The Vodacom Bulls survived a 17-phase onslaught at the end of the match to record a famous 16-13 victory over Irish side Munster - their first at Thomond Park - in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship match on Saturday night.
Jake White’s side showed both signs of panic and determination in those final minutes of the match, after they were edged ahead by the boot of Keagan Johannes, whose 45 metre clutch kick gave them the numerical advantage on the scoreboard in an arm-wrestle game that really came down to the wire.
But with the victory the Bulls have set themselves up for a showdown with defending champions Glasgow Warriors, where the winner could easily cement the second spot on the log for the remainder of the tournament.
That’s why this win was so massive for the Bulls - and while it was nowhere near pretty in some slippery and wet conditions, the character that the team showed throughout the 80 was pretty exceptional and will do them well in the business end of the season.
The way that the Bulls handled the 17-phase onslaught at the end was the same as they handled the entire game - with line speed, aggression and physicality. They never allowed an inch, and never stood back.
And while both sides looked exhausted on their feet, they held out until the mistake came, and they could boot the ball into touch to claim the win.
CLAIMED AN IRISH GRAND SLAM
The most fantastic aspect for White’s team is that they have claimed a Grand Slam win against all four Irish teams this season - having beaten Leinster and Ulster in South Africa and Connacht in Galway. It was also the first South African victory at Thomond park in the URC.
And the Bulls away form has often been better than their home form, as they added another chapter to their list of exploits away from home. If they do need to travel at any stage of the knockouts they won’t be overawed by the prospect.
Still, the game was also a reminder that this is by no means a polished Bulls team and what they lack in accuracy at times, they make up for in guts.
There were occasions when they could have been going into halftime with a healthy lead after dominating the first half. Instead they turned the game around 10-all, thanks to a late shift in momentum in the first half from the home side.
But on a wet slippery night when conditions didn’t help either team, mistakes were always going to happen. It doesn’t paper over the fact that the Bulls, if they are to win the competition, will need to take their chances better when they have the opposition under the pump.
COETZEE AND HANEKOM STARRED
Their performance was led again by the loose forward duo of Marcell Coetzee and Cameron Hanekom, who stood head and shoulders above Munster’s opposition. Coetzee tore into the rucks with ferocity and has shown some incredible form since returning from concussion a few weeks back.
Hanekom, who was down and out more often than a Joburg traffic light, managed to carry on when other players would have hobbled off. And the incredible shift he put in with his workrate was a big part of the Bulls victory.
Coetzee completed a mammoth 30 tackles in the game, according to the official stats - something that is rare to see a stat so high, with Hanekom making 20 of his own. Cobus Wiese, whose physicality was impressive on his return to the starting line-up, made 19 tackles of his own.
With Munster eventually having 62 per cent possession, it underlined the defensive effort even more and Hanekom added two turnovers to his stats, as well as beating five defenders on attack - the most of either team.
GOOSEN, MOODIE CAMEOS WERE GOOD
There were others that excelled - including a welcome return for Johan Goosen, who seemed also to be everywhere on the park, and Canan Moodie who dominated the early aerial battle that got the Bulls on top early on.
Jack Crowley was the one to get the first points on the board with a penalty, but it was Coetzee who got the Bulls on the board - as he completed a tryline assault with a dive close to the ruck between defenders who missed his angle and never laid a hand on him.
Goosen added a penalty afterward to extend the lead to seven, but when the Bulls were on the Munster tryline for a full five minutes on the half hour mark, they coughed up the ball twice, and then fell into the old trap of giving away penalties, allowing the home side to march upfield.
Once they were out of the stranglehold, Munster started making inroads of their own, and it wasn’t long before there was a hole out wide, exploited by former SA under-20 winger Thaakir Abrahams, who danced his way to his side’s first try.
The Bulls would have been disappointed at the halftime break, being level after dominating proceedings, but things got worse when they lost Embrose Papier early in the second half for not being back 10 metres when Munster attacked from a tap penalty.
Despite being down to 14, the visitors were resolute and held out, even taking their chances with a big scrum to force a penalty, which allowed Goosen to put them into the lead.
Two minutes later Crowley clawed that back with a penalty of his own, and the stalemate continued deep into the game.
JOHANNES DOES THE BUSINESS
At some point it seemed a draw was inevitable, especially when Johannes missed the first, an easier penalty kick of his two, drawing it left as the drizzle fell down.
But two minutes later he got another chance, and this time he made no mistake, striking the ball perfectly to send his side back into the lead.
Then it was all about defence, and the tackle stats don’t lie. The Bulls simply wouldn’t yield, under the rain and wet outfield, and the baying crowd, they didn’t take a step back.
It may be a bit overdone to suggest these moments make or break teams' runs in a competition, and only time will tell if it serves the Bulls as it should.
But they held out, and they won against the odds.
And that victory, and what it means in the larger context of the tournament, and in their run-in towards the playoffs, makes it massive indeed.
SCORERS
MUNSTER - try: Thaakir Abrahams. Conversion: Jack Crowley. Penalties: Crowley (2).
VODACOM BULLS - try: Marcell Coetzee. Conversion: Johan Goosen. Penalty: Goosen, Keagan Johannes.