The Vodacom Bulls finally got South African teams off to a winning start in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship with a 54-29 win over Zebre Parma at Stade Sergio Lanfranchi on Saturday afternoon.
The win, which is the seventh game that SA sides have played overseas in the first three rounds of this year’s tournament, had seen them winless before this, with both the DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks going down on Friday night in Scotland and Wales respectively.
But Jake White’s team, while loose at times, were never in danger of losing the game as they had just too much physicality, power and panache for the plucky Italian side and used it to their advantage to coast to victory.
In the process they romped to an eight-try win, with midfielder David Kriel getting a hat-trick, and hooker Akker van der Merwe and fullback Devon Williams grabbing a brace each.
Sergeal Petersen also got his name on the scoreboard in his debut game for the Pretoria side.
The Vodacom Bulls bounce back with a big win in Italy in the Vodacom #URC
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 4, 2023
This is their second win on the road this season ✅ pic.twitter.com/PXFPRkBLGH
The win, though, was built on an exceptional forward performance, led by co-captains Marcell Coetzee and Ruan Nortje, both who put in big performances and inspired a lot of their teammates to up their game in a big improvement from their loss against Ulster in Belfast last weekend.
In the process the Bulls showed that they will be a factor in the setpieces, and especially the scrum, where the front row of Wilco Louw, Akker van der Merwe and Simphiwe Matanzima, and later Mornay Smith and Dylan Smith, revelled in the 'dark arts' battle and completely dominated the Zebre front row.
KRIEL A GREAT ASSET
And on the back end there was some exceptional work in the backline, where the Bulls were able to use continuity and pace to open up Zebre at times
The Pumas duo of Sebastian de Klerk and Devon Williams have injected pace into the Bulls backline and an intent to get over the gainline that helped the side several times on attack.
Stedman Gans’s feet are a problem for opposition defenders but it was Kriel who popped up at precisely the right time, slotting into attacks and finding space to not only be on hand for a few try assists for Williams, but also get the hat-trick of his own.
While the Bulls do have a lot of depth at centre, Kriel’s versatility is his biggest asset and can play almost anywhere in the backline.
Thoughts of a midfield duo with Springbok Canan Moodie won’t be too far away from White’s mind when the Boks return.
White won’t be too happy with the four tries scored by Zebre against them, and at times the Italians opened up the Bulls a bit too easily, which other teams are sure to take note of, but it is early on in the season and it would be wrong to be too harsh on a 50-point victory.
Zebre actually scored first after a clever lineout move around the front caught the Bulls napping as Jacopo Bianchi rounded the lineout to score.
Straight off the training field 🙌
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) November 4, 2023
Iacopo Bianchi opens the scores for @ZebreParma 💥@Vodacom #URC | #ZEBvBUL pic.twitter.com/fiXwXCnwmn
But that was where the Bulls took control, because minutes later hooker Akker van der Merwe made his presence felt, breaking off the back of a lineout drive to power his way over the line for the Bulls' opening try.
Then it was Petersen who finished off a move where Zak Burger had made the initial break, and latched onto a wild pass to go over untouched out wide.
💥 That's one way to mark your @BlueBullsRugby debut
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) November 4, 2023
Sergeal Petersen 👏@Vodacom #URC | #ZEBvBUL pic.twitter.com/1WvwOYb0Vi
Van der Merwe troubled the scorers again, this time rumbling over while attached to the maul, and it looked as if the Bulls would run riot over the Italians.
A beauty of a try, started by a chip over the defence by fullback Lorenzo Pani was recollected and stretched the Bulls defence with ease, with Geronimo Prisciantelli ghosting through without a hand being laid on him.
Prisciantelli added a penalty just before the break to see the hosts go in 15-21 behind.
And it was the Bulls who took control early in the second half as Kriel came into the backline at the right time to send Williams tiptoeing along the touchline to score his first.
Kriel then added two more tries in the space of the next 20 minutes to take the game away from Zebre.
The hosts did fight back with late tries by Scott Gregory and Pani, which brought them within a score, but Williams’s second and a late hat-trick try by Kriel put the game beyond doubt.
😎 David Kriel on route to his hat trick for @BlueBullsRugby 🙌@Vodacom #URC | #ZEBvBUL pic.twitter.com/0uZ7BlScum
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) November 4, 2023
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls - tries: David Kriel (3), Devon Williams (2), Akker van der Merwe (2), Sergeal Petersen. Conversions: Johan Goosen (7).
Zebre Parma - tries: Jacopo Bianchi, Geronimo Prisciantelli, Scott Gregory, Lorenzo Pani. Conversions: Prisciantelli (3), Penalties: Prisciantelli (1).