The defending champion Bulls kept their Super Rugby playoff hopes alive by edging out the New South Wales Waratahs 23-17 at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
The home team outscored their opponents by two tries to one as they vaulted from seventh to fifth place in the table on 49 points with a fifth consecutive victory.
The Waratahs picked up a bonus point for losing by less than seven points, keeping the Australian team in sixth spot and in the last playoff position.
Photo: AFP
“We are starting to get momentum now,” Bulls skipper Victor Matfield said. “It’s nice to be in the top six, but we need to win our next two matches.”
The teams were locked at 6-6 just before halftime thanks to two penalties apiece from Bulls flyhalf Morne Steyn and opposite number Kurtley Beale.
Then, with seconds remaining in the half, the hosts went ahead through a well-worked try from inside center Wynand Olivier.
The Bulls won a lineout on the halfway line, before Gerhard van der Heever came off the right wing and drew the last defender to set up Olivier for a converted try.
Four minutes after the restart they extended their lead thanks to a breathtaking try which started inside their own 22m line.
The ball was thrown along the back line, before center Jaco Pretorius made a 30m run and set up winger Bjorn Basson for his ninth try of the season.
The Waratahs staged a fightback with Beale booting his third penalty and replacement winger Afa Pakalani diving over in the corner to reduce the deficit to six points.
Beale then kicked another penalty, before Waratahs replacement forward Pat O’Conner was red-carded for headbutting an opponent and Steyn kicked the resulting penalty.
“At halftime we felt we were very much in the match. We felt that possession would come our way, and it did, but we let ourselves down, made some mistakes and gave away some turnovers,” Waratahs captain Dean Mumm said.
HURRICANES 38, LIONS 27
REUTERS, WELLINGTON
Center Ma’a Nonu scored one try and made two for his fellow All Black Hosea Gear as the Wellington Hurricanes came from behind to beat South Africa’s Lions 38-27 in their clash yesterday.
Trailing the perennial strugglers 20-8 after 35 minutes, the Hurricanes hit back with a 30-point purple patch in the Wellington rain to avoid what would have been an embarrassing defeat despite their playoff hopes having long disappeared.
Nonu, who has had a quiet season by his standards as Crusaders centers Sonny Bill Williams and Robbie Fruean have hogged the limelight, was at his line-busting best as the Hurricanes took the game to the entertaining Lions.
Aaron Cruden did his bid to secure the back-up position to New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter no harm with the Hurricanes’ first try and 18 points from the boot, while Test scrumhalf Piri Weepu played 77 minutes as he continued his return from injury.
“We took a leaf out of the Lions book and what they did to us in the first half and just held onto the ball and built pressure,” Hurricanes skipper Andrew Hore said. “We want to make sure we get something out of this year so we can get a good start to next year. You’ve also got that World Cup that you can’t hide from and a lot of boys are putting their hands up for that as well.”
The Lions, looking to build on last week’s upset victory over the Highlanders, were well worth their 20-15 halftime lead after tries from fullback Jaco Taute and skipper Doppies la Grange, as well as 10 points from the boot of Elton Jantjies.
“I think we knocked off a bit just after halftime and let in three easy tries and that was the difference,” la Grange said. “[Nonu’s] a quality player and he did well tonight.”
It was a characteristic midfield burst from the All Black that set Gear on his way to his first try after 36 minutes and, four minutes after Cruden had given the home side the lead with his third penalty, the 29-year-old burst through on an inside pass to claim one of his own in the 53rd minute.
Seven minutes later, Nonu’s clever flick up in the tackle allowed Gear to go over for his second, which Cruden converted before adding a 62nd minute penalty to give the home side a 38-20 lead.
The Lions kept at their task and the impressive Taute got his second try eight minutes from time, raising hopes of two bonus points that they were ultimately denied by solid Hurricanes defense.
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