28 - 14
United Rugby Championship
Fri 30 Sep 2022 | 17:30
Loftus Versfeld
Arendse 6'
Burger 9'
Coetzee 39'
Burger 45'
Tries
Aungier 67'
Hawkshaw 72'
Goosen 7'
Goosen 10'
Goosen 41'
Goosen 46'
Conversions
Hawkshaw 67'
Hawkshaw 73'
van Staden 15'
Goosen 50'
Wessels 65'
Yellow Cards
Gerhard
Steenekamp
1
Denis
Buckley
Johan
Grobbelaar
2
Dave
Heffernan
Francois
Klopper
3
Finlay
Bealham
Walt
Steenkamp
4
Leva
Fifita
Ruan
Nortje
5
Oisin
Dowling
Marcell
Coetzee
6
Josh
Murphy
Marco
van Staden
7
Conor
Oliver
Elrigh
Louw
8
Jarrad
Butler
Zak
Burger
9
Kieran
Marmion
Johan
Goosen
10
David
Hawkshaw
Sbu
Nkosi
11
Mack
Hansen
David
Kriel
12
Tom
Daly
Cornal
Hendricks
13
Tom
Farrell
Canan
Moodie
14
John
Porch
Kurt-Lee
Arendse
15
Oran
McNulty
Jan-Hendrik
Wessels
16
Grant
Stewart
Simphiwe
Matanzima
17
Peter
Dooley
Mornay
Smith
18
Jack
Aungier
Janko
Swanepoel
19
Gavin
Thornbury
Reinhardt
Ludwig
20
Shamus
Hurley-Langton
Embrose
Papier
21
Colm
Reilly
Chris
Smith
22
Byron
Ralston
Lionel
Mapoe
23
Ciaran
Booth
81
It's all over! The referee has blown their whistle to end the game.
80
Janko Swanepoel comes on for Bulls.
80
Walt Steenkamp leaves the field.
76
Walt Steenkamp comes on.
76
Gerhard Steenekamp comes off.
76
Jan-Hendrik Wessels comes on.
73
David Hawkshaw has kicked a conversion.
72
A bit of individual brilliance by David Hawkshaw leads to a try for Connacht Rugby
72
A gap opened in the defence and David Hawkshaw took full advantage.
69
Bulls make a substitution with Gerhard Steenekamp coming on.
69
Bulls make a substitution with Elrigh Louw coming off.
69
Bulls make a substitution with Walt Steenkamp coming off.
69
Bulls make a substitution with Chris Smith coming on.
69
Bulls make a substitution with Sbu Nkosi coming off.
67
The Connacht Rugby supporters go wild as David Hawkshaw successfully kicks the conversion.
67
Jack Aungier scores the try from close range.
65
Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls) is shown a yellow card
62
Connacht Rugby sub Ciaran Booth comes onto the field.
62
Josh Murphy departs for Connacht Rugby.
62
Connacht Rugby sub Colm Reilly comes onto the field.
62
Kieran Marmion departs for Connacht Rugby.
60
Bulls sub Embrose Papier comes onto the field.
60
Zak Burger departs for Bulls.
60
Connacht Rugby sub Grant Stewart comes onto the field.
60
Dave Heffernan departs for Connacht Rugby.
58
Peter Dooley comes on for Connacht Rugby.
58
Denis Buckley leaves the field.
58
Jack Aungier comes on for Connacht Rugby.
58
Finlay Bealham leaves the field.
57
Reinhardt Ludwig comes on for Bulls.
57
Marco van Staden leaves the field.
57
Simphiwe Matanzima comes on for Bulls.
57
Gerhard Steenekamp leaves the field.
57
Mornay Smith comes on for Bulls.
57
Francois Klopper leaves the field.
53
Byron Ralston comes on.
53
Tom Daly comes off.
51
Shamus Hurley-Langton comes on.
51
Conor Oliver comes off.
51
Gavin Thornbury comes on.
51
Leva Fifita comes off.
50
Johan Goosen (Bulls) is shown a yellow card
46
Johan Goosen adds the two points for Bulls.
45
Slick passing by Bulls leads to a try for Zak Burger.
45
Spellbinding play by Ruan Nortje is finished off with a try.
45
Ruan Nortje makes the break as the defence re-enacts the parting of the red sea.
40
Fabulous play by Connacht Rugby has led to Conor Oliver being able to wriggle through a gap.
40
The second half kicks off.
41
The half-time whistle blows and both teams head for the dressing rooms.
41
Johan Goosen adds the two points for Bulls.
39
The pick and go results in a try for Bulls as Marcell Coetzee goes over.
39
That's a great try assist by Zak Burger.
35
Fabulous play by Connacht Rugby has led to Mack Hansen being able to wriggle through a gap.
25
Lionel Mapoe comes on.
25
Canan Moodie comes off.
24
Bulls decide to make a substitution, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels getting some game time.
