Bulls five-eighth Handre Pollard became the first Super Rugby player past the 100-point mark this season as his team defeated the Crusaders 31-19 in Pretoria.
The Springboks 2015 World Cup No.10 contender kicked two conversions and four penalties from nine shots at goal for a 16-point contribution at Loftus Versfeld stadium on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).
Pollard tops the points scorers’ chart with 108, which is 18 more than national-team rival Patrick Lambie from the Sharks, who was rested this weekend.
He played down his personal role after receiving the man-of-the-match award as the Bulls achieved a fourth straight victory after beginning the season with two losses.
“It was a great team effort,” said the 21-year-old successor to Loftus legend Morne Steyn.
“And it was a great privilege for me to pit my wits against Dan Carter, the best fly-half of all time.”
A try each from right-winger Francois Hougaard, inside centre Burger Odendaal and substitute lock Grant Hattingh completed the Bulls’ total.
Veteran All Blacks and Crusaders five-eighth Carter gave a flawless goal-kicking performance with one conversion and four penalties and giant Fijian left-winger Nemani Nadolo scored a try.
Victory lifted three-time champions the Bulls two places to seventh on the southern hemisphere inter-provincial combined standings and second in the South African conference.
Record seven-time title-holders the Crusaders dropped one place to ninth overall and find themselves in the unfamiliar position of being only fourth in the New Zealand conference.
Billed as the match of the seventh round, the teams fully fulfilled expectations with 80 pulsating minutes of top-class rugby.
“We are very happy and very tired,” said Bulls No.8 and skipper Pierre Spies, a returnee this year after missing almost all of last season through injury.
“It was a great team effort although it helps a lot to see Handre kicking all those points week after week.”
All Blacks No 8 and Crusaders skipper Kieran Read said his team produced a tremendous effort without securing even a losing bonus point.
“Our plan was to keep the ball moving to try and run the Bulls ragged, and we did that well at times. However, the execution was not there,” Read said.
Bulls led three times and the Crusaders twice in a see-sawing first half that ended 18-16 in favour of the hosts.
The South Africans had stretched the advantage to five points when the decisive try came on 66 minutes.
A Carter pass was intercepted by Hattingh, who made a long gallop to the try-line and held off two Crusaders to dot down.
Jerry
Guest
Neck and neck with Cummins.
botham
Guest
The crusaders have had run at top Living on past glories now be like the blues in a few years
MACDUB
Guest
Crusaders are one of the most frustrating teams to watch. They create a ridiculous number of line-breaks and attacking opportunities and then muck them up at the last stage. They're weaponry is dangerous but they still don't have that polish/execution to finish off those half-chances (in fact I wouldn't call them half-chances, they're more like 3/4 chances ;) ) That lack of polish and final execution is the difference between Putting 60 odd points on the Cheetahs and scoring one "after-the-fact" try in the Chiefs game.
felix
Guest
Bulls ran the Saders off their feet,maybe they exchanged t shirts :-D
Shaun
Guest
Bit hasty there, the only difference between Fiji and SA was the 3 missed conversions. That being said no team can match the fijians size and pace...
gregory
Guest
Hi Sean. To me it also look like a must win. I can't wait for mccaw and carter to go. Talking about experience and calmness to the team. Nonsense! They are taking up places of good players. What do you say about the sevens final? I'm a staunch NZ supporter. As I see it the sevens team cannot match Fiji. No team can rattle Fiji maybe England. SA and NZ will only win tournaments when Fiji is eliminated. The only team to beat Fiji is England. Do you see Fiji playing like the other teams who pass the ball, pass the ball and one bad pass and Fiji pounce. NZ players too slow. Tme for DJ Forbes and Michelson to go
gregory
Guest
When Nadolo rolls he rolls!
Sylvester
Guest
Nadolo is the slowest wing in Super Rugby I'd wager.
gregory
Guest
As always. Complacency written all over it. Crusaders thought the only have to pitch to win. They were surprised by bulls running game. Maybe crusaders can bounce back next week against sharks but I doubt it. Certain players are not pulling their weight. Owen Franks, what's he doing on the field? Other teams props are working their butts of. He's walking and trodding from one scrum to another and lineouts. They should also start slade and carter at 12 and Todd start with mccaw on bench. Crusaders players average speed hinders them, age maybe. Only Nadolo and Dagg have speed. So every line linebreak came to zero. This crusaders are not like the teams of late. Full of allblacks but cannot produce. Coaching maybe? At times the crusaders played dumb rugby. Passing, passing, passing maybe something would happen. How can you pass without even running at your opponent first to open up gaps? Defence just drifting as they pass. Naholo receiving ball at standing start. Crusaders are my team but they disappoint me and I'm getting frustrated. And they must stop giving away penalties even when attacking. Giving the opposition to get of the hook. Enough said. I feel better now as its of my chest
Michael
Guest
The Bulls really rattled the Crusaders. I was on the edge of seat for the whole match. Definitely the match of the round! The Bulls face the Lions next. What a match that is expecting to be, the Lions with all that confidence and maybe a bit tired against the inform Bulls at Emirates Airline Park. :)
Sean Turner
Roar Guru
Hugely frustrating performance. Linebreak after linebreak after linebreak, but just couldn't put any chances away. Story of the season really. As phenomenal as Nadolo is, he needs to stop looking for contact so much. Two offloads which drifted forward would have been tries if he simply handed it on. The signs are there, but the execution isn't. Fruean and Macilai are collosal losses, best backline now is slade at 10 and carter at 12. Was a bad move dropping that combination in such an important game, especially for Taylor. Durban is looking more and more like a must win in an incredibly strong NZ conference. On the plus side, Taufua looks like a star in the making, and the departure of McCaw and Carter in 2016 shouldn't effect this side too much.