These have been two powerful match Fridays for the Bulls — first in Pau and the most recent in Edinburgh.
The Bulls, having lost seven straight matches in all competitions, won in Pau by two points and by the same margin on Friday night in the Scottish capital.
In both matches, they trailed by 12 points with the first half played. In Pau, they fought back from 24-12 to win 26-24. They scored the match-equaling try in the 74th minute, and Handré Pollard’s conversion was the difference.
A week later, the Bulls would again trail by 12 points, this time at 17-5. The comeback in Edinburgh was completed by Pollard’s second conversion with 10 minutes to play.
The Bulls, with so many talented individuals and big-name World Cup winners, have resurrected their season in the past fortnight. They are alive in the Investec Champions Cup, having qualified for the last-16 away match against Franco Smith’s Warriors in Glasgow.
Much-needed time off
That match only gets played in the first week of April, and so much can change in the next two months.
The Bulls, in the month of February, will get much-needed time off, while the core of Glasgow’s squad will be involved in Scotland’s Six Nations campaign.
Away wins in Investec Champions Cup playoffs are rare, so the focus for the Bulls, post-Pau, had to be winning matches in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
They’ve broken a losing streak of four matches in the league and awakened their playoff aspirations.
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann will be encouraged by the two successive fight-backs, the two victories, and the attitude defensively in the closing minutes of both matches
The Bulls’ Springbok hooker Johan Grobbelaar was the Player of the Match. He completed 80 minutes, which is rare for a front-row forward, made 15 carries, 13 tackles, and advanced the Bulls attack with 43 running metres.
Replacement winger Stravino Jacobs provided impact in the second half, and Springboks flanker Marco van Staden was a presence and a menace when introduced in the second half.
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann will be encouraged by the two successive fight-backs, the two victories, and the attitude defensively in the closing minutes of both matches.
In Pau, the Bulls defended 18 phases before forcing the turnover penalty and the win, and at the Hive on Friday night, they were as desperate to protect their tryline and not concede a penalty, which would have potentially cost them the match.
Unique return
The Lions remain an enigma. One never knows what to expect from the boys from Johannesburg, and they returned to South Africa this weekend with the unique return of two successive draws on successive weekends in two different countries.
The 20-all draw against Perpignan in the EPCR Challenge Cup was heartbreaking, as it eliminated the Lions from the competition. And a week later, they got another draw against the Ospreys in Wales.
There was some comfort for the Lions, given they got a try-scoring bonus point, which — combined with the two points for a draw — earned them three league points from the match.
The Lions came close to scoring a fifth try in the final minutes, but the incessant rain in Bridgend scuppered Angelo Davids’ dive for the ball in the Ospreys in-goal area.
The hosts’ flyhalf, Dan Edwards, missed a long-range penalty in the 79th minute and a drop goal, also from long range.
Lions captain Francke Horn, consistent in his performances this season, scored two tries.
The Lions, with the three league points, moved to seventh before yesterday’s fixtures, and the Bulls went from 11th to ninth, having momentarily been eighth before the Ospreys’ result.
The Lions host the Bulls at Ellis Park in the northern derby next weekend.
• Mark Keohane is the founder of keo.co.za, a multiple award-winning sports writer, and the digital content director at Habari Media. Twitter: @mark_keohane
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