Bulls and Chiefs draw 26-26
2006-04-08 16:18
Hamilton, New Zealand - The Waikato Chiefs came back from a 26-11 second-half deficit
Saturday to draw 26-26 with South Africa's Bulls in a thrilling
Super 14 rugby match.
The Bulls took only 43 minutes to score four tries and lead by
15 points, setting up a bonus-point victory which would have given
them at least a temporary place among the top four teams in the
competition.
But the Chiefs hit back with two late tries and a penalty to tie
the scores and to leave the Bulls a point out of the top four.
Winger Bryan Habana, halfback Fourie du Preez and flyhalf Morne
Steyn scored tries as the Bulls established a 19-11 halftime lead
and No. 8 Pedrie Wannenburg scored another at the start of the
second half to make the lead 26-11.
The Chiefs were in danger of being overrun by a Bulls team
playing confident, expansive rugby and who threatened more tries
from concerted forward drives or well-constructed counterattacks.
The game changed course when former All Blacks center Sam
Tuitupou charged down a clearing kick in the 46th minute,
controlled the bouncing ball and scored a try which turned a
possible rout into a 10-point game.
Flyhalf Stephen Donald made a crucial mistake when his
conversion attempt, from directly in front of the posts, struck the
upright and bounced away. He landed a penalty six minutes later to
cut the margin to seven points and added the conversion of a try to
flanker Steven Bates to tie the scores 10 minutes from fulltime.
"We threw it away at the end," said Bulls captain Victor
Matfield. "I think we had the game in the bag and just a pity we
couldn't finish it off."
The Bulls have four wins and a draw for 22 points from nine
rounds of the competition, a record which leaves them the
top-placed South African team and still in sight of the top four.
The Chiefs desperately needed a win from the home game and now
have three wins and a draw for 18 points to lie just below
mid-table.
"It was a very disappointing result," said Chiefs captain Marty
Holah. "I think we had opportunities to put the game away in first
half. We made a lot of line breaks but couldn't convert them into
five pointers."
The match was played at a frenzied pace and with a high skill
level despite wet conditions. Habana scored the first try from an
intercept after only three minutes while du Preez and Steyn hit the
Chiefs with tries from quickly taken tapped penalties.
Wannenburg's score, which seemed a match winner, was the best of
the match, coming from a well-executed move from an attacking
scrum.
Scores:
Bulls 26 (Bryan Habana, Fourie du Preez, Morne Steyn, Pedrie
Wannenburg tries; Steyn 3 conversions).
Waikato 26 (Mils Muliaina,
Sam Tuitupou, Steven Bates tries; Stephen Donald conversion, 3
penalties).
- SAPA