24
Bulls decide to make a substitution, with Johan Grobbelaar being replaced.
18
Johan Goosen looks to land a drop goal but it misses, sailing past the right handside of the posts.
17
This is dangerous for the defence as Zak Burger bursts through to advance the Bulls attack.
15
Marco van Staden (Bulls) is shown a yellow card
12
David Hawkshaw steps up to take the penalty but pulls it wide and to the left.
10
Johan Goosen converts the try.
9
Zak Burger scores the try from close range.
9
A gap opened in the defence and Canan Moodie took full advantage.
7
Johan Goosen has kicked a conversion.
6
A stunning solo try from Kurt-Lee Arendse
6
The defensive line has been broken as Kurt-Lee Arendse goes through the gap.
0
We are underway as the referee blows their whistle.
46%
Possession
54%
53%
Territory
47%
Metres
533
423
Carries
91
116
Clean Breaks
4
3
Defenders Beaten
13
25
Passes
110
171
Offloads
6
9
Penalties Conceded
20
14
Turnovers Conceded
13
12
111/136 82%
Tackles won
107/120 89%
6/8 75%
Scrums won
10/12 83%
17/20 85%
Lineouts won
13/18 72%
Connacht Rugby |
MP |
M |
C |
P |
T |
MT |
TW |
TC |
DB |
LW |
TS |
PTS |
Denis Buckley |
59 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Dave Heffernan |
61 |
16 |
6 |
4 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
Finlay Bealham |
59 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Leva Fifita |
52 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Oisin Dowling |
80 |
6 |
9 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Josh Murphy |
63 |
12 |
6 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Conor Oliver |
52 |
13 |
8 |
2 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Jarrad Butler |
80 |
5 |
4 |
10 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Kieran Marmion |
62 |
53 |
7 |
51 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
David Hawkshaw |
80 |
37 |
8 |
31 |
14 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
Mack Hansen |
80 |
78 |
14 |
14 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Tom Daly |
53 |
19 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Tom Farrell |
80 |
43 |
10 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
John Porch |
80 |
50 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Oran McNulty |
80 |
45 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Grant Stewart |
19 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
Peter Dooley |
21 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Jack Aungier |
21 |
18 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
Gavin Thornbury |
28 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Shamus Hurley-Langton |
28 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Colm Reilly |
18 |
9 |
2 |
16 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Byron Ralston |
27 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Ciaran Booth |
17 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Match Programme not available for this fixture.
Another tough day at the office for Connacht after a disappointing 28-14 defeat to the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
It’s a third defeat in-a-row for the Western province, having already lost their opening two matches which were both away to Ulster and the defending BKT URC Champions Stormers.
Coming up against the Bulls was always going to be a tough test and the home side looked to show their power early but were denied by the TMO after mauling over the try line where Johan Grobbelaar’s try was ruled out.
Not long after though, Connacht looked to attack and stretch the home sides defence but there was one pass too many when John Porch under pressure by Canan Moodie tried to set Oran McNulty off only for the ball to be misplaced, ending up with Bulls full-back Kurt-Lee Arendse who ran from his own half where no one could catch him from scoring the opening try.
The Bulls widened their advantage on the ten minute mark, second-row Walt Steenkamp powered his way to an inch of the try line where scrum-half Zak Burger finished off to make it Bulls 14-0 Connacht.
As the game went on Connacht started to get their hands more on the ball but couldn’t find a break through with some errors creeping into their game as they looked to claw back the lead.
Nearing 20 minutes on the clock, the Bulls were reduced to 14-men when Marco van Staden was sent to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle. Despite having the extra man Connacht couldn’t make the numbers count.
Connacht showed plenty of glimpses of what they can do but the Bulls defence were ready to suffocate any danger that came their way.
The half came to an end with the Bulls getting their third try of the game, Marcell Coetzee bashing his way over the line, Goosen adding the extra two points to leave it 21-0 at the break.
Connacht showed a lot more promise and composure on the ball in the second forty but it was the Bulls who got the opening score of the half when Connacht were turned over. From the attack, second-row Ruan Nortje punched through a gap in the Connacht defence where he released Burger for his second try of the game. Another conversion by Goosen made it 28-0.
As the half went on the home side saw two further yellow cards, a high tackle from Goosen on Kieran Marmion just after 50mins and then Jan-Hendrick Wessels for a late hit on David Hawkshaw in the 65th minute.
Playing with an extra man Connacht took advantage, tries from Jack Aungier, his second of the season which both came in South Africa. Aungier showed great strength to power over from close range. Hawkshaw converted with ten minutes to go.
Hawkshaw making his first start for the club got his own try when blocking down Chris Smith’s attempted clearance, he gathered the loose ball before going under the posts. The conversion made it 28-14 to the home team which would be the final result.
Up next for Connacht is a massive Interprovincial-derby at home to Munster.