Connacht slide to another URC loss as Bulls prove too strong in Pretoria

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CONNACHT’S rocky start to the new United Rugby Championship season continues after Province’s disappointing 28-14 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria.

Andy Friend’s side are still in search of the first win of the season, having lost to Ulster and Stormers in the opening two rounds. And Province is now winless after three games after being well beaten by Jake White’s Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.

This game has always looked like a test challenge for the Province, but they will be bitterly disappointed in the manner of their performance, with the visitors never looking quite capable of troubling the Bulls as their precision and execution have repeatedly let them down. .

It took just two minutes for the home side to break through the Connacht defence, with the Bulls bulldozing their way with a powerful driving maul from a five-yard lineout, with Johan Grobbelaar crashing . However, after a lengthy TMO check, the score was crossed out for a flying corner. Connacht survived, but had been given an early warning of the physical threat from the Bulls up front.

The opening score soon followed and came courtesy of good work from two returning Springboks in the Bulls’ gifted backline. John Porch, under pressure from Canan Moodie, threw a loose pass to his left near the halfway line, where Kurt-Lee Arendse was on hand to pick up the ball and sprint from distance, beating Mack Hansen in the running race to line.

A second Bulls try soon followed, with former Sevens star Moodie involved again, bursting forward and using his footwork before Zak Burger added the finishing touch from close range.

A rough start continued for Connacht when David Hawkshaw – making his first start at 10 for the province – trailed a penalty attempt after excellent work through the air by Hansen.

John Porch is tackled by Canan Moodie of the Bulls.

Source: Deon van der Merwe/INPHO

Connacht then benefited from a rare possession spell in the Bulls 22, but the move ended with Dave Heffernan forced to touch down. From the following game, the Bulls went from start to finish as Connacht offered far too much time and space for their hosts, but Hansen recovered well to collect a kick and chase and kill the attack.

A grueling, error-filled 20-minute opener ended with Connacht threatening to break from deep as Porch and Tom Daly linked up, only for Porch’s return pass to sail forward.

The Bulls were then reduced to 14 when they saw Marco van Staden sent to sin-bin following a dangerous tackle, and they were dealt another blow soon after when the electric Moodie was forced out injured.

Yet even with a human advantage, Connacht simply couldn’t build momentum as the errors piled up, with Hansen – one of Connacht’s few players to start the game with a bang – fumbling a pass off of his hands and into touch.

In short, Connacht managed to show glimpses of their quality. Hawkshaw ran some smart lines in possession, and Kieran Marmion produced a sumptuous pass out the back to free Hansen. Yet whenever Connacht looked like they could find a gap, they were suffocated by the blue shirts.

The half ended with the Bulls smashing their way to the Connacht line, and while the visitors initially resisted, Marcell Coetzee eventually fought their way through, with Goosen converting again to push his team 21-0 with the last action of the half.

Connacht looked more comfortable with the ball early in the second half but were dealt another blow five minutes into the restart when the Bulls pounced for their bonus point tally.

Van Staden may have been lucky not to be pinged as he snatched the ball from Oran McNulty on the breakdown, a volley that saw the Bulls emerge from deep again, with David Kriel finding second row Ruan Nortje, who breached the Connacht defense before releasing Burger, who ran in his second try of the evening. Goosen made it four of four off the tee as the Bulls went clear 28-0.

The Bulls were then reduced to 14 men for the second time when Goosen hit Marmion with a high tackle which resulted in a head-on clash. Referee Andrea Piardi took his time before settling for a yellow card due to “a low level of danger”.

Connacht’s Finlay Bealham

Source: Deon van der Merwe/INPHO

A friend sent to a new front row, with Peter Dooley, Jack Aungier and debutant Grant Stewart all stepping into the action, and the fresh legs were soon giving their team some big moments, with Dooley getting the applause after a big push at the scrum resulted in a Connacht penalty.

Connacht went on the offensive and Jan-Hendrik Wessels became the third Bulls player to visit the bin when he was shown a yellow card for a late hit on Hawkshaw.

Playing with the advantage of the penalty, Connacht finally recorded their first score of the match when Aungier showed good strength to pass from close range. Hawkshaw converted to put the score at 28-7 going into the final 10 minutes.

A lengthy stoppage then followed due to an injury to Bulls winger Sbu Nkosi, extended by some confusion around uncontested scrums with the Bulls temporarily down to 13 men.

The game started to open up for Connacht in the dying minutes, and Porch looked to have added his second try after completing a move that saw the ball slip into the hands of Hansen and McNulty. However, replays showed McNulty’s place at Porch was ahead and the score was crossed out.

Moments later Connacht struck for their second goal, Hawkshaw did well to block Chris Smith’s clearing attempt, collecting the loose ball and scoring under the posts before converting his own try.

Friend will be heartened to see his side struggle in the second half, but the contest has long eluded them.

Bull scorers:

try: Arendse, Burger (2), Coetzee.

Conversions: Goose [4/4]

Connacht goalscorers:

try: Aungier, Hawkshaw.

Conversions:Hawshaw [2/2]

Sadness:Hawshaw [0/1]

BULLS: Kurt-Lee Arendse; Canan Moodie (Lionel Mapoe, 25), Cornal Hendricks, David Kriel, Sbu Nkosi (Chris Smith, 70); Johan Goosen, Zak Burger (Embrose Paper, 61); Gerhard Steenekamp, ​​Johan Grobbelaar (Jan-Hendrik Wessels 25), François Klopper (Mornay Smith, 58); Walt Steenkamp (Simphiwe Matanzima, 58) Ruan Nortje; Marcel Coetzee (captain), Marco van Staden (Reinhardt Ludwig, 58), Elrigh Louw.

Yellow cards: Van Staden, Goosen, Jan-Hendrik Wessels.

TO KNOW : Oran McNulty; John Porch, Tom Farrell, Tom Daly, Mack Hansen; David Hawkshaw, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley (Peter Dooley, 59), Dave Heffernan (Grant Stewart, 61), Finlay Bealham (Jack Aungier, 59); Leva Fifita (Gavin Thornbury, 52) Oisín Dowling; Josh Murphy (Ciaran Booth, 59), Conor Oliver (Shamus Hurley-Langton, 52), Jarrad Butler (captain).

Arbitrator: Andrea Piardi (FIR)

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