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Vodacom Bulls secured a top-two finish in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship following a 26-14 win over Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban.

The hosts were missing injured Springboks Lukhanyo Am and Eben Etzebeth, among others, and were playing just eight days after lifting the European Challenge Cup in London, but were competitive to the end.

Akker van der Merwe crossed twice for the Bulls, the second of his tries making a top-of-the-table finish possible.

An ambitious long line-out failed to hit its intended target yet still fell kindly for Siya Masuku to collect and flop over the line as the Sharks drew first blood, the player converting his own try.

The Bulls were playing with greater freedom, however, with Embrose Papier and Willie le Roux pulling the strings and their work helped to set up their opening try for David Kriel.

The finish for the visitors’ next try was less eye-catching as Johan Grobbelaar concluded a maul try, with Johan Goosen adding the extras, but there was plenty to admire in the play leading to the line-out as Le Roux and Kurt-Lee Arendse burst into open space.

The Sharks trailed 12-7 at half-time and they had to scramble furiously to keep out a third Bulls try shortly after the interval with Aphelele Fassi chasing down Canan Moodie.

Flanker Vincent Tshituka was sent to the sin-bin for slowing the ball down, inviting more pressure on to the Sharks, and eventually they cracked with van der Merwe scoring from a pick and go, with Goosen again converting.

The hosts were showing admirable resilience given their URC season was over after the game and in the third quarter they began shifting through the gears with Dylan Richardson going over and Masuku landing the conversion.

The Bulls were hindered by their high number of handling errors but with three minutes remaining they claimed the bonus point, van der Merwe crossing after impressive build-up play from his side, Chris Smith this time kicking the two additional points.

Vodacom Man of the Match

Elrigh Louw emerged as the star performer in a muscular afternoon from the Bulls pack. The 24-year-old’s work-rate and power were important factors in the bonus-point win that confirms the Bulls among the favourites to win the URC title, in the process advancing his own Springboks claim.

Play of the match

The Bulls were in danger of missing out on the bonus point they needed to decorate their win but their pack stepped up with three minutes left. It was route one stuff as one imposing maul led to a second and over went replacement hooker van der Merwe to snuff out the Sharks’ fightback.

>>>Story courtesy of https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest<<<

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