The Bulls secured a home semi-final in the United Rugby Championship (URC) when they saw off the considerable threat of Edinburgh with a 42–33 win in the quarterfinals at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. The Bulls scored six tries to five as they did enough to advance to the last four of the URC for the third time in the franchise’s history.
The Bulls were looking to extend a six-match winning run and avenge a Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to Edinburgh a month and a half ago. The Pretoria side had a lot on their to-do list for this URC quarter-final, but within the first five minutes, everything had gone off track.
The Bulls went down a man, and Edinburgh scored their first try through their South African-born Kiwi fullback, Wes Goosen. Capitalising on penalties conceded by the Bulls, Edinburgh turned possession into points as flyhalf Ross Thompson crashed over for the Scottish side’s second try.
The Bulls were being outplayed on their home patch. That loss to Edinburgh in the Challenge Cup quarters had served as a catalyst for a resurgence in form from the Bulls. They had notched up wins over Munster and Glasgow away from home since then, and with that sort of pedigree, they were going to keep fighting despite the poor start.
Eighthman Cameron Hanekom embodied the Bulls’ fighting spirit — he scored the home side’s first try in the 19th minute. The problem was that Edinburgh were not going away, and when they scored a third try, through Thompson again, that forced the Bulls to become more enterprising.
Fullback Willie Le Roux took a gap and unleashed centre David Kriel for the Bulls’ second try, which kept them in touch with Edinburgh.
The Bulls’ next effort was even more daring, as Le Roux fed winger Sebastian De Klerk, who chipped the scrambling Edinburgh defenders, collected, and let inside centre Harold Vorster loose for a finish that had the grandstand on their feet. That try — the Bulls’ third — brought them even closer.
At halftime, the Bulls trailed Edinburgh 21–18. After the break, Canan Moodie — wearing jersey number 24 after the Bulls retired number 14 for the rest of the season in memory of Cornal Hendricks — scored the Bulls’ fourth try through a Le Roux offload as the home side took the lead for the first time in the match.
The Bulls were in the ascendancy. Flyhalf Keagan Johannes spotted a gap in the Edinburgh defence and would not be stopped on his way to the tryline, stretching the newfound lead almost immediately. Try number six followed shortly after. The forwards opted for the direct route, and Ruan Nortje scored a third five-pointer in a nine-minute spell that saw the Bulls take complete control of the quarter-final.
However, Edinburgh demonstrated their grit in the face of adversity, as hooker Ewan Ashman barged over to remind the home side that there was still some 20 minutes to play.
They retained possession and sent the ball wide, which was a good idea, and even more so when Goosen scored his second five-pointer, and Edinburgh’s fifth.
Edinburgh fought hard, but in the end, the Bulls were victorious by 42 points to 33 as they go to the semi-finals for the third time in four seasons.
Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White believes motivation won’t be an issue as his side gears up for a crucial United Rugby Championship knockout match against Edinburgh at Loftus Versfeld this afternoon.
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— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) May 31, 2025
