Three-time Super Rugby champions the Bulls face a tough task this weekend as they host the Hurricanes who are one of the tournament favourites.
The Hurricanes have played 11 and won nine.
The Bulls have lost their last three matches while the Hurricanes have won two of their last three.
They have played 11 matches and won three and have only one once in the last 11 matches against Kiwi opposition.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: BEEP! BEEP! We are underway in a sunny Pretoria, as the Bulls kick-off to the Hurricanes, in their 20th Super Rugby clash.
2.00: TRY Jordie Barrett! The Bulls turnover the ball, Barrett ghosts through a huge gap, sells Tian Schoeman a massive dummy and raced to the try line.
3.00: The conversion is good. What a start.
5.00: TRY Duncan Matthews! Jan Serfontein puts the winger (and debutant) away, under the posts.
6.00: Tian Schoeman ties the game.
10.00: The game is being played at pace; both sides looking to go wide at every opportunity.
13.00: TJ Perenara clears to touch. The Bulls set up a driving maul. The Bulls win the penalty and kick to touch.
19.00: TRY Ngani Laumape! The centre finds the gap and ghosts through to score.
20.00: Black adds the two.
22.00: PENALTY! Tian Schoeman. The flyhalf reduces the deficit to four.
25.00: The Bulls have found a way back into the contest with some strong defence and patience on attack. They are rewarded with a penalty inside the Canes’ 22.
27.00: PENALTY! Schoeman makes it a one-point ball game.
32.00: The Bulls are awarded another penalty and will kick to poles.
33.00: MISS! Schoeman missed from distance.
36.00: TRY Wes Goosen! The Hurricanes go wide, skip two players and score in the corner.
37.00: The conversion is missed.
39.00: The Bulls try for one last attack. They have a lineout in the Bulls 22. The Hurricanes win the ball and are going down the field. Goosen almost gets away. The Kiwis win a penalty and kick to touch.
41.00: Goosen is tackled out, but the Hurricanes win another penalty and are camped on the Bulls try line.
45.00: TRY Mark Abbott! The lock finishes off a wonderful move to score after the hooter.
46.00: The conversion missed.
The half-time score was Bulls 13 Hurricanes 24
41.00: BEEP! BEEP! The two teams are back out on the field. Beauden Barrett restarts.
44.00: The Hurricanes win a succession of penalties; they opt for a scrum on the Bulls 5, near the poles.
47.00: Brad Shields fumbles the ball out the back of the scrum and Burger Odendaal breaks down the field. The ball is kicked away and it’s a 22 drop out.
49.00: The teams are looking for territory, so lots of kicking out of hand.
53.00: The Bulls are punching their way through midfield, using their ball carriers. The Kiwis turn the South Africans around and pin them inside their 22. Tian Schoeman clears.
57.00: Adriaan Strauss is penalised at the breakdown.
58.00: PENALTY! Otere Black extends the New Zealander’s lead to 14 points.
60.00: TRY Leni Apisai! The forward beats two tackles and dives over.
61.00: Black adds another two points.
65.00: The Bulls have been camped on the Hurricanes try-line, but they can’t seem to get over the whitewash. Burger Odendaal is held up over the line. the ref brings back the Bulls for another penalty.
71.00: The Bulls are still on the Kiwi’s try-line. Somehow, they can’t get over. It’s scrum after scrum.
74.00: The Hurricanes win the ball after sustained pressure by their opponents.
75.00: TRY Nic de Jager! The big man collects Jaco Visagie’s pass, sells a dummy and races away to score under the poles.
76.00: Schoeman converts.
79.00: The Hurricanes are awarded a penalty and will kick at goal.
80.00: Barrett misses and the Bulls launch a counter-attack, but the hooter sounds and the game is over.
Full-time
The final score after 80 minutes is Bulls 20 (13) Hurricanes 34 (24)
Scorers
Bulls
Tries – Matthews, De Jager
Pen – T. Schoeman (3)
Con – T. Schoeman (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Hurricanes
Tries – J. Barrett, Laumape, Goosen, Abbott, Apisai
Pen – Black
Con – Black (3)
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Egon Seconds
Assistant Ref 1: Quinton Immelman
Assistant Ref 2: Jaco Pretorius
TMO: Christie du Preez
Teams
Bulls
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Duncan Matthews, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jesse Kriel, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Abongile Nonkontwana, 20 Nic de Jager, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Tony Jantjies, 23 Ulrich Beyers.
Hurricanes
15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Wes Goosen, 13 Vince Aso, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Otere Black, 9 Thomas Perenara (captain), 8 Brad Shields, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Vaea Fifita, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Mark Abbott, 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Loni Uhila.
Replacements: 16 Leni Apisai, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Ben May, 19 Reed Prinsep, 20 Callum Gibbins, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Corey Jane, 23 Ben Lam.
