Bulls’ playoff chances sunk in Buenos Aires
The Bulls’ playoff ambitions took a massive blow in the early hours of Sunday morning after they went down 29-11 to the Jaguares in a Super Rugby match at the Estadio Jose Amalfitani. The home side were 15-6 ahead at halftime.
The Bulls needed to win the match, which was played in wet and muddy conditions to keep up with their Africa Conference 1 rivals, the Stormers, who recorded a bonus-point victory on Saturday against the Rebels in Melbourne. The Stormers now need just one win from their two remaining matches against the Force and the Kings claim the conference.
The Jaguares started the match with lots of passion, but it was the Bulls who took the lead in the 10th minute when flyhalf Francois Brummer kicked a penalty. But the Jaguares would convert a penalty of their own through flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez a few minutes later.
The home side then scored the first of their three tries in the 14th minute when Pablo Matera scored against the base of the post after plenty of phases on the Bulls’ line.
The Bulls had a try-scoring opportunity of their own in the 17th minute, but wing Jamba Ulengo failed to hold onto scrumhalf Rudy Paige’s pass when he was close to the line.
The Jaguares scored their second try in the 20th minute, after their powerful maul totally obliterated the Bulls pack, and their captain Augustine Creevy went over for the score.
Brummer missed a sitter right in front of the post for the Bulls in the 29th minute, but he didn’t make the same mistake again when he punished another indiscretion by the Jaguares four minutes later.
The Jaguares, though, played the conditions a lot better than their South African opponents, and they almost extended their lead in the 44th minute. After the ball was chipped ahead by a Jaguares player, Bulls wing Travis Ismael managed to get to it before Manuel Montero.
But the home side would eventually get another try in the 54th minute when Creevy scored his second after another powerful maul by the Jaguares.
The Bulls scored their only try of the match five minutes later when replacement scrumhalf Piet van Zyl went over the line. Other than that, though, the Bulls were very poor in the wet conditions.
Point scorers
Jaguares (15) 29 – Tries: Pablo Matera, Agustin Creevy (2). Conversion: Nicolas Sanchez. Penalties: Sanchez (4).
Bulls (6) 11 – Try: Piet van Zyl. Penalty: Francois Brummer (2)