Mighty scrum and clinical attack see Bulls steamroll Munster to reach URC semi-final
Vodacom Bulls' Johan Grobbelaar tackles Munster's Michael Ala'alatoa Pic ©INPHO/Darren Stewart
The Bulls rolled into their fifth United Rugby Championship semi-final in five years with a clinical dismantling of Munster at Loftus Versfeld.
A mighty scrum and some brilliant backline play from the likes of scrumhalf Embrose Papier, fullback Willie le Roux and wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, saw the Bulls run amok.
The final tally of six tries to two tells its own story, although the Bulls butchered at least three more. The gulf between the teams was vast.
The Bulls also had to contend with losing giant tighthead Wilco Louw to illness hours before kick-off, but it mattered little.
The home team’s pack bossed the scrums while the Bulls wings ruled the air.
Munster were always willing, but without the luxury of a solid forward foundation they spent too much time on the back foot. Against the Bulls power runners and brutal defenders, it was an uphill battle.
Centre Alex Nankivell was brilliant at times as was flank Jack O’Donoghue, while scrumhalf Craig Casey buzzed with typical energy, but it was never going to be enough.
After Papier scored his second try – an 85-metre run after intercepting Casey’s inside pass inside the Bulls’ red zone – coach Johan Ackermann withdrew a handful of stars with 20 minutes to go.
At 45-14 up at that stage the contest was over and the Bulls mentor put Papier and No 8 Cameron Hanekom in cotton wool for the challenge of facing Glasgow next week.
For Munster, the introspection about a haphazard campaign can begin in earnest. The performance at Loftus was a microcosm of Munster’s season – periods of dominance and promise, undone by an ailing scrum and lack of world-class performers.
Munster had the bulk of territory and possession before halftime, but the Bulls were much more clinical with the ball they had.
By halftime the home team had scored four tries as they broke the Munster defensive line almost at will when they did attack.
The Bulls also had two further touchdowns chalked off for a forward pass and obstruction respectively. They had another try scrapped for an obstruction late in the second half. It could have been so much worse for Munster.
On the back of a dominant pack and slick service, veteran fullback Willie le Roux was a menace, as he ghosted into space and created room for his outside backs.
One of those runs led to the Bulls second try when Le Roux gathered an inaccurate Mike Haly clearance and ran it back. He slipped past the first line of defence before putting the lethal Arendse into space.
The Bok wing hardly needs any room to operate in and this time he had several metres. There was only one winner.
That was the Bulls’ second try in the opening 10 minutes, following scrumhalf Papier’s opening score after four minutes.
That had its genesis from a massive scrum and strong carries from flank Elrigh Louw and impressive Hanekom who fed Papier for a signature sniping run. It was the halfback’s 10th try of the campaign.
At 14-0 down in no time, Munster were up against it. But they showed the same resilience that they displayed in March when they were last at Loftus, and bounced back with two tries either side of a Handre Pollard penalty.
O’Donoghue finished off a period of sustained Munster pressure inside the Bulls 22, which led to three separate penalty advantages.
The Bulls were fortunate not to concede a yellow card in that passage of play as referee Andrea Piardi took a lenient view.
Later after Nankivell finished off Munster’s second try after a similar build-up with the Bulls being warned for offsides play, the home team should definitely have had a man in the bin.
As it was, they didn’t and from the restart to Nankivell’s score, and only three points in it, Munster were penalised for holding the ball on the ground.
From the lineout that followed, the Bulls scored their third try through hooker Johan Grobbelaar, who brushed aside some feeble defence.
Minutes later it was Hanekom, who swept around the back of lineout to stampede his way to the line for the Bulls’ fourth try.
After the break Papier’s intercept on 54 minutes ended the contest.
On the hour, Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs finished in the corner after another great Le Roux pass, to complete the day’s scoring and press start on Munster’s period of reflection.
Bulls – Tries: E Papier (2), KL Arendse, J Grobbelaar, C Hanekom, S Jacobs. Conversions: H Pollard (6). Penalty: Pollard.
Munster – Tries: J O’Donoghue, A Nankivell. Conversions: JJ Hanrahan (2).
15 W le Roux (S Petersen-72), 14 KL Arendse, 13 C Moodie, 12 H Vorster (S Gans-60), 11 S Jacobs, 10 H Pollard, 9 E Papier (P de Wet-57), 8 C Hanekom (J Rudolph-60), 7 E Louw, 6 M Coetzee (captain) (M Van Staden-64), 5 R Nortje, 4 R Vermaak (C Wiese-60), 3 F Klopper (M Smith-74), 2 J Grobbelaar, 1 G Steenekamp (JH Wessels-78).
15 M Haley, 14 A Smith (D Kelly-50), 13 A Nankivell, 12 Seán O’Brien, 11 S Daly (B O’Donovan-72), 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 C Casey (captain), 8 B Gleeson (G Coombes-48-58), 7 J Hodnett (A Kendellen-50), 6 J O’Donoghue (Gleeson-59), 5 E O’Connell, 4 T Ahern (F Wycherley-10), 3 M Ala’alatoa (C Bartley-62), 2 N Scannell (D Barron-35), 1 Jeremy L (J Wycherley-60).
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