Gans and Van Staden braces see six-star Bulls gore Sharks

The Bulls battered the Sharks 41-14 in a Super Rugby Unlocked arm wrestle at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria.

Stedman Gans and Marco van Staden both grabbed braces either side of the break as the Bulls gored the Sharks to claim an important bonus-point win on the highveld.

The Bulls scored six tries to one after a dominant display at the famous old ground as the Sharks laid an egg.

Marco Jansen van Vuren and Embrose Papier, in the dying moments of the game, also crossed in the six-try rout.

The game started in 33-degree heat and humidity, but finished with a lightning and hail thunderstorm.

Tries from Stedman Gans and Marco van Staden gave the Bulls a 17-9 halftime lead against the Sharks.

Morne Steyn, who was wayward, missing two penalties and two drop-goals, converted both tries and added a 19th-minute penalty.

Curwin Bosch kept his team in the game with three long-distance penalties.

Two more tries from Van Staden and Gans killed the game as a contest despite Dylan Richardson’s score making it 24-14 in the third quarter.

Van Vuren grabbed a try and Papier scored a wondeful solo try in added time as the hail came down in the downpour.

Steyn added two more conversions to claim 11 points and an assist.

The match petered out as the teams tired and a deluge engulfed Loftus making handling tough as the field cut up.

The Sharks started better, but the Bulls fought back to take an eight-point lead into the shed.

Sean Everitt’s side dominated the scrums, winning three scrum-penalties in the half.

But Bulls lock Jason Jenkins caused all manner of problems for Sharks hooker Dylan Richardson, stealing three lineouts as the hooker struggled to find his jumpers.

The Sharks did have the better of the breakdown which allowed Bosch to kick three penalties. However, they never threatened the VBulls try line, barely getting into the opposition’s 22.

Super Rugby Unlocked Video Highlights Round 3: Bulls versus Sharks at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

The flyhalf sandwiched a Steyn penalty with two three-pointers before some poor defending led to the game’s first try.

Some fancy footwork by Cornal Hendricks, who beat three defenders and set up his centre partner Gans.

Gans sat James Venter down before dancing past Sikhumbuzo Notshe to score the game’s first try.

Steyn converted to make it 10-6 on the half-hour.

The lead increased three minutes later after Ivan van Zyl’s break around the ruck kickstarted another attack.

The scrumhalf popped to Elrigh Louw, running a good angle to take the gap and storm toward the Sharks 22.

Louw was tackled but not before he got his offload to the supporting Van Staden to score under the posts.

Steyn added the extras.

With three minutes to play until the break, Bosch reduced the gap to eight with his third penalty.

There was still time for Steyn to miss another penalty and drop-kick as the visitors hung on.

Bulls come out firing, dominating the second stanza as the Sharks’ pack tired in the altitude.

Four minutes after the restart, the home team struck again.

Van Staden has his second after another powerful driving maul, which stated 15 metres from the try line before the flanker flopped over the chalk.

Steyn made no mistake with the extras.

The visitors hit back with a 52nd-minute Richardson try after deciding to take a scrum instead of kicking to the corner.

Bosch missed the wide conversion, but the Sharks had pulled the game to within two scores.

The joy, however, was short-lived. The Bulls were soon on the board again, three minutes later.

Gans had his second after a superb counter-attack.

Kurt-Lee Arendse chased Steyn’s grubber kick, gathered and took two defenders with him before offloading to Gans, on his outside shoulder to score.

Steyn’s fourth conversion made it 31-14 with 22 minutes remaining.

With two to play, Van Vuren craossed, and Papier added the dagger after the hooter following a sublime individual try from halfway.

The Bulls victory moves them to the top of the Super Rugby Unlocked Standings after three matches, while the Sharks sit in fifth from two games.

Final Score: Bulls 41 (17) Sharks 14 (9)

Scorers

Bulls
Tries – Gans (2), Van Staden (2), Van Vuren, Papier
Pen – Steyn
Con – Steyn (4)
Drop –
Cards –

Sharks
Tries – Richardson
Pen – Bosch (3)
Con –
Drop –
Cards –

Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Ref 1: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Ref 2: Paul Mente
TMO: AJ Jacobs

Teams

Bulls

15 David Kriel, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jacques van Rooyen

Replacements: 16 Joe van Zyl, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Sintu Manjezi, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Marco Jansen van Vuren

Sharks

15 Manie Libbok, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Marius Louw, 11 Werner Kok, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Phepsi Buthelezi, 6 James Venter, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Dylan Richardson, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nché

Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 JJ van der Mescht, 20 Henco Venter, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Jeremy Ward, 23 Yaw Penxe