RUGBY NEWS - The Vodacom Bulls booked their place in a second successive URC final after surviving three yellow cards to beat the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld last night.
Jake White’s charges, beaten in last season’s decider by Glasgow, triumphed 25-13 in Pretoria and will face Leinster at Croke Park next week, after the Irish giants dethroned the Warriors 37-19 in Dublin earlier yesterday.
The Bulls dominated the scrum battle and scoreboard, leading 15-3 despite ending the first half with 13 men.
Man of the Match Sebastian de Klerk opened the scoring after Embrose Papier’s electric break from just over the halfway line, with flyhalf Johan Goosen converting on his injury comeback.
Canan Moodie extended the home side’s advantage through De Klerk’s pinpoint cross-kick, catching fellow Springbok speedster Makazole Mapimpi napping out wide before going over in the corner.
Flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse’s solitary penalty provided the Sharks’ response after missing two attempts. The Bulls’ discipline crumbled inside the second quarter as centre Harold Venter, No 8 Cameron Hanekom and flanker Marcell Coetzee all saw yellow.
However, the hosts’ defence held firm twice near their tryline as the Sharks pressed before the break.
Mapimpi struck first for the visitors after the restart, exploiting a two-man overlap to go over the whitewash out wide before Hendrikse again missed the conversion.
Winger Ethan Hooker’s ninth try of the campaign brought the Sharks within two points, but replacement Keagan Johannes steadied Bulls nerves with a crucial penalty. He missed his second attempt before midfielder David Kriel capped off a scintillating move ignited by Papier and lock Cobus Wiese.
Johannes converted to complete the scoring that ultimately secured the Bulls’ third appearance in the URC showpiece in four seasons, as well as exact revenge for two league-stage defeats to the Sharks in 2024-25.
However, White will be sweating over the availability of Hanekom, the URC’s Next-Gen Player winner departing in the 49th minute via a golf cart after going down clutching his hamstring.
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