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Bulls thrash Saracens

Cape Town - The Blue Bulls won the Sanlam Challenge Shield at Allianz Park, defeating the English outfit 39-26 in a ten-try thriller in North London, according to the Saracens website.  

The home side started the match well, up against the Pretoria-side littered with Springboks, but they failed to take advantage of their early dominance.

The Bulls caught a sniff of an opening and skipper Deon Stegman scored the matches opening try in the 21st minute breaking off the back of a strong maul.

Springbok scrumhalf Francois Hougaard scored a second try in the 27th minute, Jacques-Louis Potgieter failed to convert as he did with Stegman's try.

However he did slot home a penalty before the half-time whistle to give Frans Ludeke's side a 13-0 lead at the break.

The Bulls started the second half with a gung-ho approach as full-back Jurgen Visser and No.8 Hanro Liebenberg scored two tries in the opening 10 minutes of the second period.

The home side clawed back some respect when Chris Wyles out-sprinted Bjorn Basson to touchdown in the corner, Charlie Hodgson converted and Saracens were finally on the scoreboard.

Pierre Spies then made his long-awaited comeback from injury to score and Handre Pollard's conversion put the Bulls into a 32-7 lead.

Former Western Province scrumhalf Neil de Kock then scored an opportunistic try in the 65th minute, with Ernst Joubert adding another try five minutes later.

But the Bulls got their gears going again and Roelof Smit scored another try before Jackson Wray scored a consolation try in the final minute.


Saracens team: 15. Ben Ransom, 14. Jack Wilson ( rep Janney 76), 13. Tim Streather, 12. Chris Wyles, 11. David Strettle, 10. Charlie Hodgson, 9. Neil de Kock(Barrett 76), 1.Rhys Gill(Barrington 51), 2. Brett Sharman(Saunders 51), 3. Petrus Du Plessis, 4. Jim Hamilton, 5. Valentin Poparlan, 6. Jackson Wray, 7. Kelly Brown( Burger 51), 8. Ernst Joubert( Barrell 80).

Scorers: tries Wyles (48 min) ,De Kock(65);Joubert(70), Wray(80).
Cons Hodgson x 3

Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Jamba Ulengo, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Deon Stegmann (c). 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Trevor Nyakane.

Scorers: tries Stegman(21);Hougaard(27);Visser(42);Liebenberg(46);Spies(60);Smith(75).
Cons Potgieter, Pollard x 2
Penalty Potgieter
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