Defensive prowess leads Bulls to famous URC win over Glasgow Warriors

Built on some impressive defence, the Bulls took sweet revenge on Friday night against Glasgow Warriors, defeating the defending champions with ease in front of their home fans.

Two tries, coupled with the trusty kicking boot of Johan Goosen, brought a 26-19 victory.

Even though they allowed the Warriors to bag a bonus point, the game was long won for the visitors, and those two tries at the death only made the score more respectable for the defending champions.

The victory, despite losing replacement flanker Marcell Coetzee to a knee knock before the game, was built upon the never-say-die defensive display.

Early on when they were under severe pressure from the home side, players like loosehead prop and Player of the Match Jan-Hendrik Wessels, flanker Jannes Kirsten and centre Harold Vorster led the physical charge.

They tackled like men possessed, and that massive cover tackle by Wessels barely seven minutes into the first half to save a potential try, laid the platform for their defensive effort.

Wessels was also the orchestrator of a massive tackle that drove a ball carrier several metres back and halted a good Glasgow backline move when they looked to get through on the outside.

Scrumhalf Embrose Papier, who was one of the smallest players on the field, even put his body on the line plenty of times, and winger Canan Moodie joined in with some big hits.

Director of rugby Jake White would’ve been impressed with the efforts of his team.

That kind of defensive effort will win them a championship, and if their road to the final started on Friday, they are well and truly set up to reach the pinnacle of the tournament.

They will host a home quarter-final, and if things go their way over the final two round-robin games, they could be at home for the semis as well.

Following the victory, they are only one point behind the second-placed Glasgow on the log, but the Bulls have won more games.

It looks like the Bulls’ no-talk of revenge helped them keep the focus on the task at hand.

They had to win to make their tour a successful one, and they’ll return home, knowing that second place on the overall log is still reachable if they can perform at Loftus Versfeld, like they did the last couple of weekends.

While the defence laid the groundwork for the victory, those two tries by hooker Johan Grobbelaar and the magnificent kick-chase try by David Kriel showed that they will not only bank on their defence to win their games.

Goosen showed his credentials with four penalties and slotting both conversions to take them out of reach of their opponents.

The Bulls players left everything on the field on Friday, and they can now take a well-deserved break ahead of the final two round-robin clashes.

Points-Scorers

Bulls 26 (9): Tries: Johan Grobbelaar, David Kriel. Conversions: Johan Goosen (2). Penalties: Goosen (4).

Glasgow Warriors 19 (7): Jamie Dobie, Kyle Steyn, Stafford McDowell. Conversions: George Horne (2).