Full of muscle, hustle and bustle, the Bulls beat Bayonne 32-22 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Challenge Cup at Stade Jean Dauger yesterday.
Though they made some errors, this was a far more controlled performance by the Bulls, whose game management and maturity won the day over opponents bent on creating chaos.
The Bulls scored some breathtaking tries, but it was their defence that helped break Bayonne, who attacked at every opportunity.
This win will imbue the Bulls with much confidence as they head into the next round against Edinburgh.
The home team was full of running at the start but their enthusiasm and enterprise met only limited reward, with Baptiste Germain converting a third-minute penalty. The Bulls, however, gradually applied the squeeze through their forwards and some judicious tactical kicking.
Victory to reach Challenge Cup quarterfinals will give them the confidence for the next round against Edinburgh
It was upfront, however, where the visitors made the most inroads. Tighthead prop Wilco Louw put his stamp on the game in the scrum, hooker Akker van der Merwe bustled in the tight and the loose, while Marcel Coetzee made his presence felt in the collision.
With a surfeit of front foot balls, scrumhalf Zak Burger teased the Bayonne defence, and it was his decision to strike to the right that yielded a stunning opening try.
Fullback Devon Williams ran a devastatingly effective support line that took him through a gap before his perfectly timed switch pass to Sergeal Petersen put the wing in the clear.
Bayonne were, however, able to open up the game, and their adventurous spirit eventually paid off when muscular centre Federico Mori barged over in the corner in the 32nd minute.
The influential centre left the field soon after.
The game, however, took a turn in the Bulls’ favour when they crucially scored just before the break. Displaying sure hands and clarity of thought, Burger got past the first defender before offloading to try bound lock Reinhardt Ludwig.
Immediately after the break, it was the Bulls defence that was the foundation for them, adding to their tally. They repelled Bayonne’s advances by applying heat on the ball carrier. It forced the hosts to apply the boot, and it was from one such punt the unlikely frame of Jan-Hendrik Wessels did the sweep at the back. Instead of seeking a backline player, he started a counterattack and offloaded by way of a chicken wing pass.
The move resulted in a stunning try for David Kriel in the left hand corner, albeit with a bit of good fortune.
Van der Merwe received a yellow card in the 55th minute but the Bulls absorbed that blow, with the likes of Wessels, Marco van Staden and Cameron Hanekom rising to the occasion. Though Bayonne kept coming, and got within seven points with four minutes to go, the Bulls kept their composure.
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