The Bulls have played the Blues 19 times in Super Rugby since 1998, the Blue Bulls have won seven matches, lost 11 times and drawn once.
The Bulls seven wins out of 19 matches give them a record of winning 37% of their matches against the Blues regardless of venue.
- The Blue Bulls have lost only two of their nine previous Super Rugby home games against the Blues (W6, D1), also managing a losing bonus point in one of those two defeats.
- The Pretoria side opened their 2020 Super Rugby campaign with back-to-back defeats; the last time they lost more consecutive games to start a season was in 2005 (L3).
- The Blues have won on only two of their last 13 visits to South Africa in Super Rugby (L11), the most recent of which came in Round 4, 2018 (v Lions).
- The Bulls remain the only team yet to score a try this Super Rugby campaign; however, they’ve also conceded the joint-fewest tries of any team (4).
- TJ Faiane (Blues) has provided one assist in each of his last three Super Rugby games after not having done so in any of his seven games prior.
Match detail
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1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway at a wet Loftus Versfeld.
3.00: MISS! Harry Plummers long-range 53-metre kick is short. 0-0
4.00: Hoskins Sotutu’s loose pass is booted into the Blues’ 22. The Bulls take a quick throw, starting a counter-attack from inside their half, but Johnny Kotze drops a sitter. Scrum to the visitors.
5.00: The first scrum has to be reset, which is no surprise in modern rugby.
6.00: Reset again because the ground is slippery underfoot. The turf is already cutting up after a summer Highveld thunderstorm earlier before kick-off.
7.00: The referee has had enough, he penalises Sione Mafileo for illegal scrumming. Morne Steyn will take a shot.
8.00: PENALTY! Steyn puts his side in front with his first Super Rugby points at home since 2013. 3-0
10.00: Blues win a penalty and kick to the corner.
11.00: Otere Black’s grubber is too long and dotted down for a 22 drop-out by Warrick Gelant.
12.00: Jeandre Rudolph is tackled into touch after trying to go over the ruck near the touchline. Wian Vosloo gives away a penalty, allowing the Blues to clear the danger.
14.00: Joe Marchant is caught offside after a blistering run by Cornal Hendricks put the Blues on their heels. Steyn calls for the tee.
15.00: PENALTY! Steyn doubles his side’s lead. 6-0
16.00: Bulls concede a penalty on their 10m. Black will take a shot, this time.
17.00: PENALTY! The kick is good. 6-3
19.00: The Bulls keep letting the Blues off the hook with mistakes inside the New Zealander’s 22.
20.00: YELLOW CARD! Marius van der Westhuizen sends Andries Ferreira to the sin-bun for taking the man out in the air. 6-3
22.00: Scrum to the Bulls on their 5m.
24.00: BIG SCRUM! The Bulls’ pack decimates the Kiwis. Steyn clears his lines to near his side’s 10m.
25.00: MASSIVE HIT by Burger Odendaal on Emoni Narawa earns his side a penalty after a Blues player touched the ball in front of Narawa.
25.00: YELLOW CARD! That is insane. The TMO and ref wanted to give a red card, but give a yellow because Narawa ducked into the shoulder of Odendaal. That is a rubbish call. 6-3
27.00: The Blues are attacking inside the Bulls’ 22 after a good penalty kick to the red zone.
29.00: Courageous defence by Pote Human’s side, but they knock-on giving the Kiwis an attacking scrum.
31.00: Rosko Specman is deemed offside at the scrum. Black kicks to the corner as the Blues change tactics. Ferreira is back on the pitch.
32.00: TRY! Mark Telea dots down expertly in the corner under pressure from two Bulls defenders. It is a stunning finish next to the flag. 6-8
33.00: MISS! The touchline conversion is wide. 6-8
35.00: The rain is pouring down, now. This will make points a premium from here on out.
36.00: Hendricks attempts to take Black’s crossfield kick-pass, but the winger knocks the ball into touch. Scrum to the visitors.
39.00: YELLOW CARD! Jonathan Ruru is off to the naughty step for repeated infringements. 6-8
41.00: NO TRY! Specaman’s dive is in vain as his foot is in touch; however, the ref was playing a penalty-advantage to the home team, who want another scrum under the sticks.
