Bulls pip Pau to boost playoff hopes

The Vodacom Bulls snapped a seven-match losing streak by beating Pau in Friday night’s Investec Champions Cup clash at the Stade du Hameau.

The 26-24 bonus-point win moved Johan Ackermann’s team up to fourth in Pool 3 on seven points, ahead of Pau (six) and the Scarlets (two).

The Scarlets face the already-qualified Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday, with only a bonus-point win for the visitors enough to deny the Bulls a place in the round of 16.

It was the Bulls who made a promising start to their final pool match, rewarded when loose forward Mpilo Gumede crashed over in the corner after just three minutes. The try came from a turnover and then a beautiful skip-pass from hooker Akker van der Merwe that set Gumede up for the five-pointer. Handre Pollard couldn’t convert.

The try seemingly spurred Pau into life, as they starting stringing some good phases together. Their set-piece was strong and it produced a maul try courtesy of hooker Youri Delhommel.

The Bulls lost fluidity and made some costly errors. Pollard failed to kick a penalty into touch which would’ve set them up to strike from the lineout, and he also fired a bad pass to centre Harold Vorster, which then led to another turnover from a promising position.

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At the 30-minute mark, the Bulls breached Pau’s line once again as Van der Merwe powered over the line from a maul. Pollard was successful with the conversion.

But the hosts again turned on the intensity, which led to tries by lock Jimi Maximin and a second of the night for Delhommel. The Bulls ended the half with 14 men after lock Reinhardt Ludwig was yellow-carded for repeat infringements.

Conditions worsened in the second half and prevented either team from getting into any rhythm, but it was Pau who again took advantage of ill-discipline from the Bulls, replacement flyhalf Thomas Souverbie kicking a penalty for a 24-12 lead.

But two moments of brilliance – first from outside centre Sebastian de Klerk and then winger Cheswill Jooste – led to the Bulls’ third try.

The Vodacom Bulls create a try out of nothing 🤩✨

Cheswill Jooste brings the visitors right back into this match with just over 10 minutes to play ⏱️

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The Bulls seemed to find an extra gear and in the 73rd minute No 8 Nizaam Carr burrowed over for the bonus-point try.

Pau finished strongly, taking the ball through 18 phases before, with the clock in the red, Bulls replacement loose forward Jeandre Rudolph won a breakdown penalty.

PAU – Tries: Youri Delhommel (2), Jimi Maximin. Conversions: Cameron Mondimat, Thomas Souverbie (2). Penalty: Souverbie.
BULLS – Tries: Mpilo Gumede, Akker van der Merwe, Cheswill Jooste, Nizaam Carr. Conversions: Handre Pollard (3).

Photo: Ryan Byrne/INPHO