Beauden Barrett’s late cameo and Super Rugby milestone weren’t enough to prevent the Bulls shocking the Hurricanes with a 21-19 win in Pretoria.
The hosts provided an early-season fillip for new coach John Mitchell and for South African rugby with a bright performance against the rusty-looking Hurricanes, who trailed 16-12 at halftime.
A 72nd-minute try to Bulls prop Pierre Schoeman proved the match-winner in a close affair, with both sides crossing three times.
Earlier, it had appeared All Blacks playmaker and World Rugby Player of the Year Barrett would swing the momentum when he crossed moments after coming off the bench.
Without any pre-season rugby under his belt, Barrett latched onto a TJ Perenara cross-kick to score with his first competitive touch of 2018 and put the visitors ahead 19-16.
In the process he became the fourth player in Super Rugby history to score 1000 points.
But Bulls five-eighth Handre Pollard charged down a chip from opposite Ihaia West to spark a sweeping move which resulted in Schoeman’s try.
Pollard’s two penalties were important in putting his team in front in the first spell.
They scored early through winger Johnny Kotze but the Hurricanes replied through hooker Ricky Riccitelli from a line-out drive and winger Wes Goosen from a chip and chase.
The Bulls scored the try of the game from inside their own half soon before the break, when Springboks forward Lood de Jager galloped over after a bust and loping run from fellow-lock RG Snyman.
That try came when the hosts were reduced to 14 men, with Schoeman shown a yellow card for a high shot.
The Hurricanes’ fitness levels appeared to lag in the thin air, with their error count and concession of penalties problematic in the second spell.
They were outpointed in areas they would normally expect to shade the youthful Bulls side, such as running metres and offloads, leaving room for improvement ahead of next week’s clash with the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.
Ben
Guest
The Bulls disallowed try was due to the ball being knocked out of the hands by a Hurricanes player so it should have been a try and the Hurricanes disallowed try should have also been a try. Maybe the ref was trying to even it out?
Taylorman
Guest
I think the Bulls were robbed of a try actually. The one given then retracted didn’t look forward. He dropped it yes but it at least went sideways or backwards.
Uncle Eric
Guest
Baylion, at no time did Perenara 'lose control of the ball' in the act of scoring. Admittedly downward pressure was slight, but there none the less in my view and should have been given.
Fionn
Guest
I'm not reading anything. I phrased a question...
Fionn
Guest
No, I meant my question wasn't silly. I phrased that very unclearly.
Uncle Eric
Guest
Fionn, the fact that the Bulls were so poor last year bears no correlation between how the Bulls will be this year. Bit early to read anything into these tea leaves.
Taylorman
Guest
Well there’s your answer then. We set everyone up by looking bad first match, then win everything else.
Taylorman
Guest
Nah, it was silly. I made it, and it felt silly when I did.?
Fionn
Guest
It wasn't a 'silly' answer, Taylorman. It was an irrelevant comment that had nothing to do with what I said. And, given the context of my question it wasn't silly. The only Kiwi side that played a non-Kiwi side (that was awful last year) lost to that non-Kiwi side. That could either be an anomaly or it could signal that not all 5 Kiwi sides will win virtually every match against foreign opposition both home and away.
Taylorman
Guest
Well basing that sort of question on the first away match by a kiwi side deserves some answers just as silly as the question don’t you think?
Fionn
Guest
Yep. That's why I phrased it as a question as opposed to a statement.
SAVAGE
Guest
It was no different to the First round game two years ago in Canberra when the Brumbies absolutely cleaned the Hurricanes.............Hurricanes won the final a few months later.
Ex force fan
Guest
Thanks for illustrating my point B. One team for 2015 did not make the top 8 in 2016 (Tahs replaced by the Sharks) and one team for 2016 Top 8 did make the Top 8 in 2017 (Blues replacing Brumbies). It illustrates the point that the competition is highly predictable. If you use last year's finalist you will get 7 correct. It illustrates the prectability of thr competition and that strong teams are build over multiple seasons. Coaching matters.
Baylion
Roar Rookie
He was deemed to have lost control of the ball. After the ridiculous decisions we got in 2016 when "clear" knock-ons were given as tries because the camera angles didn't show clear and obvious separation the interpretation was changed for 2017 to basically "if it looks like a knock-on it is a knock-on" The laws are fairly specific on scoring a try - either a player must hold the ball on his hands or arms and touch the ground with the ball, or - if the ball is loose in the goal area he must exert downward pressure with his upper body (not including neck or head), arms or hands I felt, at the time, he was done in, but that's the law interpretation
Fionn
Guest
Quite so. If South African teams (especially those as poor as the Bulls) can start consistently beating Kiwi teams in South Africa then the period of complete Kiwi dominance is (by definition) over.
Fionn
Guest
I don't disagree, but that literally has no bearing on what I said, Taylorman.
Baylion
Roar Rookie
The real top 8 the last 3 years: 2017: 1 Lions 2 Crusaders 3 Hurricanes 4 Chiefs 5 Highlanders 6 Stormers 7 Sharks 8 Blues 2016: 1 Hurricanes 2 Lions 3 Highlanders 4 Chiefs 5 Stormers 6 Crusaders 7 Brumbies 8 Sharks 2015: 1 Hurricanes 2 Highlanders 3 Waratahs 4 Chiefs 5 Brumbies 6 Crusaders 7 Stormers 8 Lions
Taylorman
Guest
No Fionn. Kiwi dominance is because they play rugby betterThen anyone else
Taylorman
Guest
Are you for real?ha ha
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Not so sure about four Kiwi teams in playoffs hence they will cannibalize each other's prospects. No matter how we spin it, the Kiwi teams have a tougher schedule and it is gonna be hard for the fourth-placed Kiwi team to get more points than both third-placed teams in the OZ and SA conference.