FULL TIME: BULLS 30-23 BENETTON
The Bulls held on in the end but Benetton made a real game of this. Goosen was the difference in the second half with his composed play and kicking. Benetton just made mistakes at critical moments that cost them.
The scrum goes down and will have to be reset although the referee has called time off with 33 seconds on the clock.
Umaga spills a kick and the Bulls have a scrum just inside the Benetton half and they will want to put the squeeze on here.
The Bulls survive wave after wave of attack until it is spilled in attack and the Bulls kick long.
The Bulls all leave a kick off and in the end Kirsten knocks on and Benetton have an attacking scrum.
PENALTY, BULLS, GOOSEN, 30-23:
Goosen steps up and makes the Bulls lead 7.
It gets a bit sloppy but the Bulls have tackled Benetton into touch and they have the lineout feed 15 inside the Benetton half.
Albornoz gets the mark and then finds touch inside the Bulls half. The Bulls secure the ball and try to make progress with ball in hand before Le Roux kicks and finds a touch inside the Benetton 22.
The Bulls are forced into touch inside the Benetton 22. Benetton have the lineout feed but trail by four.
Smith cannot convert the try from out wide.
TRY, BENETTON, FEKITOA, 27-23:
Albornoz finds a moneyball pass and Fekitoa is in at the corner.
The Bulls are under pressure after spilling the restart. They seem to have forced a knock but the referee rules that Goosen knocked on in the tackle. Benetton have the scrum on the Bulls 22.
CONVERSION, BULLS, GOOSEN, 27-18:
Goosen converts the try.
TRY, BULLS, KRIEL, 25-18:
Goosen sparks some magic as he straightens up and then runs a great line and finds Papier who finds the killer ball to Kriel who gets in to score.
Smith finds touch after gathering the deep restart. That's a good kick and the Bulls have the lineout feed just inside the Benetton half.
CONVERSION, BENETTON, SMITH, 20-18:
Smith converts the try.
TRY, BENETTON, ALBORNOZ, 20-16:
Albornoz takes it flat and goes over to score.
Goosen is blown up for a high tackle but won't be carded, Benetton set up a lineout inside the Bulls 22.
Ratave snipes and is into some space but after he throws the pass Garbisi is tackled into touch inside the Bulls 22.
Goosen misses a shot at goal after the Bulls win another penalty close to halfway.
Benetton knock on trying to work a midfield move and Goosen finds a good touch to relieve the pressure for the Bulls.
Hanekom loses the ball in contact after the restart and Benetton have a scrum just outside the Bulls 22.
PENALTY, BULLS, GOOSEN, 20-11:
Goosen restores a nine-point lead for the Bulls.
Hanekom produces a big hit which helps the Bulls win a penalty at the breakdown. Hanekom has a stinger but Goosen is lining up the kick.
The Bulls lose the ball on the deck but then Benetton throw a loose pass and Le Roux hacks the grounded ball into touch.
Benetton almost win a battle for a contestable kick but they knock on and the Bulls have a scrum feed ten inside their own half.
Benetton go quickly after another Le Roux kick into their 22 and this time they kick long and the Bulls have a goal-line dropout. Benetton try the drop goal from the dropout but it goes wide.
The Bulls drive Benetton back into their 22 and its clear that they want to make the visitors play from deep.
PENALTY, BENETTON, SMITH, 17-11:
The Bulls scrum goes through Benetton but they are penalised and Smith then slots the kick to narrow that gap.
Papier knocks on off the restart and Benetton start the half with an attacking scrum inside the Bulls 22.
HALF TIME: BULLS 17-8 BENETTON
Benetton have given the Bulls plenty of reasons to be nervous as they head into the sheds. Benetton missed out on a few chances but so did the Bulls. The Bulls might feel they could have killed this game off alrerady.
The Bulls win the penalty at scrum time and will get another exit here. They find touch on the ten and then set a rolling maul from the lineout. They don't make progress and opt to kick out to end the half.
The line is at their mercy but Benetton cannot hold the last pass. Ratave had beaten two defenders on the outside but Garbisi just looks up before fluffling the catch. The Bulls have a scrum inside their own 22.
PENALTY, BULLS, GOOSEN, 17-8:
Goosen takes the lead back out beyond that seven-point mark.
Discipline costs Benetton with a no-arms tackle on halfway giving the Bulls a penalty on halfway. Goosen points to the posts.
Smith cannot convert the try from out wide.
TRY, BENETTON, RATAVE, 14-8:
Benetton hit back with Ratave going over in the corner after a quick tap taken by Uren.
A sustained period of pressure from Benetton comes to an end after they lose control of the ball in a tackle and the Bulls manage to clear to about 40 metres out.
The Bulls defend well after Papier throws a pass into touch. Le Roux eventually finds a great touch just inside the Benetton half.
Benetton make themselves some space out wide but Lomaro spills the pass and the Bulls have a scrum feed ten inside their own half.
The Bulls blink first in a kicking battle as Papier overhits his box kick and Benetton have a lineout just outside the Bulls 22.
CONVERSION, BULLS, GOOSEN, 14-3:
Goosen converts to rub salt into the wounds of Benetton.
TRY, BULLS, ARENDSE, 12-3:
The Bulls pull off a great move off the lineout and on the second phase Arendse finishes off again and the Bulls lead 12-3.
Ratave is in to score in the corner but the TMO has called it back for a penalty after Benetton played from an offside position. That's a big warning for the Bulls.
The Bulls carry from 22 to 22 but then a forward pass from Le Roux ends the attack. Benetton have a scrum inside their own 22.
Le Roux settles things down with a long kick to touch and the Bulls have to defend again. De Klerk has a kick charged down but does well to regather the ball and Goosen finds touch close to halfway.
The Bulls flood onto the ball after a restart buit they knock on with the line at their mercy.
PENALTY, BENETTON, SMITH, 7-3:
Smith slots the kick to put Benetton on the board.
Benetton move the ball well but they don't really make progress. Eventually the Bullls infringe at the breakdown and the tee is called for.
The Bulls put Benetton under pressure but a loose pass from Goosen allows Benetton to kick into space. De Klerk gets back and finds touch ten inside the Bulls half.
The scrum proves no relief for Benetton as the Bulls win the penalty and Le Roux kicks left-footed into the 22 where the Bulls will set an attacking lineout.
The Bulls are playing a high-tempo game to start and Benetton are battling. The Bulls knock on which gives the Italians some relief. They will feed a scrum just inside their own half.
CONVERSION, BULLS, GOOSEN, 7-0:
Goosen adds the conversion and the Bulls are rocking.
TRY, BULLS, ARENDSE, 5-0:
The Bulls do counter and Le Roux dinks a chip into space with the bounce favouring Arendse who then does well to finish off.
KICK OFF: The Bulls kick off deep and Benetton quickly kick back but the Bulls could counter.
Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Tommaso Menoncello, 13 Ignacio Brex, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Onisi Ratave, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Toa Halafihi, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Edoardo Iachizzi, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Bautista Bernasconi, 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosué Zilocchi, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 Niccolò Cannone, 21 Lorenzo Cannone, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Jacob Umaga.
Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Jannes Kirsten, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Sergeal Petersen.
Greetings and welcome to our coverage of the United Rugby Championship quarter-final match between the Bulls and Benetton from Loftus Versfeld.
