The Chiefs scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to beat the Bulls 41-28 in Hamilton on Friday. JON CARDINELLI reports.
The Bulls will be wondering how they let this one slip. Their forwards were on fire in the first half, dominating the collisions and breakdowns to a telling degree. Their backs looked to be in sublime touch, with Handré Pollard and Jesse Kriel causing the Chiefs defence all sorts of problems and Divan Rossouw (two tries) and Warrick Gelant finishing in style.
The Bulls scored four tries in the first half, and went to the break with a commanding 28-14 lead. At that point, a first victory on New Zealand soil since 2013 was well within reach.
The 28-14 scoreline wasn’t a true reflection of the Bulls’ dominance during that period. The Chiefs scrambled to deny the visitors several scoring opportunities. They impeded on multiple occasions, and were fortunate not to lose a man – or two – to the sin bin.
It would be unfair to blame the officials for the final result, though. The Chiefs lifted their game in the second stanza. By contrast, the quality of the Bulls’ physicality, discipline, and game management left a lot to be desired.
The Chiefs enjoyed the best possible start to the second half. Mitchell Brown crashed over from close range as the home team made a physical statement. Damian McKenzie converted to reduce the deficit to seven points.
The Bulls had their chances to score. They won a penalty deep in Chiefs’ territory, but turned down the shot at goal in favour of a lineout drive. The decision backfired, as the Chiefs managed to win a turnover at the ensuing play and then exit.
The hosts made another statement when Brodie Retallick powered over for his second try of the evening. Suddenly the Chiefs were trailing by just two points.
Reserve scrumhalf Embrose Papier scored under the posts for the visitors in the 58th minute. The officials, however, ruled that Lood de Jager had obstructed a Chiefs defender (Retallick) in the buildup. The try was disallowed.
The momentum remained with the Chiefs. McKenzie kicked a penalty in the 63rd minute to give the hosts the lead at 29-28.
Reserve prop Conrad van Vuuren all but handed the Chiefs the game when he went into a tackle with a stiff arm and caught McKenzie in the face. Referee Shuhei Kubo and the TMO, however, decided that the offence only warranted a yellow card instead of a red.
The Chiefs scored through Solomon Alaimalo in the 74th minute. The Bulls were then denied a losing bonus point when Anton Lienert-Brown crossed the line after the final hooter.
Chiefs – Tries: Johnny Fa’auli, Brodie Retallick (2), Mitchell Brown, Solomon Alaimalo, Anton Lienert-Brown. Conversions: Damian McKenzie (4). Penalty: McKenzie.
Bulls – Tries: Warrick Gelant, Divan Rossouw (2), Handré Pollard. Conversions: Handré Pollard (4).
Chiefs – 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Sean Wainui, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Johnny Fa’auli, 11 Solomon Alaimalo, 10 Tiaan Falcon, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Liam Messam, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Lachlan Boshier, 5 Mitchell Brown, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Nathan Harris, 1 Aidan Ross.
Subs: 16 Liam Polwart, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Michael Allardice, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Marty McKenzie, 23 Declan O’Donnell.
Bulls – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Burger Odendaal (c), 11 Divan Rossouw, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 André Warner, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Subs: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Jason Jenkins/Tim Agaba, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Johnny Kotze.
Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
