Bulls gore Elephants in one-sided Loftus clash
Not much time for EP to regroup before facing the Lions
EP’s Elephants were left licking their wounds after they were gored 87-10 by a rampant Bulls outfit in a one-sided Preparation Series clash at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria yesterday.
It was a steep learning curve for a young EP outfit who found the going tough against an experimental Bulls side which was missing many of its star players.
The Bulls put the game to bed by halftime by running up a commanding 38-3 lead.
It was always going to be a David vs Goliath clash at fortress Loftus where the Bulls have been invincible in recent times.
There was a bright moment in the second half for the Elephants when hooker Sithembiso Befile scored a consolation try for his outplayed team.
The Bulls swept all before them in the Carling Currie Cup and the Vodacom Unlocked Series and they continued that trend in their opening Preparation Series match.
EP did not have the luxury of a warm-up match because of Covid protocols and they were clearly struggling at altitude in the latter period of the contest.
The Bulls kept the scoreboard ticking early in the second half when Stravino Jacobs and Tim Agaba scored tries to pile on the misery for EP.
It was EP who put the first points on the board after only a minute when skipper Inny Radebe kicked a penalty which gave his team an early 3-0 advantage.
It proved to be the first and only time EP led in the game.
Three minutes later the Bulls hit back with a try from hooker Joe van Zyl who crashed over EP’s try line after a powerful driving maul.
Bulls flyhalf Chris Smith slotted the conversion that put the home side ahead 7-3.
EP’s misfiring line-out play let them down in the early stages and this hampered their efforts to make headway into the Bulls’ half.
There was a second try for the Bulls after 16 minutes when skipper Nizaam Carr was on hand to touch down after good work by his forward pack.
The Bulls dominated at scrum time and the resulting penalties awarded by referee Stuart Berry kept the Elephants on the back foot.
Relentless pressure from the Bulls took its toll and they stretched their lead to 17-3 after 24 minutes.
EP had their best passage of play midway through the first half, but they were unable to punch a hole in the resolute Bulls defence.
Loose forward Cyril-John Velleman was in the thick of the action for the Elephants as the visitors attempted to stem the blue machine which was building up a head of steam.
A rampant Bulls side then scored a scintillating team try which was rounded off by fullback David Kriel.
At this stage the Bulls were running rampant and EP’s stretched defence was unable to plug the gaps when Carr raced over for his second try to hand his team a 38-3 advantage.
There will not be much time for EP coach Peter de Villiers and his charges to pick up the pieces because they are next in action against the Lions at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on March 10.
De Villiers knew it would be tough playing at altitude against a well organised Bulls side.
Ahead of the clash he said: “If we want to make inroads into the big time we cannot have a better baptism of fire than the Bulls at Loftus
“When you play the best you can put a marker down and say, this is where we need to brush up and improve on.”
Yesterday, the Cell C Sharks showed what they were capable of with ball in hand as they outlasted a spirited Tafel Lager Griquas unit 35-10 in a fast paced and entertaining game at the Jonsson King’s Park in Durban.
The scorers: Bulls 87: Tries:
Joe van Zyl, Nizaam Carr (2), Marco Jansen van Vuren, Stravino Jacobs (2), Tim Agaba, David Kriel, Marnus Potgieter, Keagan Johannes (2), Jandre Burger.
Conversions: Chris Smith (9), Jandre Burger (3)
Penalty: Chris Smith.
EP Elephants 10: Try: Sithembiso Befile, Conversion: Inny Redebe. Penalty: Inny Radebe.