The Bulls ran in eight tries to beat the Scarlets 54-26 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, October 31, with loose forward Jeandré Rudolph delivering a performance that has Springbok selectors taking notice before the November international window.
According to IOL's match report, the 32-year-old former Pumas and Cheetahs flanker scored the opening try, held up Scarlets scrumhalf Gareth Davies over the line with a try-saving tackle, and then supplied the offload that sent Dylan Maart over for the third score. The win sent Johan Ackermann's side into the break sitting second on the United Rugby Championship log.
A career reborn at 32
Rudolph's story matters beyond the scoreboard. At 32, a age when many forwards from less fashionable unions are quietly moved on, he is playing the best rugby of his career. IOL compared him to the evergreen Deon Fourie, who was still turning out for the Springboks at 40, and suggested that should Rassie Erasmus face an injury crisis among his loose forwards this November, Rudolph has put himself firmly in the conversation.
His opening try came in the 10th minute, built on the grunt work of tighthead prop Khutha Mchunu, brother of Stormers prop Ntuthuko, who won a scrum penalty around halfway. Curwin Bosch kicked to the corner, the forwards hammered away through several phases, and Rudolph wriggled over.
What followed was a defensive intervention that changed the shape of the first half. Davies darted for the line and Rudolph held him up, denying the Welsh side an early foothold. Minutes later, Willie le Roux sliced through a gaping hole for the second try after the Bulls' big ball-carriers, with Cameron Hanekom leading the charge, had softened the Scarlets defence.
The counterattack that summed up the afternoon
The third try was the pick of the lot. A Scarlets attack broke down in Bulls territory and Le Roux launched a counterattack with a perfectly weighted cross-kick to Stravino Jacobs. The ball swept through hands until Rudolph produced a delicate offload to put Maart over, a move that began in the Bulls' own 22 and ended 70 metres downfield. Wales Online reported that the flowing move from their own 22 was the clearest illustration of the gulf between the sides when the Bulls were in full flight.
Bosch converted, but his missed conversion on the second try continued a worrying trend with the boot this season, a stark contrast to Handré Pollard's 100% record off the tee in the URC.
How the Scarlets clawed their way back
From 19-0 up and playing rugby that had Loftus on its feet, the Bulls switched off. Still celebrating Maart's try, they allowed hooker John McKee to stroll over in the corner. Tongan international Sam Lousi then breached the midfield defence for a superb try, though the 35-year-old flanker injured himself reaching for the line and left the field. At 19-12 at the break, the contest was back on.
Two minutes after the restart the Scarlets thought they had closed further when Carwyn Leggatt-Jones chipped over the defence for Davies to score, but the TMO spotted a Welsh player ahead of the ball and the try was disallowed. Ackermann turned to his bench, and regular captain Marcell Coetzee needed seconds to make his mark, bulldozing over from close range.
The Scarlets refused to die. Steadman Gans was yellow-carded for a professional foul, and the visitors used the extra man immediately, putting Archie Hughes over unopposed. When Joe Roberts, the hat-trick hero against the Stormers the previous weekend, scored, the scores were level at 26-26 and Loftus went quiet.
Depth wins it, and the bench tells a South African story
What settled the match was the Bulls' bench, and the names on it deserve attention. Springbok call-up Sebastian de Klerk produced a neat finish. Then Johan Grobbelaar, overlooked by Erasmus for the November tour, answered the snub with a powerful try. Coetzee barged over for his second, and Maart completed his brace as the Bulls pushed past 50.
SA Rugby magazine noted that the Bulls emptied their bench to the desired effect, with De Klerk roaring in for his try before Grobbelaar and Maart provided the flourish. Kick Off observed that it did not take the Bulls long to open the scoring after dominating the opening 10 minutes, with Rudolph picking up the ball at the base of a ruck and bashing his way over.
For a South African rugby public that has long argued the depth of our domestic game is our greatest weapon, this match was proof. A loose forward written off by many, a winger in Maart with a double, a hooker with a point to prove against the national selectors: this is the production line that keeps the Springboks on top of world rugby, and it runs through Loftus as surely as it runs through the township clubs and school fields that feed it.
The Bulls now enter the November international break second on the URC log, with Rudolph's name in the air and Grobbelaar's statement made. Whether Erasmus listens is another question, but Saturday afternoon at Loftus gave him plenty to think about.
Scorers
Bulls: Tries by Jeandré Rudolph, Willie le Roux, Dylan Maart (2), Marcell Coetzee (2), Sebastian de Klerk and Johan Grobbelaar. Conversions by Curwin Bosch (7).
Scarlets: Tries by John McKee, Sam Lousi, Archie Hughes and Joe Roberts. Conversions by Carwyn Leggatt-Jones (2).
FAQ
Who was Player of the Match in the Bulls' win over the Scarlets?
Jeandré Rudolph, who scored the opening try, made a try-saving tackle on Gareth Davies and supplied the offload for Dylan Maart's first try in the 54-26 victory at Loftus Versfeld on October 31.
Where do the Bulls sit on the URC log?
The Bulls went into the November international break second on the United Rugby Championship log.
Which Bulls players are in the Springbok frame after this match?
Rudolph has been mentioned as a possible option if Rassie Erasmus suffers loose forward injuries in November, while Sebastian de Klerk is a Springbok call-up and Johan Grobbelaar missed out on the tour squad.