Connacht trampled by powerful Bulls in Pretoria
CONNACHT’S poor start to their United Rugby Championship campaign continued with a 28-14 defeat against the Bulls in Pretoria.
Jake White’s team posted a third successive victory, achieving it in bonus-point fashion.
Connacht had plenty of promising moments, but they could not recover from a nightmare start as fullback Kurt-Lee Arendse and scrum-half Zak Burger scored tries during the opening 10 minutes at Loftus Versfeld.
Fly-half Johan Goosen converted both touchdowns, and he also added the extras to tries from Marcell Coetzee and a second by Burger, with prop Jack Aungier and fly-half David Hawkshaw claiming late consolations for Connacht, and Hawkshaw adding two conversions.
The Bulls showcased their enviable forward power after just two minutes when hooker Johan Grobbelaar touched down following a lineout drive, but the try was disallowed for a flying wedge movement.
Connacht players were back behind the posts just five minutes later, and this time there was no reprieve after Arendse sprinted clear for an opportunist try that Goosen converted.
The visitors were then shredded in defence by a blistering Bulls counterattack, before Burger scored from close range.
In terms of territory and possession, Connacht were firmly in the game, yet they were undone again just before half-time when skipper Coetzee powered over for his team’s third try, with Goosen’s conversion opening up a 21-0 interval lead.
Connacht fell further behind just minutes into the second period as the Bulls clinched a try bonus point when lock Ruan Nortje surged clear.
There was no way back now for the visitors, although they did score those two late tries. BLUE BULLS: K Arendse; Moodie, Hendricks, Kriel, Nkosi; Goosen, Z Burger; Steenekamp, J Grobbelaar, Klopper, W Steenkamp, Nortje, Coetzee, van Staden, Louw. CONNACHT: McNulty; Porch, Farrell, Daly, Hansen; Hawkshaw, Marmion; Buckley, Heffernan (Stewart 61), Bealham, Fifita (Thornbury 53), Dowling, J Murphy, Oliver (HurleyLangton 53), Butler. REFEREE: Andrea Piardi (FIR).