The Bulls scored four tries to clinch an impressive 28-7 win over the Chiefs in a Super Rugby warm-up match in Brisbane on Thursday.
Having secured a comfortable 38-17 win over the Lions in their first Super Rugby warm-up game in Harare at the end of January, the Bulls picked up another morale-boosting result in a match that saw Handré Pollard make his long-awaited return from injury.
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The Bulls were gifted a couple of tries early on, with Burger Odendaal breaking away to score from an intercept, while a penalty try was then awarded after continuous pressure from a driving maul.
Although the Chiefs hit back soon after with a try by nippy No 9 Brad Weber, the rest of the half remained scoreless as the Bulls went into the break leading 14-7.
They extended that advantage soon after the restart when Dries Swanepoel dotted down for the team’s third try, while Warrick Gelant ensured the Bulls would have the final say when he scored after the full-time hooter.
The Bulls will feature in the Brisbane Global Tens this weekend before opening their Super Rugby campaign against the Stormers in Cape Town on 25 February.
Bulls – Tries: Burger Odendaal, penalty try, Dries Swanepoel, Warrick Gelant. Conversions: Handré Pollard (3), Tian Schoeman.
Chiefs – Tries: Brad Weber. Conversion: Stephen Donald.
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Bulls – 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Handré Pollard (c), 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Nic de Jager, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Subs: 16 Edgar Maruthlule, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Jason Jenkins, 19 Ruan Steenkamp, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Tian Schoeman, 22 Warrick Gelant, 23 John-Roy Jenkinson, 24 Jacobie Adriaanse, 25 Renaldo Bothma, 26 Francois Brummer, 27 JT Jackson.
Chiefs – 15 Shaun Stevenson, 14 Solomona Alaimalo, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Johnny Faauli, 11 Latu Vaeno, 10 Stephen Donald (c), 9 Brad Weber, 8 Tom Sanders, 7 Mitchell Karpik, 6 Taleni Seu, 5 Matiaha Martin, 4 Mitchell Brown, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Brayden Mitchell, 1 Mitchell Graham.
Sub: 16 Hika Elliot, 17 Sosefo Kautai, 18 Atu Moli, 19 Fin Hoeata, 20 Liam Messam, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 James Lowe, 23 Toni Pulu, 24 Joe Ravouvou, 25 Luteru Laulala, 26 Kane Hames.
Photo: Anne Laing/HSM Images