43.00: TRY! Steyn dots down at the death to give his side a halftime lead. 11-8
44.00: MISS! Steyn cannot add the touchline conversion. 11-8
The halftime score was Bulls 11 Blues 8
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway on the Highveld.
42.00: Sotutu gets pinged for a dangerous tackle giving Steyn a chance to increase the lead, but they go for the corner.
43.00: OH, DEAR! The throw is not straight.
44.00: Tom Robinson gives away another Blues’ penalty, this time Odendaal wants a shot at goal.
45.00: PENALTY! Steyn makes no mistake. 14-8
46.00: NO TRY! A powerful run and deft offload (that looked forward) from Sotutu sees the Blues finish a sweeping attack in the corner, but the TMO tells the ref to reverse his decision for a forward pass to Stephen Perofeta in the build-up by the number eight. 14-8
49.00: Changes all over the park for the Blues, who get a talking to by the ref for early engagement.
50.00: Trevor Nyakane collapses the scrum; the Blues kick to the corner.
52.00: A dangerous tackle around the neck by Josh Strauss allows the opposition another crack at the driving maul. Human makes a couple of changes at halfback and lock.
53.00: TRY! Robinson scores his first try of the season after the Blues pounded away at the Bulls’ line; it is his third Super rugby try. 14-13
54.00: CONVERSION! Black puts his side back in front. 14-15
56.00: MISS! Steyn’s drop-goal is wide. 14-15
57.00: Blues opt for another scrum after winning a short-arm penalty.
59.00: TRY! Matt Duffie takes Black’s cross-field kick-pass, beating the defender in the air to set-up Perofeta in the corner. 14-20
60.00: MISS! The kick hits the post and bounces out. 14-20
63.00: Manie Libbok’s penalty touch-finder goes over the dead-ball line. Oh, boy!
67.00: The Blues are shipping penalties; the ref calls the skipper over to give him a warning, but he argues back. Ref is having none of it. Libbok’s kick is better.
68.00: Bulls have another penalty after collapsing the maul and offsides. When is the card coming out the pocket? Libbok kicks to the corner.
69.00: YELLOW CARD! Sotutu is sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle.
71.00: Another big scrum bulldozes the Blues. Bulls want another.
72.00: TRY! Rudolph reaches out and scores his maiden Super Rugby try after another powerful scrum. 19-20
73.00: CONVERSION! Libbok puts the Bulls back in front. 21-20
75.00: Players are going down injured everywhere in this brutal contest. Still, time for either team to win or lose this game.
77.00: Bulls with another penalty at scrum time; they can clear deep into the Blues’ half.
79.00: Blues win the turnover and are marching down into the Bulls’ half. They win a kickable penalty.
81.00: PENALTY! Stunning kick from Black, who breaks Bulls’ hearts. 21-23
FULL TIME
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The final score is Bulls 21 (11) Blues 23 (8)
Scorers
Bulls
Tries – Steyn, Rudolph
Pen – Steyn (3)
Con – Libbok
Drop –
Cards – Ferreira (Yellow, 20′), Odendaal (Yellow, 25′)
Blues
Tries – Telea, Robinson, Perofeta
Pen – Black (2)
Con – Black
Drop –
Cards – Ruru (Yellow, 39′), Sotutu (Yellow, 69′)
Match Officials
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Ref 1: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant Ref 2: Divan Uys
TMO: Joey Klaaste-Salmans
Teams
Bulls
Head Coach: Pote Human
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Burger Odendaal (captain), 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Josh Strauss, 7 Wian Vosloo, 6 Jeandre Rudolph, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Gerhard Steenkamp, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Ruan Steenkamp 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Divan Rossouw.
Blues
Head Coach: Leon MacDonald
15 Stephen Perofeta, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Harry Plummer, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Otere Black, 9 Jonathan Ruru, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Tony Lamborn, 6 Tom Robinson, 5 Jacob Pierce, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (captain), 3 Sione Mafileo, 2 James Parsons, 1 Karl Tu’inukuafe.
Replacements: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 18 Ofa Tuungafasi, 19 Aaron Carroll, 20 Dalton Papalii, 21 Sam Nock, 22 TJ Faiane, 23 Matt Duffie.