The Bulls bowed out of the Challenge Cup lamenting what might have been after Edinburgh downed them 34-28 in their quarterfinal at Hive Stadium yesterday.
A poor first half left the Bulls with much to do and, though they did not lack for effort, they came up agonisingly short as the match reached a thrilling climax.
The Bulls battled bravely in the second half, and though they made inroads on the scoreboard, they could not completely eradicate the high error rate that undermined them before the break.
Their discipline left a lot to be desired, while their lineout was at times shambolic. To be fair, the hosts didn’t take to the air with any authority either. The home team with combative flanker Jamie Ritchie leading the way was far more assertive at the start.
There were early warning signs as Edinburgh cut the Bulls’ defence to shreds in midfield. Their adroit passing and clever use of angles found the Bulls wanting, with the first try coming directly from such a defence breach.
Conceding lineout possession inside your 22 invites trouble, as does losing players to the sin bin. Both contributed to Edinburgh’s second try when Bulls scrumhalf Zak Burger was sent to the bin.
Almost from nowhere the Bulls hit back after centre Harold Vorster seized upon the bouncing ball near centre field and with the Edinburgh defence line fragmented, he breezed past a few lumbering forwards before offloading to centre partner David Kriel, who made a dash and a stretch for the try line.
Facing a 17-point deficit, Jannes Kirsten’s relative anonymity was partially formalised when he was yellow-carded for a high hit in the 42nd minute. He was lucky to remain on the field after a similar infraction three minutes after his return.
Soon after the yellow card, Edinburgh captain Grant Gilchrist crashed over after the hosts surged upfield with intent. The Bulls by then had turned to their bench. They had six Springboks lying in wait, and the addition of wing Canan Moodie in particular, gave them another gear.
Upfront, too, there was greater urgency with replacements Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Marco van Staden spreading themselves thin.
The Bulls pack was more direct after the break and profited with a penalty try before leftwing Stravino Jacobs’s burst from an attacking scrum helped set up a try for Cameron Hanekom. That try brought the result back into the balance.
The Bulls got to within six points but no closer.
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