The Bulls have returned home from their tour of Australia and New Zealand and will host the Stormers this weekend in Pretoria.
The Bulls were beaten 33-14 by the Crusaders last week, the Stormers beat the Reds 25-19 in Round 6.
- The Stormers have won six of their last seven games against the Bulls, restricting them to fewer than seven first-half points in all but one of those games.
- The Bulls have won only one of their last seven games on home turf (L6).
- The Stormers have won seven of their last nine South African derbies, including each of their last two and an eight-point win over the Bulls in their most recent such fixture.
- Not only have the Bulls (15) won the most lineouts per game of any team this season, but they’ve done so at a competition-high success rate of 94%.
- Damian de Allende (73) has made four more carries this season than any other player.
Match detail
Late Bulls team news from Loftus Versfeld: Tim Agaba has withdrawn because of tonsillitis. Hendré Stassen will pack down at lock and Hanro Liebenberg moves to No 8.
Ruben van Heerden is included on the bench. Travis Ismaiel also withdraws with a back strain, so Johnny Kotze moves to right wing.
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway in the north versus south South African Super Rugby derby.
2.00: Adriaan Strauss is playing his 149th game, and sets the record as the most capped South African Super Rugby player.
3.00: The game has started with a couple of scrums, consequently ending with the Bulls winning a penalty after a powerful shove. Handré Pollard kicks deep inside the Stormers’ 22.
5.00: The Bulls are battering the Stormers’ try-line. After several pick-and-drives, they are awarded a penalty. They kick to the corner and win another.
6.00: The ref is talking to Siya Kolisi because another penalty will lead to a card. Pollard has kicked to the corner, again. This is similar tactics that they employed in the loss to the Crusaders.
7.00: TRY! Adriaan Strauss finishes off a powerful driving maul. What a way to start your record-breaking game. It is his 15th Super Rugby try. 5-0
8.00: CONVERSION! Pollard adds the extras. 7-0
10.00: Jesse Kriel is caught offsides. The Stormers are rushing the Bulls’ defence, trying to close down the wide channels.
12.00: Another penalty; they are certainly mounting up. This time for not releasing at the ruck.
14.00: Jason Jenkins is caught offsides inside his 22. Kolisi points to the posts.
15.00: PENALTY! Damian Willemse puts his team on the board. 7-3
16.00: YELLOW CARD! Damian de Allende is sent to the bin for his second cynical infringement near the Stormers’ goal-line.
17.00: TRY! It’s another for Strauss. The hooker crashes over after another dominant driving maul. 12-3
18.00: MISS! Pollard’s kick shades the right hand upright. 12-3
21.00: The Bulls have been totally dominant in every aspect of the first quarter. Their set-pieces are smashing the Stormers and they are winning the battle at the breakdown.
23.00: The Loftus pitch is a little slippery because of all the rain, and some of the players are struggling with the handling.
24.00: Finally, the Stormers get awarded a penalty. It’s for a high tackle. Kolisi wants three.
25.00: PENALTY! Willemse can’t miss from in front. 12-6
26.00: De Allende returns to the field, but only after Willemse’s clearance goes out after being taken back into his 22.
27.00: The Bulls botch the attacking lineout, giving away a free-kick.
28.00: That’s a big let-off for the visitors, especially after the two previous attacking lineouts, ended in tries.
30.00: TRY! Jonny Kotze. Pollard breaks the line, flips a pass out the back door to Warrick Gelant, who knocks the ball into Kotze’s hands. The winger collects and runs in for the try. 17-6
31.00: MISS! That’s a surprising miss by the Springbok 10. 19-6
33.00: Pierre Schoeman is pinged for collapsing a scrum. To be fair, he slipped. But, it was on his own scrum feed. Willemse has kicked into the Bulls’ 22.
35.00: The Stormers will go for a driving maul.
36.00: TRY! Jan de Klerk. Great work by the Stormers’ forwards. They bulldoze the Bulls with some excellent forward play. De Klerk crashes over from close range, pick-and-go for his first Super Rugby try. 19-11
37.00: MISS! Now Willemse misses an easy conversion. 19-11
39.00: TRY! Wow! A double blow by the visitors. De Allende gathers his own chip-kick, beats Gelant and dots down. 19-16
40.00: CONVERSION! Willemse slots the easy kick. 19-18
The half-time score was Bulls 19 Stormers 18
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Pretoria. The Stormers hit back with two tries in as many minutes and trail by one.
