulls now lost their composure and began to panic, making a rash of silly mistakes that piled even more pressure on them.

Just past the hour mark, the Sharks conceded a breakdown penalty and Smith reclaimed the lead for the Bulls.

From the restart, the Sharks won a breakdown penalty and Chamberlain put the visitors back in the lead – 20-19.

The Bulls’ response was swift, a counter from deep inside their half, working a couple of phases before Cornal Hendricks put Embrose Papier into space and despite a desperate ankle tap the replacement scrumhalf managed to stumble over the line. Smith made it a six-point (26-20) lead for the hosts.

That was followed by another counter from deep inside the Bulls’ half, with Johan Goosen eventually putting Stravino Jacobs away. Smith made it 33-20 with just on 10 minutes remaining.

Five minutes from time replacement Jan-Hendrik Wessels barged over from a line-out deep inside the Sharks’ 22-metre area and Smith put the seal on a commanding win with a conversion – 40-20.

With just over a minute remaining Phendulani Buthelezi got a consolation score, with the help of some close scrutiny by the TMO.

The conversion made the final score 40-27.

* (Article continues below …)

The @BlueBullsRugby captain touches down! 🤩#BTKURC #URC | #BULvSHA pic.twitter.com/gigUq9ZH8N

— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) October 30, 2022

Man of the match: The Sharks’ halfbacks, Henry Chamberlain and Cameron Wright, were impressive, as was hard-working No.8 Phendulani Buthelezi. Dan Jooste also made an impact off the bench. The players who impressed for the Bulls included Johan Goosen, Cornal Hendricks, Harold Vorster, Chris Smith, Marco van Staden, skipper Marcell Coetzee, Ruan Nortje, Walt Steenkamp and Bismarck du Plessis. The best of the replacements was scrumhalf Embrose Papier. Our award goes to hard-working Bulls wing David Kriel – mostly for his amazing aerial game.

The scorers

For the Bulls
Tries: Coetzee, Papier, Jacobs, Wessels
Cons: Smith 4
Pens: Smith 4

For the Sharks
Tries: Potgieter, Fassi, Buthelezi
Cons: Chamberlain 3
Pens: Chamberlain 2

Teams:

Bulls: 15 Johan Goosen, 14 David Kriel, 13 Cornal Hendricks, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Izak Burger, 8 WJ Steenkamp, 7 Marco van Staden, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Gerard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Ruan Vermaak, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Stravino Jacobs, 23 Wandisile Simelane.

Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Thaakir Abrahams, 10 Henry Chamberlain, 9 Cameron Wright, 8 Phendulani Buthelezi, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Dylan Richardson, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Gerbrandt Grobler, 3 Thomas du Toit (captain), 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: 16 Dan Jooste, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Justin Basson, 20 James Venter, 21 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Marnus Potgieter.

Referee: Marius van der Westhuisen (South Africa)
Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs (South Africa) & Griffin Colby (South Africa)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (South Africa)

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