Bulls climb back up the table with bonus-point win
MATCH REPORT: The Bulls recorded a deserved 29-14 win over the Dragons at Rodney Parade, in Newport, on Friday to cement their place in the top four of the United Rugby Championship standings.
Outscoring their hosts by four tries to two, the bonus-point win saw the Bulls move into third place – for at least 24 hours.
* To recap all the drama, CLICK HERE!
The South African side made an explosive start to take a 17-0 lead but the Dragons dragged it back to a deficit of only three points before the visitors emphasised their superiority in the final quarter.
Kurt-Lee Arendse, Harold Vorster and Bismarck du Plessis scored the visiting team’s tries, while there was also a penalty try, two Johan Goosen conversions and one penalty.
Bradley Roberts and Max Clark scored tries for the Welsh side, both of which Sam Davies converted.
The Bulls took a fourth-minute lead with a superb try. From just outside his 22, Goosen collected an up and under to race past two opponents before sending Arendse on a 40-metre run to the line.
Goosen converted and added a penalty before the Dragons’ miserable start continued.
Bulls wing Canan Moodie chased a kick ahead to put Lewis Jones under pressure, with the scrumhalf deliberately knocking the ball dead.
A penalty try was awarded, with Jones yellow-carded as the home side trailed 0-17 at the end of a one-sided first quarter.
Despite playing with 14 men, Dragons responded with their first period of sustained pressure and were rewarded when Roberts forced his way over from close range.
Jones returned from the sin-bin to give his side a further boost and they roared back into contention when skilful passing created the space for Clark to slide over in the corner.
A second touchline conversion from Davies reduced Bulls’ lead to just three points at the interval.
Three minutes after the restart, a long-distance penalty from Davies rebounded back off the crossbar, but his side continued to be second-best up front and was forced into conceding frequent penalties
It, therefore, came as no surprise when the visitors scored two tries in quick succession to pick up their bonus-point and seal victory.
First, from a five-metre scrum, Vorster picked his way through a threadbare defence before replacement Du Plessis finished off a driving line-out.
Player of the Match
Powerful No.8 Elrigh Louw was at the forefront of a clinical effort from the Bulls’ pack. The opposition were shunted quickly backwards at every scrum with Louw and his fellow back-rowers ensuring that the vaunted Dragons trio were second best at the breakdown.
Play of the Match
It took less than four minutes for Blues to show their attacking skills. An aimless kick was collected by Johan Goosen, who left two defenders trailing his wake before feeding Kurt-Lee Arendse, who held off the attentions of Rio Dyer to complete a 70-metre move for the best try of the game.
The scorers
For the Dragons
Tries: Roberts, Clark
Cons: Davies 2
For the Bulls
Tries: Arendse, Penalty try, Vorster, Du Plessis
Cons: Goosen 2, penalty try does not require a penalty
Pen: Goosen
Yellow card: Lewis Jones (Dragons, 15 – cynical foul, deliberately slapping the ball over the deadball line)
Teams
Dragons: 15 Jordan Williams, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Steff Hughes (captain), 12 Max Clark, 11 Sio Tomkinson, 10 Sam Davies, 9 Lewis Jones, 8 Ross Moriarty, 7 Ollie Griffiths, 6 Sean Lonsdale, 5 George Nott, 4 Joe Davies, 3 Chris Coleman, 2 Bradley Roberts, 1 Aki Seiuli.
Replacements: 16 Brodie Coghlan, 17 Rob Evans, 18 Lloyd Fairbrother, 19 Huw Taylor, 20 Taine Basham, 21 Ben Fry, 22 Gonzalo Bertranou, 23 Will Reed.
Bulls: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 David Kriel, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Izak Burger, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marco Van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Bernard van der Linde, 23 Cornal Hendricks.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Mike English (Wales), Tom Spurrier (Wales)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
