PLAYING AT ALTITUDE in 33-degree heat in the Southern Hemisphere can be brutal, but Ulster were as cool and brave as Antarctic explorers at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, even though their valiant effort fell short in a 34-26 defeat to the Bulls.
Ulster were firmly in the contest right up until Curwin Bosch kicked a long-range penalty after the final hooter. It denied Ulster a bonus point which was the very least they deserved.
The route was uphill from the outset as they allowed the kick-off by the Bulls to bounce into touch inside their 22. Scrum-half Nathan Doak’s clearing kick did not go out and when wing Sebastian de Klerk ran the ball back, Ulster number eight Juarno Augustus was penalised for hands in the ruck.
It led to the familiar Bulls routine of kick to touch, lineout, maul and try, scored by flank Marcell Coetzee. Ulster were 7-0 down inside two minutes.
Lesser teams have frozen under the pressure the Bulls exerted in that opening quarter, but Ulster – with hooker Tom Stewart and flanker David McCann to the fore – kept the Bulls out.
The visitors could have equalised themselves but dropped the ball over the line, prompting a Bulls counter, a 50/22 kick by Handré Pollard, and a try by number eight Elrigh Louw.
Juarno Augustus on the charge. Christiaan Kotze
Christiaan Kotze
Another 50/22 led to a third Bulls try, and a second for Coetzee, with eight minutes left in the half. At 21-0 down, Ulster seemed on the verge of being buried under an avalanche.
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But crucially, they scored on the hooter. Augustus made ground over the gain line, and good quick hands by Nick Timoney and Stewart on the blindside sent right wing Chay Mullins over for the try.
Out-half Jack Murphy converted, and it felt like Ulster had a puncher’s chance when they came out for the second half trailing 7-21.
The hot African sun continued to beat down relentlessly, but Ulster showed not just resilience but the sheer bloodymindedness to dominate the Bulls in the third quarter.
McCann scored a deserved try under a pile of bodies in the 45th minute (14-21) and when the Bulls responded by kicking a penalty to the posts (24-14) it was a moral victory for Ulster.
Re-energised, they piled on the pressure and the harried Bulls gave away a raft of penalties. Ulster kept their cool in the 22, clean hands allowing Mullins to dive over in the corner for his second try.
The Bulls lifted themselves as hooker Johann Grobbelaar bullocked straight and hard for their bonus-point try (31-19).
But Ulster pulled themselves back into contention with nine minutes remaining as centre Stuart McCloskey charged over on a similar no-frills line.
Murphy’s conversion made it 26-31 and Ulster were centimetres away from taking the lead a couple of minutes later when replacement Tom McKillop galloped over the line, but McCloskey’s foot had just been forced onto the touchline before he could get his offload away.
Christiaan Kotze
Christiaan Kotze
Bulls scorers:
Tries: Marcel Coetzee (2), Elrigh Louw
Conversions: Handré Pollard (3)
Penalties: Pollard, Curwin Bosch
Ulster scorers:
Tries: Chay Mullins (2), David McCann, Stuart McCloskey
Conversions: Jack Murphy (3).
BULLS: Luan Giliomee, Sebastian de Klerk, Sango Xamlashe, Harold Vorster, Cheswill Jooste, Handre Pollard, Paul de Wet; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Francois Klopper, Ruan Vermaak, Reinhardt Ludwig, Marcell Coetzee (Captain), Hanro Liebenberg, Elrigh Louw
Replacements: Marco van Staden, Alu Tshakweni, Khutha Mchunu, Cobus Wiese, Cameron Hanekom, Zak Burger, Curwin Bosch, Dylan Maart
ULSTER: Jacob Stockdale, Chay Mullins, Jamie Benson, Stuart McCloskey, Michael Lowry, Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Tom O’Toole, Tom Stewart (Captain), Keynan Knox, Ben Donnell, Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, Nick Timoney, Juarno Augustus
Replacements: Henry Walker, Eric O’Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Eli Snyman, James McNabney, Matthew Devine, Jake Flannery, James McKillop
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Ulster's valiant effort falls short at Bulls
Bulls 34
Ulster 26
PLAYING AT ALTITUDE in 33-degree heat in the Southern Hemisphere can be brutal, but Ulster were as cool and brave as Antarctic explorers at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, even though their valiant effort fell short in a 34-26 defeat to the Bulls.
