The Bulls booked their place in the United Rugby Championship semi-finals with a 30-23 win over Benetton in Pretoria on Saturday, but the victory proved tougher than expected.
It was a fast-paced, entertaining game with momentum ebb and flow between the two teams throughout, but the Bulls got some luck at the end to emerge victorious.
In the end, both teams scored three tries, with goals from Kurtley Arendse (2) and David Curiel for the Bulls, and tries from Onisi Ratabe, Tomas Albornoz and Malachi Fekitoa for the visitors.
The home team’s other goals came from Johan Goosen, who scored three conversions and the same number of penalties, while Benetton’s Rhino Smith converted two penalties and one.
Scorers click here
The Bulls started brightly shortly after the kick-off when Willy le Roux fired a provocative chip kick which bounced inside the visitors’ 22. Arendse reacted quickest, picking up the ball and beating three defenders on his way over the try line.
The home side continued to dominate as the game progressed but their efforts yielded no results despite being in the opposition’s half for the better part of the next ten minutes.
In the 11th minute, several Benetton players tripped at a ruck, giving Smith a chance to score for Benetton, and he converted a penalty kick.
Benetton were gaining confidence as they continued to score, linking their attacking phases well. Midway through the first half, Latabe thought he had scored his first try with a cross into the left corner, but his try was disallowed when TV replays showed that Federico Luzza was offside at the maul and that a charge from Embrose Papier’s kick had allowed Benetton to win the ball back.
This careless play proved costly when moments later, Harold Vorster put his team ahead with some strong ball movement in midfield, pushing all the way to Benetton’s 22. The ball was quickly recycled and Arendse beat several defenders to cross for his second and fifth goal.
The next 10 minutes were a competitive affair with both teams moving the ball in the air a lot as they tried to gain an advantage and Benetton were rewarded in the 32nd minute with a goal from Ratave after some excellent link-up work between Ruzza and Mahakakai Fekitoa.
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But five minutes before half-time Goosen converted a superb penalty from 54 metres and the teams switched sides at the break with the Bulls leading 17-8.
The second half started brightly for Italy and two minutes after the restart, Smith scored a second penalty to reduce the deficit after Wico Low was brought down in a foul scrum.
The Treviso players then conceded a breakdown penalty in the 51st minute and Goosen made no mistake with his kicking tee. Nevertheless, Benetton continued to attack and in the 58th minute Albornoz slipped through a gap in the Bulls defence to score their fifth goal.
A further point from Smith levelled the game and the Bulls led narrowly 20-18, but Goosen laid the foundations with a brilliant run before a try from Curiel saw the Bulls fight back. Goosen passed to Papier who passed to Curiel who scored the try to put his team back in the lead.
But Benetton refused to give up and Fekitoa scored a try five minutes later to set up a tense game.
The Italian side continued to test the Bulls defence but Jake White’s side finished stronger, with Goosen scoring his third three-pointer from a kicking tee in the 75th minute to book his place in the URC semi-finals.
team
Bulls: 15 Willy le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 David Curiel, 12 Harold Forster, 11 Kurt Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goossen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Erlig Roux, 6 Nizam Carr, 5 Ruan Nortje (c), 4 Ruan Vermark, 3 Wilco Roux, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
replacement: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhard Ludwig, 20 Jannes Kirsten, 21 Keegan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Sergeir Petersen
Benetton: 15 Rhino Smith, 14 Tommaso Menoncello, 13 Ignacio Breks, 12 Malachi Fekitoa, 11 Onisi Latabe, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Toa Harafihi, 7 Michele Ramallo (c), 6 Alessandro Izekol, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Edoardo Iacizzi, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Bautista Bernasconi, 1 Thomas Gallo
replacement: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Mirko Spagnolo, 18 Giosué Girocchi, 19 Eli Snimann, 20 Niccolo Cannone, 21 Lorenzo Cannone, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Jacob Umaga
Judge: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Assistant Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU), Adam Jones (WRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
read more: Munster player ratings: ‘Superb’ Jack Crowley guides champions to URC semi-final
