The All Blacks made it three Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry wins on the trot with a thrilling eight-tries-to-three triumph over the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night.
Skipper Codie Taylor and winger Josh Moorby both crossed the whitewash twice to help power New Zealand into a 24-0 lead at half-time, before No 14 Leroy Carter bagged a brace in the second 40 minutes as Dave Rennie’s men romped to a 50-19 victory.
Playmakers Beauden Barrett and Josh Jacomb combined for four conversions in the match.
The Kiwis beat the Stormers (38-21) and Sharks (54-0) over the last eight days in Cape Town and Durban, respectively.
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The All Blacks faced Johan Ackermann’s charges exactly 50 years after a dramatic 29-27 win for Northern Transvaal, now the Bulls, on the Highveld. In three previous meetings dating back to 1949, the Kiwis had won three.
The Bulls’ last competitive match was the URC final on 19 June, losing 36-7 to Leinster, and they will kick off their 2026-27 campaign against Zebre Parma on 25 September.
Springbok hooker Johan Grobbelaar and loose forward Elrigh Louw were late inclusions on the Bulls bench to get game time ahead of next Saturday’s clash between South Africa and New Zealand at Ellis Park – the first of four back-to-back Tests in the series.
Flyhalf Curwin Bosch was among four Boks named in the Bulls starting XV, and one of four off-season arrivals in the match 23 with flanker Hanro Liebenberg, wing Thaakir Abrahams and fullback Hakeem Kunene.
The All Blacks on the double
Peter Lakai makes it easy for Josh Moorby
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Moorby drew first blood for the visitors, finishing a flowing move before crossing again from a Peter Lakai pass, Barrett converting the second. The Bulls twice had tries chalked off, Juann Else’s maul effort and a Liebenberg toe-through both failing TMO scrutiny.
Prop Francois Klopper’s yellow card left the Bulls a man short before the break, and the All Blacks capitalised, Taylor crossing twice in as many minutes to send the visitors into the sheds well in front on the scoreboard.
FIRST TAKE: All Blacks show class, Bulls fall into pace trap
Lock Ruan Vermaak gave the Bulls a foothold after the restart, with Bosch opening his account in a Bulls jersey with the conversion, but Carter and centre Rieko Ioane hit back in quick succession for the All Blacks.
Left winger Stravino Jacobs kept the Bulls in touch with a well-worked try off a scrum near halfway.
Rudolph
Bosch
The Vodacom Bulls score a cracker
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Carter added his second from a Jacomb pop-up pass to stretch the lead further, before Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee barged over.
Replacement Wallace Sititi had the final word, bursting through under the posts to complete a dominant All Blacks display.
BULLS – Tries: Ruan Vermaak, Stravino Jacobs, Marcell Coetzee. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (2).
ALL BLACKS – Tries: Josh Moorby (2), Codie Taylor (2), Leroy Carter (2), Rieko Ioane, Wallace Sititi. Conversions: Beauden Barrett, Josh Jacomb (4).
Photo: Johan Orton/Gallo Images
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The All Blacks made it three Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry wins on the trot with a thrilling eight-tries-to-three triumph over the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night.
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