Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Rosko Specman scores hat-trick as Bulls smash Highlanders for first win of the season

(Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The Bulls recorded their first win of the season when they smashed the Highlanders 38-13 in Pretoria on Saturday.

ADVERTISEMENT

After going into the break 5-10 down, the Bulls put in a commanding second-half performance with the help of Rosko Specman’s three tries.

The Bulls scored six tries in the game with the Highlanders only managing cross the whitewash once, which was in the first half.

After dominating territory and position, the Highlanders finally opened the scoring in the 10th minute with Josh Ioane running in for an easy try after great interplay. Ioane was also successful with the conversion

Continue reading below…

Video Spacer

However, it did not take long for the Bulls to hit back when Jaco Visagie found his way over the tryline after a powerful driving maul.

Manie Libbok was unable to convert the try.

There was plenty of attacking play shown by both teams, but there were also some wasted opportunities. A penalty from Ioane was the only other points in a scrappy first half.

At half-time, it was 10-5 in the Highlanders’ favour.

The Highlanders extended their lead with another three-pointer from Ioane in the 43rd minute.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Bulls needed to be the next to score and they did when Warrick Gelant eased through the Highlanders’ defence for a try after sustained pressure in the visitors’ 22.

Libbok added the extra two points with the conversion to make it a one-point game.

The Bulls then found themselves in front in the 56th minute when Specman found his way over the tryline after several phases in the build-up. Libbok was successful with the conversion.

Things got better for the Bulls a few minutes later when some great interplay out wide saw Specman sprint away for his second try of the game.

Another two-pointer from Libbok saw the Bulls go into the final 18 minutes with a comfortable 13-point lead.

ADVERTISEMENT

Specman completed his hat-trick win the 72nd minute after some more great passing saw the wing go over the in the corner. Steyn added the extras with the conversion.

The final nail was in the coffin when Cornal Hendricks picked up a loose ball to run in for his team’s final try.

– Rugby365

WATCH: Some Bulls fans bit got a bit too excited at last week’s loss to the Jaguares.

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

F
Flankly 2 hours ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

4 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors Scott Robertson responds about handling errors
Search