The Vodacom Bulls produced a brilliant first-half display to blow away the Sharks in a thunderous Vodacom URC encounter at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Bulls ran in seven tries in their 41-12 win after leading 22-0 at half-time.
The result saw the Pretoria-based side cement their position in the URC playoff places while the Sharks saw their hopes of winning the SA Shield crumble over consecutive weekends on the Highveld.
The Bulls are seventh on 30 points and have a game in hand over key playoff rivals. The Sharks drop to 11th (24 points) and with only six league games to go, have their work cut out to make the top eight.
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A lighting storm and torrential downpour had delayed the start of the match by 15 minutes and when it started it was the Bulls who brought the thunder.
After an error-ridden start from both teams, a piece of individual brilliance from midfielder Canan Moodie saw the Bulls open the scoring on the quarter-hour mark.
The home side moved the ball wide and centre Harold Vorster straightened to break the defensive line. Moodie then chipped and chased – the ball somehow evading two Sharks defenders – before dotting down.
Hey @BolandLandbou
Did Canan Moodie perfect that chip-and-chase on your fields?
@Vodacom #URC | #OriginRound #BULvSHA pic.twitter.com/UneIXFq1Bu
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) February 28, 2026
A sustained period of Bulls pressure ended with right wing Sebastian de Klerk collecting Handré Pollard’s cross-kick and stepping inside past Jaco Williams to make it 10-0 after 26 minutes.
Sharks No 9 Jaden Hendrikse suffered a suspected concussion in the defensive set and left the field on a medical cart to be replaced by Ross Braude.
Filthy step, beautiful try
@Vodacom #URC | #ExtraOrdinaryLeague pic.twitter.com/ydxyngcPdO
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) February 28, 2026
The Bulls then lit the torch paper at Loftus when Vorster picked up from the base of a ruck on his own 22m and cracked straight through the middle before picking out Embrose Papier who outsprinted the cover defence. Pollard converted to put the Bulls 17-0 in front on the half-hour mark.
Six minutes later, De Klerk chipped the Sharks defence and offloaded to Papier who raced in for his second and the Bulls’ bonus-point try. Pollard missed his third relatively easy conversion of the afternoon.
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The Sharks finally got their groove on seven minutes into the second half with good interplay between backs and forwards seeing winger Edwill van der Merwe scoot in at the corner.
The Sharks then launched a furious assault on the Bulls line but the home side held firm until the final quarter when prop Hanro Jacobs powered over from close range. Jordan Hendrikse converted and at 22-12 with 17 minutes to go the game was very much in the balance.
However, it was that man Vorster who shut the door on the Sharks, running onto an offload from Pollard to score. A successful conversion took the score out to 29-12 and the Loftus faithful could breathe easy again.
There was still time for replacement scrumhalf Paul de Wet to score and Vorster to add his second as the Bulls ran riot in the closing stages.
BULLS – Tries: Canan Moodie, Sebastian de Klerk, Embrose Papier (2), Harold Vorster (2), Paul de Wet. Conversions: Handré Pollard (3).
SHARKS – Try: Edwill van der Merwe, Hanro Jacobs. Conversion: Jordan Hendrikse.
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
The post Bulls gore Sharks at Loftus appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The Vodacom Bulls produced a brilliant first-half display to blow away the Sharks in a thunderous Vodacom URC encounter at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The post Bulls gore Sharks at Loftus appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