Ulster were firmly in the contest right up until Curwin Bosch kicked a long-range penalty after the final hooter. It denied Ulster a bonus point which was the very least they deserved.
The route was uphill from the outset as they allowed the kick-off by the Bulls to bounce into touch inside their 22. Scrum-half Nathan Doak’s clearing kick did not go out and when wing Sebastian de Klerk ran the ball back, Ulster number eight Juarno Augustus was penalised for hands in the ruck.
It led to the familiar Bulls routine of kick to touch, lineout, maul and try, scored by flank Marcell Coetzee. Ulster were 7-0 down inside two minutes.
Lesser teams have frozen under the pressure the Bulls exerted in that opening quarter, but Ulster – with hooker Tom Stewart and flanker David McCann to the fore – kept the Bulls out.
The visitors could have equalised themselves but dropped the ball over the line, prompting a Bulls counter, a 50/22 kick by Handré Pollard, and a try by number eight Elrigh Louw.
Another 50/22 led to a third Bulls try, and a second for Coetzee, with eight minutes left in the half. At 21-0 down, Ulster seemed on the verge of being buried under an avalanche.
But crucially, they scored on the hooter. Augustus made ground over the gain line, and good quick hands by Nick Timoney and Stewart on the blindside sent right wing Chay Mullins over for the try.
Out-half Jack Murphy converted, and it felt like Ulster had a puncher’s chance when they came out for the second half trailing 7-21.
The hot African sun continued to beat down relentlessly, but Ulster showed not just resilience but the sheer bloodymindedness to dominate the Bulls in the third quarter.
McCann scored a deserved try under a pile of bodies in the 45th minute (14-21) and when the Bulls responded by kicking a penalty to the posts (24-14) it was a moral victory for Ulster.
Re-energised, they piled on the pressure and the harried Bulls gave away a raft of penalties. Ulster kept their cool in the 22, clean hands allowing Mullins to dive over in the corner for his second try.
The Bulls lifted themselves as hooker Johann Grobbelaar bullocked straight and hard for their bonus-point try (31-19).
But Ulster pulled themselves back into contention with nine minutes remaining as centre Stuart McCloskey charged over on a similar no-frills line.
Murphy’s conversion made it 26-31 and Ulster were centimetres away from taking the lead a couple of minutes later when replacement Tom McKillop galloped over the line, but McCloskey’s foot had just been forced onto the touchline before he could get his offload away.
Bulls scorers:
Tries: Marcel Coetzee (2), Elrigh Louw
Conversions: Handré Pollard (3)
Penalties: Pollard, Curwin Bosch
Ulster scorers:
Tries: Chay Mullins (2), David McCann, Stuart McCloskey
Conversions: Jack Murphy (3).
BULLS: Luan Giliomee, Sebastian de Klerk, Sango Xamlashe, Harold Vorster, Cheswill Jooste, Handre Pollard, Paul de Wet; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Francois Klopper, Ruan Vermaak, Reinhardt Ludwig, Marcell Coetzee (Captain), Hanro Liebenberg, Elrigh Louw
Replacements: Marco van Staden, Alu Tshakweni, Khutha Mchunu, Cobus Wiese, Cameron Hanekom, Zak Burger, Curwin Bosch, Dylan Maart
ULSTER: Jacob Stockdale, Chay Mullins, Jamie Benson, Stuart McCloskey, Michael Lowry, Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Tom O’Toole, Tom Stewart (Captain), Keynan Knox, Ben Donnell, Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, Nick Timoney, Juarno Augustus
Replacements: Henry Walker, Eric O’Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Eli Snyman, James McNabney, Matthew Devine, Jake Flannery, James McKillop
Referee: Ru Campbell (Scotland).
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