The Northern Bulls had one man sent off but still managed to overcome a sloppy Wellington Hurricanes 19-14 yesterday to maintain their unbeaten record at the top of the Super 14 competition.
The Hurricanes made most of the running, scoring two tries to one, but were also responsible for most of the mistakes, giving up 13 penalties to the Bulls’ three.
Referee Matt Goddard was a dominating presence, issuing five yellow cards and one red card — mostly for offenses at the breakdown — to produce a procession of players coming and going from the field.
The Bulls remain the only unbeaten team in the competition this season, sticking with their formula based on their big forward pack and the boot of flyhalf Morne Steyn.
Their winning margin could have been even higher had Steyn not had a mixed night, succeeding with only four of eight penalty attempts.
The Hurricanes scored the only try of the first spell, a fine individual effort by fullback Tamati Ellison who slipped into the backline for an angled run, evading the attempted tackle of Fourie du Preez on his way to the line.
Steyn ensured the South Africans went into the break with a 9-7 lead by kicking three out of his five first-half penalty attempts.
Referee Goddard was on a mission to stamp out cheating at the breakdown, sending Bulls flankers Pedrie Wannenberg and Gideon Stegmann to the sin bin in the first spell, along with Hurricanes inside center Ma’a Nonu.
Hurricanes flanker Scott Waldrom was next one minute into the second spell and Stegmann was sent off after a dangerous tackle on Conrad Smith, followed by another yellow for Hurricanes lock Jason Eaton.
Midway through the spell, one of the few attacking forays by the Bulls was brilliantly executed, conjuring their only try to outside center JP Nel.
The Bulls stretched the Hurricanes on the right flank, before swinging the attack back to the opposite side where Nel was in the clear.
After the fulltime hooter, Eaton gained a consolation bonus point for the Hurricanes, going over almost unchallenged from the back of the breakdown near the Bulls line.
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