Bulls lash Lions for bragging rights

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The Vodacom Bulls made it two wins against the Lions in the Jukskei Derby this season with a bonus-point triumph in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.

Leading 5-3 at half time, the Bulls scored three tries in the second 40 minutes to secure a 25-10 victory in the Vodacom URC at Ellis Park, after Jake White’s charges held on for a dramatic victory in Pretoria two weeks ago.

Lions playmaker Sanele Nohamba split the uprights from the kicking tee with less than a minute on the clock, before Canan Moodie scored the first try of the match to put the Bulls in the front at the start of the second quarter, the Springbok flyer linking up with a sniping Embrose Papier down the right for a strong finish.

The visitors missed a chance to extend their lead on the stroke of half time, as flyhalf Jaco van der Walt pulled his second attempt of the opening period wide of the poles.

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Nohamba hit the upright with a long-range spot kick soon after the restart, before a touchdown from Lions right winger Dan Kriel was ruled out for a forward pass.

The Bulls drew first blood in the second stanza when hooker Akker van der Merwe barged over from a rolling maul, with fellow replacement Johan Goosen on target with a well-struck penalty at the close of the third quarter.

Veteran loose forward Marcell Coetzee made a similar impact off the bench, notching up the Bulls’ third try from close range. Lions fullback Quan Horn dotted down inside the last 10 minutes, and Jordan Hendrikse added the extras, but an excellent chip and chase from inside centre David Kriel secured the bonus-point try for The Herd before the final whistle.

The Lions next host the Sharks on 2 March in round 11 of the URC while the Bulls renew hostilities with the DHL Stormers when the north-south rivals clash at Loftus Versfeld.

Photo: @BlueBullsRugby/Twitter

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