It was a game of two halves as the Vodacom Bulls were made to fight for their bonus point victory under lights at Loftus Versfeld. The game began with a high tempo, as the visiting Cardiff Rugby took the game to their hosts. Both sides took early shots at goal with the visitors slotting in two penalties to one of their hosts, the Vodacom Bulls, who struggled with a few disciplinary issues.
It took half an hour into the game before the first try of the match, with Springbok winger Canan Moodie breaking for the line on the far right. A move that began inside the xxm line, with the Pretoria herd hanging onto the ball for nine phases without an unforced error. Johan Goosen made a good carry before releasing Kurt-Lee Arendse, who stepped on the gas pedal to set up Moodie for the finish!
That converted try gave the hosts a 4-point lead but that did not last long as xxx was cited by the TMO for a shoulder block on a Cardiff player, which resulted in a straightforward kick for three to bring the game back to one point.
Shortly before the break, Arendse would combine with his Springbok mate, Goosen, to dot over the Vodacom Bulls’ second of the night. This time, the try scored on the near corner of the main grandstand to thunderous applause. Goosen stepped up to convert that too and the hosts went into the break leading 17-9.
The Vodacom Bulls started the second stanza in a similar fashion they finished the first, with skipper Ruan Nortje spotting Bok number 10 Johan Goosen who swindled and side-stepped the last two Cardiff defenders to go over the line under the Northern poles of the stadium.
On the stroke of the hour mark, the hosts found their bonus point try as Nortje drove his way over from close range, to go over the line to the left of the poles, making Goosen’s job easier for the conversion.
Arendse and Moodie combined for the side’s fifth, a thing of beauty as Arendse (fed by Chris Smith) lofted the ball through a deft right-footed lob to find his Springbok peer, Moodie who made sure to dot it down. Chris Smith continued where Goosen left off, slotting the conversion to give the home side a 38-9 score line with 10 minutes to play.
The relentless pursuit of points did not stop there, with the Vodacom Bulls affecting its might over a powerless Cardiff defense with a lineout maul that led Elrigh Louw to go over the line for try number eight on the night.
In the end, the Pretoria outfit was 45-9 victors. Taking the maximum available points from the fixture.
SCORERS:
Vodacom Bulls – 45
Tries: Canan Moodie x2, Kurt-Lee Arendse x1, Johan Goosen x1, Ruan Nortje x1, Elrigh Louw x1
Conversions: Goosen x4, Chris Smit x2
Penalty goal: Goosen
