A late Chris Smith drop goal earned the Bulls a nail-biting 30-27 win against the Sharks in their absorbing United Rugby Championship quarter-final at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. | Sport24news
A crowd of 22394 bayed on the Bulls in a tense last five minutes as they chose to end the game in regulation time.
The Sharks manned up well, but could look back at a wasteful first half, while the Bulls now look forward to a semi-final against Leinster or the Glasgow Warriors. The visitors had taken the lead in the fifth minute from a Curwin Bosch penalty, but in trying to be creative, they went overboard. The Sharks responded three minutes later when Bongi Mbonambi crossed over from a rolling maul, something the Sharks didn't use to the best effect.
Their pillar to pillar rugby wore down the Sharks and once the gap appeared, the home side took the points and ran. That's a tall order, especially on the Highveld, regardless if it’s a South African team. The Sharks, whose errors increased with the pressure ratcheted up by their opponents.
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