The Bulls have qualified for their third United Rugby Championship final after a hard-fought 25-13 win over a stubborn Sharks side at Loftus on Saturday night in an exciting match between two teams laden with Springbok stars.
This crucial victory that was secured through tries from Sebastien de Klerk, Canan Moodie and David Kriel will see the Bulls take on Leinster in the anticipated decider away from home on Saturday in Ireland.
Leinster eased into a home final with a commanding 37-19 semifinal victory over defending champions Glasgow Warriors in Dublin in the other semifinal played earlier.
Bulls coach Jake White had experienced campaigners in his starting line-up with Boks Willie Le Roux, Canan Moodie, Embrose Papier, Cameron Hanekom, Ruan Nortje, Marcell Coetzee, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar and Jan Hendrik Wessels.
Also, Sharks coach John Plumtree had Springboks aplenty with the likes of Aphelele Fassi, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse, Siya Kolisi, Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi and Ox Nche in his starting XV.
The Vodacom Bulls land the first blow at Loftus.
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Sebastian de Klerk finishes off a brilliant move by Embrose Papier.
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The Bulls opened the scoring inside ten minutes when De Klerk crossed over the line with a try that resulted from a superb move that started from their own half.
There was a lull in play with both teams trying to settle and it was the Bulls who pulled further away when Moodie received a delightful cross-field ball from Johan Goosen to score the second try.
Moments later, the Sharks got two penalties in quick succession and Hendrikse was spot on with the first one, but produced a howler of a kick from a good position with the second.
In the closing stages of the first half, the Sharks failed to take advantage of their numerical advantage with Cameron Hanekom and Marcell Coetzee in the sin bin.
The Sharks got the second half off to a good start with Mapimpi and Ethan Hooker's unconverted tries to narrow the score to two points and leave the match on a knife’s edge.
Keagan Johannes, who replaced Goosen, put away the penalty a few minutes later to give the Bulls breathing space.
The Bulls pulled away in the closing stages with a try by Kriel that was converted by Johannes who made up for an earlier penalty miss from a good position.
Scorers
Bulls: Tries: Sebastien de Klerk, Canan Moodie, David Kriel; Conversions: Johan Goosen (2); Penalties: Johan Goosen (1), Keagan Johannes (1)
Sharks: Tries: Makazole Mapimpi, Ethan Hooker; Penalties: Jordan Hendrikse (1)
