The Bulls strengthened their top-four stance with a 31-19 bonus-point United Rugby Championship win at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Lions’ top-eight ambitions took a knock in the rescheduled Round Nine South African derby.
It was a reversal in terms of results for both sides, with the hosts going into the fixture following their disappointing defeat to the Sharks last weekend, while the Lions couldn’t put the confidence they would have gained from their victory over the Stormers to use.
Jake White’s Bulls (6.47) scored three tries in the opening 12 minutes via Canan Moodie, Willie le Roux and Sebastian de Klerk, which saw them sprint to a 17-0 lead.
The Lions fought back well and made good use of their numerical advantage after the Bulls lost Stedman Gans to a yellow card. They grabbed two tries of their own through Henco van Wyk and PJ Botha to take the half-time score to 17-14. While the visitors added a third after the break, the Bulls completely ran away with it in the second half with Moodie securing his brace and Marco van Staden also claiming a spot on the try-scorers’ sheet.
Bulls’ forward dominance paid off this time
Last week, the Bulls should have won –simple as that.
Instead, despite having the upper hand in the physical exchanges and owning 54 percent territory and 56 percent possession, the Bulls somehow still managed to lose the game. Calling it an upset is an understatement.
However, this weekend, they made sure they had something to show for their dominance.
The Lions took a proper beating upfront as Van Staden, Reinhardt Ludwig, Johan Grobbelaar, Cobus Wiese, and JF van Heerden all made a massive impact.
In terms of scrummaging, Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw exerted their dominance yet again as they toyed with the Lions front row. While the duo have been consistently outstanding at the set-piece until now, this weekend’s scum display particularly resembled a skit of a cat playing with a ball of yarn.
While the Lions weren’t half bad in that department in the early stages of the game, it was almost as if the Bulls pack grew stronger every time they packed down.
Willie le Roux silences critics
‘Shocker’ was a popularly-used verb in description of the game Le Roux had against the Sharks, and it probably wasn’t unwarranted. But, against the Lions, he erased the previous outing’s unsavoury displays from memory with a top-class performance at Loftus.
He was the ultimate attacking catalyst and was instrumental in the Bulls’ early 17-0 surge. Probably the most impressive part of the Springboks (3.96) veteran’s performance was the fact that he just kept on coming with his trickery and superb game management. There was not one stage where he could be accused of dropping his game in that regard.
His passing and decision-making were spot on, and he also bagged a try and an assist for his efforts.
Bulls’ late-game dip rears its head again
As good as the Bulls were, it would be remiss not to mention the trait that has plagued them this season, that late-game dip.
Things could have turned out differently had the Lions’ two late tries not been disallowed. While it says something about the Lions’ fighting spirit, it also highlights an area that has been a concerning one for the men from Pretoria.
What are the Lions lacking?
In terms of scoring scintillating tries and utilising their overall attacking ability, the Lions are a class act. So, what gives? How come they seem unable to convert all that finesse into results?
It’s not just defensive struggles that are the culprit; after all, had that been the only issue, it should have been remedied by now.
How things stand
The Bulls are third on the standings, while the Lions remain in 12th spot despite the loss. The Lions have two more derbies coming up against the Sharks. Winning one of them is non-negotiable if they want to keep their hopes of making the top eight alive. The Bulls, on the other hand, are in a strong position to push for a top-two berth.
A full round of URC matches will be played in the upcoming week. The Bulls will be hosting the Stormers and the Lions taking on the Sharks.
