Vodacom Super Rugby returned to Growthpoint KINGS PARK after a month’s absence, but it wasn’t a happy reunion as the Bulls ran out 30-17 winners over the Cell C Sharks on Friday.
On a cool evening, played in near perfect conditions, the Bulls, with nothing to lose, threw everything into attack and in particular, never allowed the Cell C Sharks to stamp their mark on the game.
The Bulls, perhaps stung by their unfortunate season that hasn’t heralded the kind of results they would expect, came to Durban full of steam and energy and proved that they are better than their log position suggests.
Indeed they enjoyed most of the early possession, but despite the advantage, failed to really pressure the Cell C Sharks, until the seventh minute when an overthrown defensive lineout went straight to a Bulls hand and was easily converted into the first try of the match.
A handful of minutes later, Thomas du Toit managed to charge down and regain possession and it was panic stations in the Bulls camp, and although the move wasn’t closed out, the loosehead prop had his glory moments later when he charged over following a series of mauls and Curwin Bosch converted to put the Cell C Sharks into a 7-5 lead after 18 minutes.
The joy was short-lived as the Bulls were back in front in the blink of an eye, Garth April making a great break but losing the ball on the halfway line and the visitors countered from the turnover to run in a 50m try, converted this time to take them 12-7 ahead.
Bosch succeeded with a penalty not long afterwards to reduce the deficit following a nifty chip kick over the defence with Andre Esterhuizen regathering, and in the ensuing attack, the Bulls were penalised.
Again, the Bulls struck back immediately, a third try within 25 minutes to suggest that they’re a side that have embraced running rugby as much as the physical stuff.
Both sides would have felt encouraged with some of the attacking moves they put together, along with a share of frustration over not closing out some enterprising moves. But such is the nature of match action that follows a long interval for the players who either take a break during the June test window, or feature for other teams and it’s the re-integration that isn’t always immediately seamless.
Both sides pushed hard for another score, but the half-time whistle beat them to any further addition to the scoreboard, with the Bulls holding a 17-10 lead at the break.
A penalty early into the second half pushed the visitors 10 points ahead as things were looking decidedly unhappy for the home side. Franco Marais had left the field with an injury before half-time and the Sbu Nkosi was yellow carded for tackling a player in the air.
A rare scrum penalty gave the Bulls further impetus, although Schoeman’s boot wasn’t on target and he sent the conversion attempt wide.
But a moment of quick-thinking from replacement prop Lourens Adriaanse when he took a quick throw-in on the halfway line and Thomas du Toit was again prominent as a powerful ball-carrier, before the ball was recycled out to Curwin Bosch who dived over and then converted to reduce the deficit to just three points.
But once more, the Bulls weren’t going to succumb, and within a minute, the Bulls had another try following a good break from Springbok Jan Serfontein.
Having staved off a number of incursions from the Cell C Sharks, the Bulls pushed further ahead with another penalty that took them into a 30-17 lead with the game winding down in the final 10 minutes.
In the curtain-raiser, the Cell C Sharks Under 19s defeated their Free State counterparts 35-26.
The post Disappointing Loss appeared first on Sharks Rugby.
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