BULLS UP TO SECOND ON SA SUPER RUGBY CONFERENCE STAMPEDE IN DURBAN
THE VODACOM BULLS moved up to second place on the SA Super Rugby conference log with a 4010 demolition of the Sharks in Durban on Saturday with fullback Warrick Gelant scoring a hat-trick of tries.
Former skipper Adriaan Strauss scored one of the visitors’ three first-half tries in his 150th Super Rugby appearance, extending his record for the most capped SA player in the competition.
John Mitchell’s team enjoyed a bye last week and they looked full of energy especially in a sparkling opening spell and enjoyed a 21-10 half-time lead.
The victory allowed the winners to leapfrog their opponents into second place on the local conference log, albeit on point difference.
Although both teams have 14 points, the Pretoria side (seven matches) not only has a healthier point margin but also a match in hand over the first-placed Lions and the Durbanites (eight games each).
Both teams remain 11 points behind local leaders the Lions (25 points), who along with the Stormers and the Crusaders were not in action this weekend.
Saturday’s big win in slippery conditions was the sixth straight win for the team in light blue over their Durban rivals, who had three brothers – Robert, Jean-Luc and Dan du Preez – in their match squad.
In the only other SA conference match played on Saturday morning the Jaguares returned to winning ways when they clinched a 25-22 come-from-behind win over the Rebels in Melbourne.
Elsewhere, the Waratahs moved to the top of the Australian conference table with a 37-16 bonus-point triumph over the Reds in a fixture played at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
In the New Zealand conference, the Highlanders kept their unbeaten home record intact thanks to a 43-17 win over the Brumbies in Dunedin on Saturday.
The Blues won for the second time when they registered a 24-10 win over the winless Sunwolves while the Hurricanes defeated the Chiefs 25-13 on Friday morning in Wellington. Hurricanes Chiefs
Sunwolves Blues Rebels Jaguares Highlanders Brumbies Waratahs Reds ANA RAMPANT: Warrick Gelant of Bulls gets away from Sharks defenders to score one of his three tries during the Super Rugby match at Kings Park Stadium on Saturday.