42.00: The Stormers win an early penalty. We are checking for foul play on Stassen by Pieter-Steph du Toit, who appeared to stand on his head.
43.00: YELLOW CARD! Du Toit is off for reckless and dangerous play.
44.00: De Klerk is penalised at the ruck for offsides. Pollard continues with kicking to the corner tactic.
45.00: Pollard launches a high cross kick which is contested by Divan Rossouw and SP Marais, but the ball is not gathered and rolls into touch.
47.00: TRY! It’s a hat-trick for Strauss. The hooker pounced on an overthrown lineout, gathered and scored. 24-18
48.00: CONVERSION! Pollard extends the lead. 26-18
49.00: Dillyn Leyds chases back to get Pollard’s kick, but he is caught by Gelant and thrown into touch, five metres from the try line.
52.00: The game has been full of ruck and set-piece infringements. Another penalty goes against Hanro Liebenberg means Willemse will attempt to cut the Bulls’ lead.
54.00: MISS! Willemse pulls his kick, to the delight of the home support. 26-18
57.00: Despite John Mitchell’s team’s dominance, the Stormers late first-half blitz, has kept them in touching distance.
60.00: We are entering the final quarter of this exciting game. The Bulls have had most of the possession and territory, but they can’t seem to put the Stormers away.
65.00: Leyds’ break has given the Stormers an attacking opportunity. The Cape men are going through the phases and are six metres from the Bulls’ try line.
66.00: TRY! Siya Kolisi finishes off a wonderful counter-attack with a try in the corner. 26-23
68.00: MISS! Willemse’s kick sails wide. He is three from six, which might be the difference in this close encounter. 26-23
70.00: TRY!? NO TRY!? Jesse Kriel is over for the try, but we are checking for a forward pass in the build-up.
70.00: TRY! It’s been given after the TMO confirms the pass was not forward. 31-23
71.00: CONVERSION! Pollard adds the touchline conversion. 33-23
74.00: The Stormers are starting to tire; they’ve been defending for most of the game and the Bulls are cranking up the intensity.
75.00: Wonderful work at the breakdown. Marco van Staden and Roelof Smit are the two fetchers on the field, and it has made a difference since Smit entered the game in the 57th-minute.
76.00: MISS! Pollard’s long-range kick is wide. 33-23
78.00: The game is up for the Cape town men. The Bulls have a centre-field scrum, just outside the opposition’s 22. They are running down the clock.
79.00: Big scrum by the Stormers; they take the penalty quickly, but the move comes to nought.
80.00: YELLOW CARD! Lizo Gqoboka is sent to the bin.
81.00: The Stormers botch their driving maul. Liebenberg takes the pass and boots the ball into the crowd.
FULL-TIME.
In the meantime why not have a look at the match preview.
To refresh this page click HERE. Live In-Play Betting.
The final score is Bulls 33 (19) Stormers 23 (18)
Scorers
Bulls
Tries – Strauss (3), Kotze, Kriel
Pen –
Con – Pollard (3)
Drop –
Cards – Gqoboka (Yellow, 80′)
Stormers
Tries – De Klerk, De Allende, Kolisi
Pen – Willemse (2)
Con – Willemse
Drop –
Cards – De Allende (Yellow, 16′), Du Toit (Yellow, 43′)
Match Officials
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Ref 1: AJ Jacobs
Assistant Ref 2: Cwengile Jadezweni
TMO: Willie Vos
Teams
Bulls
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Johnny Kotze, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Burger Odendaal (captain), 11 Divan Rossouw, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Jason Jenkins 4 Hendre Stassen, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Roelof Smit, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Duncan Matthews.
Stormers
15 Sarel Marais, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Damian De Allende, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Justin Phillips, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Siyamthanda Kolisi (captain), 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Jan de Klerk, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Ramone Samuels, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17 Jacobus Janse van Rensburg, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Chris van Zyl, 20 Kobus van Dyk, 21 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 22 Jano Vermaak, 23 Craig Barry.
