Ewan Ashman scored one of Edinburgh’s five tries against the Bulls.Image: © Craig Watson.
www.craigwatson.co.uk
EDINBURGH’s season ended in a mixture of frustration and pride in Pretoria this afternoon as the Bulls did just enough to prevail in this URC quarter-final. Sean Everitt’s team began very brightly and were 21-8 up after half an hour, but the home side went on to score five tries in a dominant spell either side of half-time to take a firm grip on the game.
The visitors rallied with two late tries which took their final tally to five, and enjoyed a fair amount of possession and pressure in the closing stages of the game at Loftus Versfeld. However, their hopes of completing a fightback were all but dashed when they sent a kickable penalty to touch then failed to score from the resultant lineout.
“We certainly got the start that we wanted,” head coach Everitt said. “But then there were a couple of loose kicks, and the Bulls were outstanding in how they counter-attacked.
URC play-offs: Glasgow prove too strong for Stormers again to book last four place
URC play-offs: Bulls v Edinburgh: Duhan van der Merwe misses out on quarter-final clash
Breadalbane Finance Community Rugby Story Of The Month … Lenzie
“And then they blitzed us in the second half and we conceded three tries in 13 minutes. But the boys fought until the end and did well to come back to within nine points.
“They won the aerial battle today. For me it was around the kicking game in the middle third of the game that probably led to their win.
“So I’m proud of the fight that the guys showed. But well done to the Bulls – they did what they’re good at today and they got the result that they needed.”
The Bulls began at a high tempo, appearing intent on gaining the upper hand in the physical battle straight away, but they were dealt a blow just three minutes in when winger Sebastian de Klerk was yellow-carded for a late barge on Darcy Graham. Mark Bennett came on as a temporary replacement for Graham, and Edinburgh went on to score two tries while a man up.
Wes Goosen was first on the scoreboard, finishing off in the left corner after an attack in which his team made intelligent use of the extra space. Ross Thompson converted, as he did again after he grabbed his team’s second touchdown following a burst by Ewan Ashman.
Keagan Johannes got the Bulls off the mark with a penalty in between those two tries. Then, with De Klerk back on, Cameron Hanekom reduced the deficit with an unconverted try close to the right touchline.
Edinburgh stretched their lead when Thompson got his second try from a clever Jamie Ritchie offload, and the stand-off’s conversion made it 21-8. But, as it turned out, that was as good as it would get for the visitors.
Two counter-attacks produced tries for David Kriel and Harold Vorster, and although both conversion attempts went wide, that made the half-time score 21-18. The momentum was firmly with the Bulls, and the half-time interval did nothing to still it, as they showed with a devastatingly effective spell in the opening stages of the second half.
Ever-dangerous winger Canan Moodie put his team ahead three minutes after the restart from a Willie le Roux pass, and this time Johannes added the two points. The stand-off scored himself a few minutes later, drifting all too easily through the defence. His conversion made it 32-21 to the Bulls.
When home captain Ruan Nortje finished off from close range and Johannes again converted to make it 39-21, there was still almost half an hour to play, and for a time it looked like the Bulls were in the mood to run up a large score.
But to their credit Edinburgh fought back, and reduced the deficit just before the hour mark when Ashman finished off after a tapped penalty and Thompson converted.
JF van Heerden and Thompson were sin-binned within a minute of each other for a team offence and killing the ball respectively, and from the latter offence a Johannes penalty made it 42-28.
With quarter of an hour to go, Goosen got his own second try – awarded despite strong appeals for a forward pass in the build-up. Bennett’s failed conversion attempt left Edinburgh nine points adrift. A late penalty looked kickable, but they sent it to touch instead and they were unable to do anything from the lineout.
“Maybe, if we had got three points there, then the pressure turns on the opposition, because you’re then within a score,” Everitt added. That would certainly have made the last few minutes interesting, but as it was, there was no denying that the Bulls deserved to book their place in next Saturday’s semi-finals.
For their part, Edinburgh contributed more than enough to the contest to prove that they merited their place in the play-offs. However, after fighting so hard to get into the top eight, they will surely regret the inconsistencies which made the difference between progressing at least one round further and bowing out at this stage.
Teams –
Bulls: W le Roux; C Moodie (D Williams 21-24, 50, Moodie 64), D Kriel, H Vorster (S Gans 64), S de Klerk; K Johannes, E Papier (Z Burger 62); J Wessels (S Matanzima 64), J Grobbelaar (A van der Merwe 48), W Louw (M Smith 64), C Wiese (J Kirsten 70), J van Heerden, M Coetzee (M van Staden 48), R Nortje (captain), C Hanekom (M van Staden 35-42).
Edinburgh: W Goosen; D Graham (M Bennett 4-14), M Currie, J Lang (M Bennett 52), H Paterson; R Thompson (B Healy 71), A Price; P Schoeman (B Venter 50), E Ashman (P Harrison 60), D Rae (J Sebastian 21-30, 50), M Sykes, S Skinner, J Ritchie (B Muncaster 52), H Watson, M Bradbury (captain, L McConnell 74).
Referee: Adam Jones (Wales).
Scorers –
Bulls: Tries: Hanekom, Kriel, Vorster, Moodie, Johannes, Nortje. Cons: Johannes 3. Pens: Johannes 2.
Edinburgh: Tries: Goosen 2, Thompson 2, Ashman. Cons: Thompson 4.
Scoring sequence (Bulls first): 0-5; 0-7; 3-7; 3-12; 3-14; 8-14; 8-19; 8-21; 13-21; 18-21 (h-t) 23-21; 25-21; 30-21; 32-21; 37-21; 39-21; 39-26; 39-28; 42-28; 42-33.
Yellow cards –
Bulls: De Klerk (3 mins), Van Heerden (60 mins)
Edinburgh: Thompson (61 mins).
Our Edinburgh-based experts advise both individuals and businesses across a range of sectors, providing accountancy, audit and assurance, business advisory, tax and VAT services. Founded in 1855, Saffery is the 15th largest accountancy firm in the UK by turnover and has had a presence in Edinburgh for over 30 years. Website: www.saffery.com
URC play-offs: Glasgow prove too strong for Stormers again to book last four place