Emirates Lions flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse missed a 55-metre penalty at the death as the Vodacom Bulls pulled off a dramatic 30-28 victory over their neighbours in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship Jukskei derby at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The dramatic end to a pulsating game saw the Bulls move into fourth place on the URC log and put themselves into the top tier as teams take a two-week break at the start of the Six Nations.
Hendrikse’s miss came a minute after Johan Goosen stroked a 50-metre penalty between the uprights to give the Bulls a narrow lead with 90 seconds to go, and after Hendrikse had put the Lions into the lead with a similar big kick some four minutes earlier.
In a way, it was harsh for there to be a loser, and on the evidence of the exciting game, few would have begrudged the Lions a win if they got it, especially as they were so close after JC Pretorius made a miraculous steal to set up the final kick.
The Lions losing bonus point moved them above Munster into 10th position, but they could have been fourth if the kick went over, so congested is the log at the moment.
DRAMATIC ENDING
It was a worthwhile dramatic ending to a game where neither side gave an inch and the battle was reminiscent of the arm wrestle derbies between these sides over the years.
And the game itself was high quality. The amount of personal battles ensured that there wasn’t one side that got away from the other, or any true dominance as the game went on.
The Lions got away to a flying start, going 12-3 up early before the Bulls hauled them in just before the break and the opposite happened in the second half, with the Bulls pulling out to a lead before the Lions hauled them in.
As always, the names of Marius Louw and Sanele Nohamba were central to the Lions play, but the likes of Francke Horne, Emmanuel Tshituka and Reinhard Nothnagel were always putting in the hits.
Speaking of hits, Asenathi Ntlabakanye’s giant tackle on Sergeal Petersen is likely to grace highlights reels for months to come and the big tighthead took his opposite number Simphiwe Matanzima to school in the scrum in a lesson that will long not be forgotten.
Nohamba, though, was something else, and he almost repeated his man-of-the-match performance from last season, sparking the first try by cutting up Harold Vorster to put Louw away for the first try.
His audacious drop goal in the second half and the ability to be everywhere all at once make him a prime candidate for national honours later this year.
The Bulls though, didn’t stand back either - Akker van der Merwe in particular had another barnstorming game while Ruan Nortje was everywhere as well. Celimpilo Gumede keeps on growing in the new role at eight while Elrigh Louw was taking numbers whenever he got a chance.
HAUNTING MISTAKES
But the Bulls defence at times, and their ability to pick the most inopportune time to make mistakes, came back to haunt them.
Goosen was a master with the boot, but his turnstile defence has cost the Bulls more than once this season, as he stuck a lazy arm out that never came close to stopping Louw as he took an overthrown lineout and whizzed past Goosen for the second try.
Van der Merwe got over shortly afterwards to bring the Bulls back into the game and Goosen’s boot converted pressure into points as the Bulls took a narrow one-point lead into the break.
The Bulls looked more refreshed when teams came out and Embrose Papier - who is in sensational form of late - was in the perfect position to take Louw’s offload to get the Bulls further ahead.
But they couldn’t get out of reach as Nohamba’s drop goal and a later penalty hauled them back in.
Gumede broke off the back of the scrum to score an excellent individual try but was helped by the fact that two Lions defenders collided with the ref in the build-up. However, it mattered not as the Bulls gifted one back to their opponents when David Kriel coughed up a howler, dropping the ball while trying to run out of his in-goal area, only to see the ball fall to Morgan Naude, who lapped it up to score.
Hendrikse then put the Lions up 28-27 with six minutes to go and Goosen sent his bomb home with 90 seconds left.
When Hendrikse stepped up it seemed ready for a headline ending, but the ball went right and Willie le Roux sent it off the park, as the Bulls celebrated.
The home team may have won but they knew they were in a dogfight. But what a dogfight it was.
SCORERS
Vodacom Bulls - tries: Akker van der Merwe, Embrose Papier, Celimpilo Gumede. Conversions: Johan Goosen (3). Penalties: Goosen (3)
Emirates Lions - tries: Marius Louw (2), Morgan Naude. Conversion: Sanele Nohamba (2). Penalties: Nohamba, Hendrikse. Drop Goal: Nohamba.