The Vodacom Bulls outscored the Cell C Sharks by four tries to two as they recorded their first victory of the season by 43-35 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.
The home team had to dig deep though as ill-discipline meant the visitors’ Springbok flyhalf, Pat Lambie, kept the scoreboard ticking over with some pin-point goal kicking. His counterpart and fellow Springbok pivot, Handre Pollard, was also bang on target on the night.
The Vodacom Bulls, who scored two tries in each half, probably used their opportunities better in this match, which delivered rugby of the highest calibre between South Africa’s two most successful franchises at this level – between them, they have played in seven Vodacom Super Rugby finals.
Jan Serfontein’s try, slightly fortuitous after the visitors coughed up the ball in their own 22, secured the Vodacom Bulls the bonus point, while the conversion by replacement flyhalf Tian Schoeman meant the Cell C Sharks had to leave Pretoria with empty hands.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Francois Hougaard, Deon Stegmann, Pierre Spies, Jan Serfontein. Conversions: Handré Pollard (3), Tian Schoeman. Penalty goals: Pollard (4), Schoeman.
Cell C Sharks – Tries: Ryan Kankowski, Cobus Reinach. Conversions: Pat Lambie (2). Penalty goals: Lambie (7).
