A historic occasion at Orlando Stadium, Soweto as the Bulls bring rugby to the colourful township!

There are many variables that could influence this game.
Have the Bulls lost momentum?
Will the travel affect the Crusaders?
What effect will Orlando stadium have?
Are the Crusaders peaking at the right time?
In 80 minutes we’ll have the answers.

Victor Matfield plays his 100th super rugby game for the Bulls! What a champion!

3rd Min – Spies!!! Oh what a start. The Crusaders had all the early ball, knocked the ball on and the Bulls took the ball through the phases beautifully from side to side and made great progress over the advantage line until Spies had too much pace and power for the try.
Morne Steyn converts to give the Bulls a 7-0 lead.

5th Min – The Bulls machine is starting well. An up and under from Steyn is spilt from Colin Slade, the kick through gives the Bulls a 5m scrum.

6th Min – Too big, too strong. Danie Rossouw crashes over after 2 phases from the scrum. The TMO rules it was knocked on. That’s a poor call and I hope it doesn’t influence the game.

9th Min – Penalty to the Bulls. Guildford knocks on and the resulting offside give the Bulls a penalty.
Morne Steyn sets a new record for points in a season with well over 200.
Bulls lead 10-0.

10th Min – Matfield takes the ball from the kickoff but the Bulls can’t get the ball back and the Crusaders have an opportunity near the Bulls line.

11th Min – The Crusaders drive it over the line and McCaw scores the try for the Crusaders.
Carter kicks the conversion to narrow the gap to 10-7.

14th Min – Charge down from Deon Stegmann and the ball rolls out just 1m from the tryline. Crusaders throw into the lineout.

15th Min – Try! Zane Kirchner follows his up and under, it comes off the Crusaders player head and Kirchner’s following up nets him the try.
Morne Steyn converts to extend the lead to 17-7. What a start to the game!

18th Min – A shoulder charge from a Crusaders player. Why wasn’t he sinbinned? Can I cite him!
Morne Steyn from 35m out nails a difficult kick.
Bulls lead 20-7.

20th Min – Crusaders take the ball through the phases, but the Bulls defence is solid.
Crusaders can’t get over the advantage line like they did 2 weeks ago, and they are simply going lateral so far without any punch.

21st Min – Bulls penalised at the scrum. Carter will kick from 39m out.
Boooo!
Carter kicks a tough one and the score is now 20-10.

24th Min – Potgieter penalised at the ruck. Crusaders nailed from the resulting lineout as they go wide, and Olivier makes a good tackle.
Dickinson makes a crucial steal and isn’t penalised at the breakdown. Where is the consistency? Matfield not happy and rightly so.

29th Min – Crusaders have all the ball in good field position. Morne Steyn kicks well deep into Crusaders territory.
Bulls getting penalised heavily. Stu Dickinson what a moron! Boooo. Ellis should have been penalised for holding on.
Carter kicks from halfway but misses it. Justice. The score remains at 20-10.

32nd Min – Crusaders finally penalised for not rolling away. Thank you Stu Dickinson.
Morne Steyn to attempt from 55m out.
He nails it! Unbelievable. Score now 23-10.

37th Min – Bulls lose a lineout. Victor Matfield has the ball poached from the lineout by Whitelock. Bulls penalised 5m out and now they get a warning.
Crusaders take a scrum 5m out.
The clock ticks towarard half time. Hold em out boys!

39th Min – Spies! du Preez initally hacked ahead and then Spies kicked upfield and was in a race with Guildford. 80m upfield and the Bulls get a penalty.
From the right hand touchline Steyn misses. Pity.

Half Time Bulls 23 Crusaders 10

After the initial lead the Crusaders have come back strongly with all the territory and possession. The Bulls have defended well and ref Stu Dickinson has been very harsh.
The Bulls will be happy with the lead and need to start strongly and try to make the Crusaders play catch up rugby.

41st Min – The Bulls have been strong in the second half all season. They will be confident with a good lead and induce the early error but are penalised at the scrum for breaking his bind.

44th Min – Bulls steal the lineout and go wide. They try to reycle in the middle of the field. Dickinson allows the Crusaders to steal with du Preez complaining. Dickinson having too large an influence for me.

45th Min – Steyn kicks too deep and the Crusaders have the ball in great attacking position.
Sean Maitland scores down the right hand side. Potgieter couldn’t make the covering tackle and the Crusaders are now right back in this game.
It should’ve been a penalty to the Bulls 2 minutes ago in a kickable position. Big big influence from Dickinson.
Carter nails the kick to make it 23-17.

48th Min – Finally a penalty to the Bulls. The Crusades were holding on and Stegmann was on his feet.
Steyn nails it to make it 26-17 and gives us a bit more breathing space.

52nd Min – Bulls starting to wear the Crusaders down. Morne Steyn with the snap drop goal but just shaves the right hand pole.
Daniel Bowden got bowled over by Francois Hougaard and Bowden is out for the count.

54th Min – Flip van der Merwe on for Danie Rossouw, and this is where the Bulls may have an edge, in the replacements.

56th Min – Wynand Olivier penalised for a late tackle. Crusaders refusing to lie down here.
Pedrie Wannnenburg on for Dewald Potgieter.
Bulls penalised 42m out.
Carter misses the kick. The score still 26-17.

57th Min – Chris Jack on for Brad Thorn.
Robbie Fruean also leaves and Tim Bateman on.

58th Min – Crusaders get the turnover, and kick ahead. Bulls escape fortuitously!
A try here by the Bulls will break this game open I feel.

63rd Min – Fourie du Preeeeeez! What a try. I had felt the champion scrumhalf was a bit quiet, but he had a great left shoulder from the scrum, and saw the space and scored a brilliant individual try.
Morne Steyn with an important kick from the left hand touchine and kicks it.
Bulls lead 33-17.

67th Min – Derick Kuun on for Deon Stegmann, and Stephan Dippenaar on for Jaco Pretorious.
Bulls have a scrum on the Crusaders 22m line.
Bulls awarded a penalty and step up Morne Steyn.
Steyn makes it 36-17.

70th Min – Bandise Maku on for Gary Botha.
Game effectively over now.

73rd Min – Power scrum from the Bulls. Crusaders look to be tiring, and the Bulls earn the penalty.
Morne Steyn makes it 9 from 10 and the score now 39-17.

78th Min – Crusaders running from everywhere, but it’s all academic now.

79th Min – Sam Whitelock gets a consolation try. Bulls losing intensity on defence. Fair enough.
Carter kicks the sideline conversion and the score is 39-24.

Full Time Bulls 39 Crusaders 24

A well deserved victory on a momentous occasion in Soweto.

What a fantastic stadium, atmosphere and result. The Bulls were more clinical, opened the lead, and the Crusaders couldn’t penetrate the Bulls defence often enough even though they had plenty of territory and possession in the first half.

The travel and altitude sapped their energy and the Bulls could grind down the victory in the second half as they so often do.

The Bulls go into their 3rd final next week and will play either the Stormers or Waratahs.

Vodacom man of the match: Fourie du Preez