Bulls shrug off concerted Bordeaux challenge to seal playoff berth ...

Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee. (Photo by Gordon Arons/Gallo Images)

TSHWANE. - What initially looked to be a romp for the Bulls ended up being a squeaky bum affair when they nearly frittered away a massive lead in their 46-40 win over Union Bordeaux-Begles in their final Pool 1 Champions Cup game at Loftus Versfeld.

In reasonably moderate heat in front of a rather tiny 10 516 crowd, the Bulls lead 26-14 at the break and 40-21 after 54 minutes.

However, they allowed Bordeaux to stage a remarkable fightback that saw the Bulls not only unable to score a try in the last quarter, but required the game’s only two penalties through Van der Walt to make sure of a home round of 16 clash.

The Bulls, whose tries came from Marcell Coetzee (two), Devin Williams, David Kriel, Willie le Roux and Embrose Papier, five of which were converted by Johan Goosen, are now on 17 points after four games.

They'll await the winner of Saturday night’s game between Saracens (five) and Lyon (12) to see if they'll be hosting a playoff game.

If they finish third, they'll have to travel, something Bordeaux won't have to experience through their tries from Tevita Tatafu (two), Romain Buros, Adam Coleman, Madosh Tambwe and Paul Abadie

Unless Lyon get a big win in London that changes the points different, Yannick Bru's team will finish first and get home comforts the playoffs.

The Bulls got out of the blocks faster than a greyhound on a hunt and looked to have scored in the first minute through industrious number eight Cameron Hanekom.

However, replays showed that Hanekom wasn’t in control of the ball at the point of touchdown.

Four minutes later, the Bulls were held up over the line, but with the repeated infringements by the visitors, they paid the price in the form of South African tight-head Carlu Sadie being yellow-carded.

The Bulls eventually got their try in the seventh minute through Coetzee, but somehow couldn't ram home their advantage.

Being a man-down rejuvenated Bordeaux, who equalised through problematic fullback Romain Buros in the 13th minute, who hit a line that the Bulls defence read, but could do nothing about it.

The try slapped the Bulls back into reality and three minutes later, they regained the lead through a neat Williams finish.

They increased the lead to 21-7 in the 25th minute through Coetzee's try as the visitors, fresh from what is a brutal winter, needed umbrellas to shade themselves from what they found to be intense heat even though it was comfortably not Tshwane's hottest day.

In the 30th minute, it was the Bulls’ turn to concede a yellow card when loosehead prop Gerhard Steenekamp was shifted off the field for a deliberate infringement.

The Bulls were punished for that indiscretion when lock Coleman muscled over the line in the 33rd minute after French international wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s earlier 32nd-minute try was chalked off for a forward pass.

The Bulls though earned their deserved bonus-point and playoff qualification when Kriel dived over in the right-hand corner on the stroke of half-time.

The Bulls were again first on the score sheet in the 43rd minute when Le Roux waltzed in under the uprights to see the Bulls lead 33-14.

Bordeaux though are a quality side and when they responded with a try of the highest quality through Tambwe in the 50th minute after the visitors cut up the Bulls' defence, it was clear the Bulls couldn't afford to switch off.

The Bulls were able to regain a comfortable 40-21 buffer through a moment of individual brilliance by Papier in the 54th minute, but in allowing burly replacement loose-forward Tatafu to score the very next minute, they kept Bordeaux in the hunt.

The nerves then properly jangled on the hour mark when Bordeaux cut up the Bulls' defence to see halfback Abadie get over the line untouched.

With the scoreline at 40-35, the Bulls' earlier profligacy catching up with them, they needed a 65th-minute Van der Walt penalty to increase the lead to eight points.

The value of the penalty was amplified when Tatafu rumbled over the line from a rolling maul two minutes later.

However, Mateo Garcia missed the difficult touchline conversion that would've brought Bordeaux to within one point.

The Bulls desperately tried to keep a plug on the visitors and needed a 74th-minute penalty to keep the Bulls’ nose in front by six points.

They also gave themselves a nervy finish by conceding a turnover and a penalty, but showed enough composure to finish the game but will wait nervously as to where they'll be for the playoffs.

Scorers:

Bulls: 46 (26)

Tries: Marcell Coetzee (2), Devin Williams, David Kriel, Willie le Roux, Embrose Papier

Conversions: Johan Goosen (5)

Penalty: Jaco van der Walt (2)

Union Bordeaux-Begles: 40 (14)

Tries: Romain Buros, Adam Coleman, Madosh Tambwe, Tevita Tatafu (2), Paul Abadie

Conversions: Zack Holmes (4), Mateo Garcia

4h ago

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