| Bulls (17.45) |
| Tries: Moodie 2, Arendse, Goosen, Nortje, Louw. Cons: Goosen 4, Smith 2 Pen: Goosen. |
| Cardiff (9) 9 |
| Pens: Evans 3 |
Cardiff’s bright start to Pretoria was ended by the Bulls’ return Springboks.
Johan Goosen got a try, and Kurt Lee Arendse and Canan Moore set up two more. Canan Moore added a third late on.
Cardiff’s pack was more that a match for their hosts, as Jarrod Evans kicked three penalties early.
The gap in quality between the backlines was too great and the visitors suffered their worst defeat of the season.
While the Loftus Versfeld scoreboard might have been a harsh reflection upon Cardiff’s effort, it was the harsh reality for a young group.
Dai Young was forced to make several changes after sustaining injuries. last weekend’s historic win in Durban However, he started his side with genuine confidence.
Crucially Young’s back row was strong and the trio Thomas Young, James Botham, and captain Josh Turnbull were able to take control of the game quickly.
Cardiff won more turnovers this season than any other side of the United Rugby Championship (URC). All three back rowers contributed to the impressive total in the first 20 minutes.
Lloyd Williams, scrum-half for Botham, kicked smartly. Botham carried well but their injury-hit backline didn’t have a cutting edge — unlike the Bulls.
Jake White’s team made 10 improvements to the side. beat Ospreys 43-26This includes the return of five Springboks, who were able to strike twice just before half-time.
The 29th minute saw the Cardiff lead 6-3. Cardiff made the first attempt.
Goosen swagger
Moodie’s easy end was made possible by Arendse, a fly-half Goosen, and Arendse.
Evans recouped three points after Williams was dragged off the court by a Bulls shoulder.
However, Cardiff’s pack was strong and Goosen’s spectacular reverse pass enabled Arendse to add another try against England.
Cardiff suffered a 17-9 halftime deficit, but they did not switch off at the end of the second quarter. Goosen, on the other hand, was able to score his third goal.
Cardiff had still a chance, not least because of Seb Davies’ driving line-out, but they were disappointed by their inability to handle crucial moments.
They were hit hard when Ruan nortje crashed into them on the hour. Jason Harries beat Moodie to Arendse’s chips, while Elrigh Louw added a sixth in the closing seconds.
Bulls moved up two places in the table and Cardiff remains sixth.
Bulls: Kurt-Lee Arendse; David Kriel, Cornal Hendricks, Harold Vorster, Canan Moodie; Johan Goosen, Zak Burger; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Mornay Smith, Ruan Vermaak, Ruan Nortje (capt), Marco van Staden, Cyle Brink, Elrigh Louw.
Alternatives: Jan-Hendrik Wessels Simphiwe matanzima Francois Klopper Janko Swinepoel Nizaam Car, Embrose Paper, Chris Smith, Lionel Mapoe
Cardiff Rugby Cameron Winnett; Jason Harries Mason Grady Ben Thomas, Aled Sommerhill; Jarrod Evans Lloyd Williams; Rhys Carre Kristian Dancey, Dmitri Ahip Lopetitimani, Seb Davies Josh Turnbull (capt), Thomas Young James Botham
Replacements: Kirby Myhill. Corey Domachowski. Will Davies-King. Teddy Williams. Shane Lewis Hughes. James Ratti. Ellis Bevan. Harri Millard.
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU).
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni & Griffin Colby (SARU)
TMO: Eoghan Cross, IRFU