Cardiff snapped the Stormers’ 15-match unbeaten streak with a hard-fought 30-24 in the Welsh capital while the Bulls bounced back with a 44-22 win over Benetton in Italy in this weekend’s United Rugby Championship (URC) action.
The matches between the Sharks and Irish outfit Ulster as well as the Lions and Scottish side Glasgow Warriors, due to take place in Durban and Johannesburg, respectively, were postponed this week due to a gastroenteritis outbreak in the two European clubs.
As in their two previous fixtures, the Bulls struggled for dominance upfront and fluidity amongst the backs in the early exchanges. However, determination on defence meant the Pretoria side went into the break only trailing 9-3.The foundation was set with the Bulls forwards who finally found their grunt on tour, led by the evergreen figure of Bismarck du Plessis — who started his first match this URC season.
“We got that reward in the second half by making linebreaks and putting their defence under pressure. I thought our defence tonight was outstanding because we put them under pressure and got lots of turnovers at the breakdown and in the tackle.