Industrious hooker Derick Kuun scored two tries to lead the Bulls to a 33-27 win over the Chiefs in their Super 14 match in Pretoria on Saturday.
With three rounds remaining, the Bulls moved up to second place with 33 points, while the Chiefs dropped to third on 32 points.
In a free-scoring match that produced six tries and in which the lead changed several times, the Bulls matched the physical New Zealanders in the set phases and at the breakdowns.
The South African team’s halfbacks, Fourie du Preez and Morne Steyn, capitalized on their forwards’ hard work by pinning back the hard-running Chiefs with an excellent kicking game.
The Bulls scored three tries in the first half, with two from Kuun, while the Chiefs stayed in touch with scores by giant No. 8 Sione Lauaki, center Callum Bruce and 12 points from the boot of flyhalf Stephen Donald.
His opposite number Steyn enjoyed an excellent night with the boot, kicking a personal haul of 18 points, which included a long-range drop goal.
The Bulls extended their lead to 13 points shortly after the restart with two Steyn penalties, but the Chiefs struck again on the hour mark when center Richard Kahui sliced through unopposed to score underneath the posts.
That score set up a tense final quarter characterized by a string of substitutions, but the Bulls could not score a fourth, bonus-point try that would have taken them to the top of the table.
The Chiefs had their chances to win the match at the death, but had to be satisfied with picking up a bonus point for finishing within seven points of the Bulls.
■CHEETAHS V CRUSADERS
REUTERS, CAPE TOWN
Recalled flyhalf Naas Olivier steered the Cheetahs to a 20-13 victory over the Canterbury Crusaders in their Super 14 match in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Olivier scored 10 points from two penalties and two conversions in his first Super rugby game in more than two years.
He also produced an outrageous flip pass to fullback Hennie Daniller, who scored the decisive try in the 75th minute to seal a rare victory for the South African team. The result dented the Crusaders’ hopes of reaching the semi-finals with only three rounds remaining.
The New Zealand side’s four-match winning streak was ended in the most unexpected fashion against a side that, before this match, had only claimed one win in this year’s tournament.
The Crusaders were reduced to kicking over an injury-time penalty through replacement fullback Leon MacDonald to ensure they earned a bonus point for losing by seven points or less.
The extra point moved the defending champions to 27 points in the standings and up to eighth.
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