Nutshell: Bulls miss a golden chance in red card fest

In the story of their season so far, the Bulls butchered the most golden of opportunities to beat a New Zealand side as they lost 10-17 to the Highlanders in their Super Rugby match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The sodden conditions certainly played into the Bulls’ hands as it slowed the game down, turning it into a muddy arm-wrestle.

The home side trailed 3-10 at the break, but dominated the second half as they camped in the Highlanders half for long periods.

The scores were level after 47 minutes thanks to fullback Warrick Gelant’s opportunistic try, and the match-winning try seemed to have come in the 72^nd minute when Coenraad van Vuuren, the debutant prop, slid over under the poles.

But the Bulls had once again been the architects of their own demise, as so often in this season, because lock RG Snyman had used the shoulder to the face of replacement hooker Greg Pleasants-Tate in a bad cleanout at the ruck before the tighthead dotted down.

So the try was rightly disallowed.

Snyman’s red card was the second of the match and consistent with the sending off of Highlanders wing Waisake Naholo eight minutes earlier after he lunged his shoulder into centre Burger Odendaal’s jaw.

It was classy centre Malakai Fekitoa who then came to the Highlanders’ rescue four minutes later, racing through the cover defence as if he had an emergency to get to, and dotting down for the match-winning try.

Who was the star in this match?

It was a much better effort by the Bulls pack, with flank Ruan Steenkamp leading the way, and they battered their way over the advantage line. But it was all to no avail due to Snyman’s moment of madness. He received his rightful punishment, but his whole team suffered the consequences.

Key themes and events

• The Highlanders played it according to the wet-weather manual in the first half, kicking most of their possession when inside their own half, but their kicks were invariably contestable or into space. Scrumhalf Aaron Smith, chosen as official man of the match, was excellent in this regard.
• The Bulls also chose to kick – leading to 61 kicks in the first half alone – but their efforts invariably went straight to an opposition player. In the second half they decided to keep ball in hand more, their more direct approach serving to bombard the Highlanders, who struggled to get out of their territory.
• Bulls centre Burger Odendaal was never far from the action and was on the receiving end of several big hits, including the foul one by Naholo. It was also his grubber through that allowed Gelant to just get a toe on the ball and kick it from fullback Matt Faddes’ grasp, then following up to dot down his second Super Rugby try.
• It was a much-improved scrummaging display from the Bulls, who were solid on their own ball. The second-half performance by the pack showed their pride as they lifted their intensity and physicality.

Points scorers

Bulls – Try: Warrick Gelant. Conversion: Tian Schoeman. Penalty: Schoeman.

Highlanders – Tries: – Matt Faddes, Malakai Fekitoa. Conversions: Fletcher Smith, Marty Banks. Penalty: Smith.

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