Jaguares beat Bulls in rain

The Argentine Jaguares adapted much better than the SA Bulls to the wet conditions in Buenos Aires on Saturday and finished 27-12 winners of a Super Rugby second-round match.

Ahead from the 17th minute when centre Matias Orlando scored a breakaway try at the Estadio Jose Amalfitani, the hosts briefly surrendered the lead on the hour mark.

But the Bulls’ 12-10 advantage lasted just four minutes before substitute flanker Rodrigo Bruni was credited with a pushover try.

The Argentines stretched their advantage to eight points via a penalty from flyhalf Joaquin Diaz Bonilla.

And any doubts about who would emerge victorious were dispelled with seven minutes remaining when winger Bautista Delguy scored a try which Bonilla converted.

Scoring three tries and conceding none earned the Jaguares a bonus point and lifted them from the bottom of the table to seventh place in the overall standings.

It was the first success under new coach Gonzalo Quesada – who was appointed during the close season – after a ninepoint home defeat in round one by another SA side, the Lions, last weekend.

Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard slotted four penalties to retain his position as the leading points scorer in Super Rugby this season with 32.

Cornal Hendricks, debuting for the Bulls four years after being told he risked suffering cardiac arrest if he played again, was solid before being replaced in the second half.