BULLS PREVAIL IN GRIPPING JUKSKEI DERBY
The Bulls charged back to the summit of the South African Super Rugby Conference on Saturday thanks to a thrilling 35-33 win over the Lions at Loftus Versfeld.
A late try from replacement number eight Pierre Spies secured the win and the bonus point for the home side as they exacted revenge for a narrow defeat at the hands of the neighbours in Johannesburg a few weeks ago.
The Bulls scored three tries in an all-action first half to lead 25-13 at the interval, but trailed by a point on the hour mark as the Jukskei Derby once again produced a humdinger of a game.
Bulls scrumhalf Piet van Zyl touched down twice inside the opening 10 minutes and when centre JJ Engelbrecht went over, the home side looked on track for a big win.
But the Lions launched an in impressive comeback.
Scrumhalf Faf de Klerk had scored in reply to his opposite number in the first quarter but when prop Jacques van Rooyen crashed over after 55-minutes, the visitors took the lead for the first time.
In between, flyhalf Elton Jantjies slotted four penalties as the Lions’ never-say-die attitude once again paid dividends.
The Bulls’ scrum – which was at the origin of their loss to the Stormers a week ago – stepped up this time and tellingly it was the home set piece that won the penalty that put the home side out of reach in the closing stages.
Typically, the Lions didn’t go down quietly and Jaco Kriel’s try at the death earned the men from Johannesburg a thoroughly deserved bonus point.
Scrumhalf Faf de Klerk had scored in reply to his opposite number in the first quarter but when prop Jacques van Rooyen crashed over after 55-minutes, the visitors took the lead for the first time.
In between, flyhalf Elton Jantjies slotted four penalties as the Lions’ never-say-die attitude once again paid dividends.
The Bulls’ scrum – which was at the origin of their loss to the Stormers a week ago – stepped up this time and tellingly it was the home set piece that won the penalty that put the home side out of reach in the closing stages.
Typically, the Lions didn’t go down quietly and Jaco Kriel’s try at the death earned the men from Johannesburg a thoroughly deserved bonus point.
Courtesy of SANZAR
