URC result: Bulls get job done against Sharks to win Shield

The Bulls managed to win the South African United Rugby Championship conference thanks to a 26-14 win over the Sharks on Saturday at Durban’s Kings Park Stadium.

The win also saw the Bulls secure a top-two finish on the URC points table, as they are currently first with 66 points. They will now wait for the result of the clash between Ulster and Munster at Thomond Park (the game is ongoing) to know where the end up.

This was the Bulls’ first win in Durban over the Sharks in the URC since the inception of the competition. The side from the capital will go to the playoffs knowing they have home advantage for the quarter-finals and semi-finals, should they progress.  

Good start from the Sharks

The Sharks started the game with a lot of confidence, which was expected as they just came back from winning the Challenge Cup in London last weekend. Signs of fatigue from the Sharks players were not there, instead, they took the game to the Bulls.

The home side had the ball dominance, resulting in them playing in Bulls territory. The Sharks created numerous try-scoring opportunities but the Bulls kept them away in the opening stages. To show how the Sharks kept the Bulls busy, the visitors made 48 tackles in the opening 15 minutes.

The Sharks made their dominance count when flyhalf Siya Masuku scored a converted try after pouncing on a loose ball in front of the white line from a Bulls lineout throw.

The Bulls, who were under a lot of pressure, did not panic after the score; they kept calm and reverted to playing their attacking rugby. They would get on the scoreboard after 20 minutes thanks to a five-point score by David Kriel.

The No 13 finished off in the corner after the Bulls recycled the ball at a fast pace amongst themselves and made sure the ball reached Kriel on the wing.

Bulls attack on top

The attacking players the Bulls have in their system can influence games. The backline helped to swing the momentum of the game and put the Bulls on top. The Bulls added a converted try through Johan Grobbelaar, who controlled the rolling maul from the back to dot down.

The Sharks reacted by playing on the front foot but the Bulls kept them out. The Bulls players upped the ante in terms of their work rate, covering a lot of ground and making tackles. The hard work from the Bulls was epitomised by scrumhalf Embrose Papier winning the ball at the breakdown.

The Bulls managed to hold on to their 12-7 lead at the halftime break.

The second half started with both teams going at each other. They particularly tested their maul defence strengths as they kicked to the corner a lot as they went in search of a try.

Their maul defences were good, making one wonder if Duane Vermeulen, who is part of SA Rugby’s mobi-coaching unit, was consulted by the teams on defending mauls.

Scrum battle

There was also a good scrum battle as the teams matched each other. The Bulls’ front row combinations were able to put the Sharks front row of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, and Vincent Koch.

The game took a more pragmatic turn, moving away from the high intensity of the first stanza. The Bulls saw a lot of the ball, and they engaged in a physical battle, showing they will always have their traditional physical rugby.

They managed to limit their mistakes, not giving away penalties and making things hard for the Sharks. This would have been pleasing for their boss, Jake White.

The side from Pretoria extended their lead thank to 19-7 just before the hour mark thanks to a converted try by Akker van der Merwe. 

The Sharks started fading away in the last 20 minutes with players showing fatigue and the bench players not being able to put any pressure on the Bulls. Even when the win looked secured, the Bulls kept on pushing as they were looking to get the bonus point.

Thrilling end

Sensing their team was down and out, the Sharks fans created an atmosphere that changed things on the field. The Sharks had momentum and pushed the Bulls back and eventually managed to get a converted try through Dylan Richardson.

The score in the last ten minutes was 19-14, and that made for an interesting conclusion to the game. The Sharks were on top of the Bulls, running at them and keeping the ball.

The Bulls won back possession and went on the attack as they searched for their fourth try. They secured it and the 26-14 win when van der Merwe scored a converted try from the lineout.

Scorers

Sharks: Tries – Siya Masuku, Dylan Richardson; Conversions – Masuku (2)

Bulls: Tries – David Kriel, Johan Grobbelaar, Akker van der Merwe (2); Conversions – Johan Goosen (2), Chris Smith