A hat-trick by Tevita Kurudrani was the big difference as the Brumbies beat the Vodacom Bulls by 22-10 in Canberra on Friday afternoon, their fourth straight victory over the three-time Vodacom Super Rugby champions from Pretoria.
Hanro Liebenberg scored the Vodacom Bulls’ first and only try after a period of sustained pressure and the visitors looked to be in control and switched on after the first quarter, leading by 10-5.
But the tide turned when the big Wallaby outside centre scored his second try in the 38th minute, which allowed the home team to finish the first half with a 12-10 lead.
Sadly for the men from Pretoria, mistakes under pressure and bad defence cost them dearly in the second half as Irae Simone (inside centre) and Kuridrani added two more tries to second a bonus-point win for the Brumbies.
It was a scrappy performance by the Vodacom Bulls, and although they showed some attacking intent, they just never really got going.
A good example of their performance came late in the match when they turned the ball over virtually on the Brumbies’ try-line, failing to convert a try-scoring opportunity what could have seen them bag a losing bonus-point.
However, the Brumbies would argue that they should never have been in this position, as Christian Lealiifano missed four kicks from the tee, worth nine points, which would have put the Vodacom Bulls to the sword much earlier in the game.
Scorers:
Brumbies – Tries: Tevita Kuridrani (3), Irae Simone; Conversion: Christian Lealiifano.
Vodacom Bulls – Try: Hanro Liebenberg; Conversion: Manie Libbok; Penalty goal: Libbok.
