Live updates from Loftus as the Bulls take on the Waratahs
Out come the Bulls to a great reception from their home crowd. C’mon Bulls we gotta win, and become the first South African side to win in round 3!
1st Min – Great start to the Waratahs. The Bulls have not been convincing from the restarts this year. Early opportunity to the Waratahs.
3rd Min – Damn! Poor start from the Bulls and Tatafu Polota-Nau charges over the line from the ruck.
Berrick Barnes converts to give the Waratahs a 7-0 lead.
5th Min – Waratahs run it out from their own 22m. They look dangerous so far and eventually earn a penalty.
Barnes has a penalty attempt and strikes it perfectly. 10-0.
9th Min – Kane Douglas goes over for the try. This is fantastic play through shoddy Bulls defence. We are in trouble tonight. The midfield defence is struggling.
Barnes kicks the conversion to make it 17-0 after 11 mins.
14th Min – Bulls drive close to the line. Just can’t get over.
Waratahs collapsing the maul and coming in from the side.
15th Min – Hougaard! Try. Beautiful sustained buildup and the Bulls are on the board!
Morne Steyn adds the conversion. 17-7. C’mon boys another couple of tries!
18th Min – Bulls made the overlap, but Hougaard couldn’t hold the pass in space. Bulls are starting to find their rhythm.
20th Min – Berrick Barnes with the snap drop goal. Waratahs extend their lead to 20-7.
21st Min – Penalty Bulls. Morne Steyn kicks 3 points and narrows the deficit once more to 10. It’s 20-10.
24th Min – Penalty to the Waratahs. Olivier pinged for not rolling away.
Waratahs 23-10.
26th Min – Another penalty to the Waratahs. The Bulls had a very poor scrum and allow the Waratahs to break out from their half.
Barnes lines up another penalty attempt.
He makes no mistake. Waratahs extend the lead to 26-10.
29th Min – Bulls penalty and they go for the corner.
Eventually a scrum will have to be set near the poles. Gotta score and get back in this one.
32nd Min – du Preez taps the penalty and runs, but van den Heever can’t put the ball down over the line. Damn!
34th Min – Dippenaar! Try. Great buildup and pressure. Waratahs need to be warned for repeated infringing.
Morne Steyn adds the conversion to narrow the gap to 26-17.
39th Min – Magnificent Bulls defence. Over 10+ phases on their tryline. Morne Steyn clears.
Critical defence to remain in the game.
Half-Time Bulls 17 Waratahs 26
The Waratahs started really well, but the Bulls are starting to wear them down, but we’ll have to overcome a 9 point deficit. C’mon guys!
41st Min – Early penalty to the Bulls.
Morne Steyn pulls back another 3.
Waratahs lead 26-20.
Just one score away now.
45th Min – Bulls starting get into stride. Kirchner down the left hand flank, just didn’t get the right bounce from his chip ahead. So close.
The Bulls have the altitude factor and 2 keys, Deon Stegmann and Dewald Potgieter still to come.
49th Min – Francois Hougaard in the left hand corner! Fantastic. Through the phases after the Waratahs lost a lineout. That was brilliant!
Morne Steyn to convert from the left hand touchline.
Was there ever any doubt? Bulls lead 27-26.
For the first time in the match we are in front!
Deon Stegmann comes on for Danie Rousouw.
53rd Min – Lachie Turner scores in the right hand corner for the Waratahs. Burgess making a couple of breaks from scrumhalf. Have to watch him.
Berrick Barnes had a kick from the right hand touch and can’t match Steyn’s effort.
Waratahs lead again, 31-27.
55th Min – Bulls penalty. Again they turn down the kick and go for the corner.
Another penalty on the Waratahs line. Only a warning, I’d have put someone in the bin!
Bulls opt to tap from in front of the poles.
57th Min – Try! Right hand touchline, the Bulls battered away and went wide to Gerhard van den Heever. Superb.
Bonus point try! Now we just need to make sure of the win.
Morne Steyn from the right hand touchline shows Barnes how to kick!
Bulls ahead 34-31.
Dewald Potgieter on the field for Derick Kuun.
60th Min – Accidental offside to the Waratahs. Now they have to play catch up. It’s a different mindset, and one that is so hard at Loftus!
Kurtley Beale replaces Lachie Turner.
Danie Rousouw comes back on for Flip van der Merwe. I think that’s a blood replacement.
61st Min – Damn, poor clearing from the scrum. And now we are under pressure again.
64th Min – Good midfield defence from the Bulls. We just need to play a bit deeper in the Waratahs half. I’d like a bigger lead!
Bees Roux on for Werner Kruger.
66th Min – Deon Stegmann earns the penalty at the breakdown. He is just awesome!
67th Min – Penalty to the Bulls. Waratahs tackler not rolling away.
Again the Bulls don’t kick at goal. Go for the lineout.
68th Min – A bit scrappy, but we earn a scrum 5m out. Have to score and make them pay!
I notice Bandise Maku is on for Gary Botha.
Olivier under the poles!!! YEAH! van den Heever was the dummy runner and Olivier ran into the gap.
Morne Steyn converts from right in front.
Bulls lead 41-31.
71st Min – The Waratahs score under the posts. Long range try, and Drew Mitchell finished well.
Now the Bulls only lead 41-38.
73rd Min – Waratahs running strongly, but get a penalty for obstruction.
Welcome chance to clear and set up a lineout.
Jaco van der Westhuyzen returns to super rugby in place of Francois Hougaard.
75th Min – Penalty to the Waratahs as the Bulls hold on at the ruck.
I don’t like the fact it could end in a draw too. That doesn’t help us at all.
77th Min – Phil waugh penalised at the breakdown. What do we do here?
Well Morne Steyn drills it deep into Waratahs territory. Going to grind down time now. We could have kicked that.
79th Min – There it is!!! We had the penalty, but Morne Steyn beautifully chips it over the top and Jacques-Louis Potgieter regathers for the winning try!
Of course Steyn converts to give the Bulls a 48-38 lead.
Full-time Bulls 48 Waratahs 38
What a great win for the Bulls. So much courage shown in coming back from 17 points down. We didn’t panic, and slowly imposed ourselves on the game.
Slightly concerning to concede so many points, and 4 tries, but hey we are outscoring the opposition and that’s all that counts.
We now have a week off, and it’ll be great to allow some of our players a chance to get back to full fitness and over the niggling injuries.
And thankfully we are at the top of the table!
