Last years Super 14 finalists, the Chiefs and the Bulls, met in Hamilton this weekend in what was a crucial game for both sides. The visitors came away with the 33-19 win after grounding down the Chiefs with a powerful forward performance that allowed gaps to open later in the contest.
The Bulls bounced back well from their first defeat of the season to the Blues a week ago, picking up their first ever win in Hamilton and reclaiming the number one spot at the top of the table.
The defending champions are now four points ahead of the Crusaders and Waratahs, who are one point ahed of the Stormers. It looks like thatll be the four that contend the semis, but there are still five rounds left and we could yet see a few surprises.
Skipper Victor Matfield described the match as a great victory for the touring Bulls.
“It’s always great to win in New Zealand. It’s the toughest place to tour in the world, so we’re happy with the performance tonight,” said Matfield. “The guys today showed a lot of character. They wanted to come back and they showed it out there. They just gave their all.”
It was the fourth loss in five outings for the Chiefs, pushing them further down the table with a few big matches still ahead of them, namely against the Stormers, Cheetahs, Hurricanes, Waratahs, and Blues.
“The boys were there mentally and physically. The Bulls are a class side and punished us in the end,” said captain Liam Messam said, admitting it had been a tough night for his injury ravaged team, despite them being competitive for a good 60 minutes.
Time:
06:06
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