While they were way below their best, the Bulls showed tremendous character to score a late try and conversion to beat Benetton 17-15 in Treviso to end their URC tour in style.
Coach Jake White praised his Bulls team for “finding a way to win” after trailing for most of their United Rugby Championship clash against Benetton in Treviso on Friday night.
The Pretoria side were 9-3 behind at halftime and were facing certain defeat at 15-10 with just a few minutes to go – having already lost flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain and replacement backs Stedman Gans and Sebastian de Klerk to an “overnight illness” before kickoff.
That saw Keagan Johannes coming in at No.10, and Chris Barend Smit and Harold Vorster added to the replacements.
But while they were way below their best, the Bulls managed to produce the decisive blow in the 78th minute as first David Kriel kicked a penalty from near the halfway line into touch about six metres from the tryline.
Then Akker van der Merwe found Ruan Vermaak in the line-out, and the visitors mauled their way over as the hooker controlled the ball expertly.
That levelled matters at 15-15, and inside centre Kriel stepped up to slot the conversion about seven metres from the right-hand touchline.
Having lost 23-22 to the Scarlets in controversial fashion in Llanelli last week, it was a fitting finish to their three-week tour at the Stadio Monigo.
“It was the first time in a long time – I wouldn’t say it has never happened – that we had to make significant changes,” White said.
“You don’t often change your quarterback, if you use that analogy. Johan Goosen and Jaco van der Walt are injured, and then Boeta all of a sudden got sick.
“I don’t know what it is … He just got really, really sick – cold shivers – so we had to put him on a drip.
“Then literally three hours before kickoff, we decided we are going with Keagan at 10, which meant we had to change our nine (on the bench) as well because he was covering nine and 10.
“We had to change our bench because we didn’t have a reserve 10 if something happen.
“What I’m really happy about is that we found a way to adapt. Often sporting teams talk about you having to adapt, and that you’ve got to be aware that you can’t always control everything.
“To get a result like that at the end of the game… You can imagine that the change room is obviously very buoyant, and very happy.
“A guy like Keagan is over the moon that he could contribute as a starter at 10.
“There was a minute-and-a-half left, and we ended up winning the game. You can only feel proud when you see your players doing that at the end of the game.”
The Bulls will now be on a break for the international window – although nine of their players will join the Springbok squad on Sunday for the three-Test tour of the UK.
The Pretoria side will return to action on November 30 against Connacht in Galway.
Points-Scorers
Bulls 17 – Tries: Reinhardt Ludwig, Akker van der Merwe. Conversions: David Kriel (2). Penalty: Keagan Johannes (1).
Benetton 15 – Penalties: Tomas Albornoz (4), Rhyno Smith (1).
