The Vodacom Bulls left it to the last play of the game to claim a much-needed bonus point to keep them in second place on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship log as they dispatched a poor Dragons side 31-10 in Newport on Saturday night.
While the Bulls were never in danger of losing the game, it was a frustrating performance by the Pretoria side, who could easily have posted a much larger score, and until the last play of the game looked as if they would miss out on the bonus point.
While the Dragons had won three of their last four at home, their tactics at best were to frustrate, and at worst to survive.
They did this well and found an ally in the Bulls, whose unforced error rate would have been punished by a much better side.
It is tough to complain about such a scoreline away from home, but considering the Bulls are heading into a top-of-the-table clash next weekend in Dublin against Irish juggernaut Leinster, their performance would be considered below par for a top two side.
FULL TIME 🏆⚡️#BackTheBulls@Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/nJh7D82lV6
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) March 23, 2024
OWN WORST ENEMIES
Clearly dominant against the Dragons in most facets, the stats for the game heavily favoured the Pretoria side who led every single statistic in the game.
But for some reason they struggled to plant the knockout blow, either through over-enthusiasm at times, or unforced errors that even had the Welsh commentary team wondering how they weren’t further ahead.
To be fair they did cross the line twice for tries that weren’t allowed - first for Celimpilo Gumede who was held up over the line in the first half, and the second through Wilco Louw, where a forward pass was spotted by the TMO and the try scrubbed from the record.
There were a number of exceptional performances from the visitors, but also a number of disappointing moments where the error rate cost them.
The Bulls may feel this is a bit of a harsh assessment, but considering that they see themselves as a Championship contender, the error rate may well come back to haunt them.
On a positive note, despite all the errors, they dug deep and scored twice in the last five minutes to ensure the bonus point and accomplish the mission.
That bonus point kept them above Glasgow Warriors in second spot, and is a testament to the progress they have made this year, that even when they haven’t performed to their own standards, they have got the job done.
GOOD PERFORMANCES
There was still a lot to smile about, especially as despite some of the negative play by the Welsh side, the Bulls still managed to show some dazzle when they needed it.
Kurt-Lee Arendse, who was electric every time he touched the ball, could probably have been used more, while Canan Moodie’s move to 13 was not perhaps as impactful as expected, but still positive nonetheless.
Harold Vorster remains a solid option at 12 while the front row were never really given their chance to dominate by the way the scrums were reffed.
Ruan Nortje’s workrate and tackle rate exemplified his leadership and he certainly had a lot to smile about in his 50th appearance for the Bulls.
And Willie le Roux, who blew hot and cold at times, was smoking when he got it right, and had a hand in many of the Bulls' attacks.
It was his long pass that found Arendse in the first half for the winger’s only touch of the first 40, and put him away in the corner for a trademark try.
Le Roux 🤝 Arendse
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) March 23, 2024
What a ball for @BlueBullsRugby’s first try 😮💨@Vodacom #URC | #DRAvBUL pic.twitter.com/c4O4dEnIbM
Arendse, however, took centre stage in the second half with a number of darts that carved up the Dragons' defence.
It was in one of these that Le Roux put through a sublime cross kick to substitute Devon Williams, who in turn provided a maestro touch to a flying Gumede behind his back to confuse the defence and see the flanker run in for an exceptional try.
That @BlueBullsRugby chemistry ✨ @Vodacom #URC | #DRAvBUL pic.twitter.com/aqNdJs03Xq
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) March 23, 2024
Yet despite these two moves, and Arendse’s heroics, the Bulls always looked threatening, but never lethal.
MOMENTUM SHIFT
It was only when the rest of the substitutes arrived in the dying moments that the momentum shifted.
Embrose Papier forced a crucial turnover at the back of the scrum and a minute later darted over despite three attempted tackles to ensure the victory and give the Bulls the hope of the bonus point.
But when the Dragons scored, most were stunned. Not only because up to then they never looked like crossing the whitewash, but also because it was a moment where the Bulls' defence let them down, being outfoxed by a grubber that saw Corey Baldwin go over but also because it almost wound down the clock to snuff out any hopes of the bonus point.
The Bulls won a penalty from the restart thanks to a cynical knockdown from Elliot Dee, and it set up the corner kick for the rolling maul.
This time, however, there were no mistakes as Johan Grobbelaar, at the back of the ruck, marched his way over the line to score a try that could be crucial in the long run, causing much celebration for the Bulls.
It ended the night on a high note, and brought the smiles back after the earlier frustration.
And in the end it was mission accomplished, even though the route taken to get there was tough.
The Bulls move on to the Leinster challenge knowing they will have to be a lot better to win in Dublin.
But those mistakes are a lot easier to rectify on the back of a bonus-point win.
Scorers
Dragons - try: Corey Baldwin. Conversion: Will Reed. Penalty: Reed.
Vodacom Bulls - tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Celimpilo Gumede, Embrose Papier, Johan Grobbelaar. Conversions: Chris Smith (4). Penalty: Smith.