Once again, for the third consecutive year, Leinster concluded their season without a single victory, as they succumbed to the high-altitude environment of Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. The match-changing moment arrived 66 minutes into the game when Sergeal Petersen managed to snatch the ball in mid-air, just as it seemed Ciarán Frawley was about to secure it. Petersen dashed in to position the scoreline at 25-20 in Bulls’ favour, a deficit that Leinster couldn’t overturn.
The Bulls fully deserved their victory, maintaining superiority until the end. Despite Leinster’s best attempts, completing 23 phases before a crucial double tackle on Caelan Doris resulted in a turnover, the Bulls successfully ran out the clock under the cover of their extraordinary defence.
Josh van der Flier expressed the general sense of disappointment, emphasising the Bulls’ commendable play and the pivotal role of Johan Goosen’s exceptional kicking skills. He acknowledged that the game could have swung either way till the very end.
Right from the onset, the Bulls chose to unleash aerial onslaughts and crossfield strikes from Willie le Roux and Goosen upon Leinster. Their early strategies and wide-ranging plays were evident in the first 40 minutes. Garry Ringrose, made invaluable contributions with three significant tackles as Leinster players rushed to compensate for the Bulls’ runs.
For Leinster, the initial phase was challenging, with the Bulls’ strategic kicks demanding diligent defence. Jordan Larmour was repeatedly called upon to deal with high balls. Goosen even tried to notch up the first points with a midfield drop goal attempt that narrowly missed the target.
There was a moment when the Bulls believed they had scored the maiden try, but footage showed Marco van Staden obstructing Ross Byrne off the ball, thus invalidating the try. The first quarter saw no strong offence from Leinster, with their chance to seize a lead nullified as Byrne’s mid-line penalty kick failed to score. As the game advanced, Petersen was penalised for a deliberate knock-on which led to a temporary suspension, just as Leinster was gaining momentum.
At the 24-minute mark, Leinster fought fiercely on offence resulting in a score, thanks to Byrne and James Lowe. Lowe dove with characteristic fervour into the corner, the ball was converted by Byrne, leading to a 7-0 advantage in favour of Leinster. Nevertheless, the Bulls kept their aggressive stance, constantly pushing Leinster with quick passing movements and tactical kicks, with the scrum as their weapon of choice.
Not long after, the Bulls charged towards the Leinster posts from just a 5-metre distance. A clever manoeuvre by Goosen allowed him to slice through Leinster’s defence. He evened the score at 7-7 post-conversion. Goosen seized the opportunity of a scrum penalty at half-time’s whistle, scoring another three points for the Bulls for a 10-7 lead at the break.
Despite a disappointing first half, Leinster didn’t gain any ground with Petersen suspension, their need to exert more dominance after half-time rang true as the winger flipped things around. Following a forward boot by centre Harold Voster, Petersen reached the goal first. Goosen again converted, bolstering the score to 17-7.
However, Leinster demonstrated their resilience by pressurising Bulls in their own 22, earning an offside penalty. Sheehan made a wise decision to tap the ball, resulting in Doris putting Leinster back in the game, the score converted by Byrne to lessen the deficit to 17-14.
The game’s intensity escalated in the latter half, requiring referee Mike Adamson to intervene, instructing captains from both sides to cool their players after a series of late hits. As the game swung back and forth, kickers from both teams, including subs, took control. Under a chorus of boos, Byrne and Goosen alternated kicks; it was a tie at 20-20 with barely 64 minutes on the clock.
The crucial moment arrived when Petersen intercepted the ball from Frawley’s possession, controlled it skilfully and promptly scored. This dealt a severe blow to Leinster, from which they could not recuperate. The game concluded when Goosen, the match’s most pivotal player, booted the ball out just after the final whistle.
The match was a thrilling clash with the scoreboard reflecting numerous twists and turns. At 24 minutes, J Lowe succeeded in his try along with R Byrne’s conversion, making the score 0-7. 30 minutes in, J Goosen matched him with a decisive try coupled with his own conversion, bringing forth a tie at 7-7. He further added to it with a penalty at the 40-minute mark, leading to a half-time score of 10-7 in favour of his team.
The second half began with a strong display by S Petersen, contributing a try at 42 minutes which Goosen converted to make it 17-7. However, a quick reply came from C Doris with a try and Byrne’s conversion at 49 minutes, narrowing down the lead to 17-14. The momentum continued with Byrne’s penalty managing to square things off at 17-17, 59 minutes into the game. Goosen again pulled ahead with a penalty, leading the match at 20-17, only to have Byrne level it again with his own penalty. Petersen then scored another try in the 66th minute, creating a 25-20 lead.
In terms of team compositions, Bulls deployed Willie Le Roux, Sergeal Petersen, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Devon Williams and Johan Goosen, amongst others, with forward packs including members like Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw. Ruan Vermaak and Ruan Nortje were assigned leadership roles. Substitute enhancements included Akker van der Merwe for Grobbelaar at 40 minutes, Cornel Smit for Le Roux at 56 and latterly Simphiwe Matanzima and others. A setback occurred when Petersen was yellow-carded at 23 minutes.
Leinster’s line-up included Jimmy O’Brien, Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe and others, supplemented with Ross Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park. The forward composition had Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong to name a few, led by James Ryan. Substitutes were brought in at various time intervals. The game was managed by referee M Adamson from SRU.