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Cape Town - Blues coach John Kirwan has lauded his team for a sound defensive effort after their 23-18 Super Rugby win over the Bulls at Eden Park on Friday.
The Bulls dominated the game for large parts, with their dominance at scrums and lineouts evident throughout.
They also utilised the driving maul on numerous occasions, but in the end the Blues defence held them out.
The home side also made better use of their opportunities.
Speaking to the Blues’ official website after the game, Kirwan said: “That was an outstanding effort from the team. The defence was stout throughout. We paid for our ill-discipline in the first half, but in the second half we kicked for territory, put them under pressure and took our chances. A lot of our young players got their chance and stood up.”
Centre George Moala, who scored the winning try in the 67th minute, added: “We talked this week about the need to be strong and physical in defence. The Bulls are a really tough team and they took it to us but the team really stood up. I was happy to take my chance and score the try for the team. The boys are happy.”
The Blues picked up four points for their victory, but remained bottom of the competitive New Zealand Conference. They also stayed 13th in the Overall standings.
The Bulls picked up a single point for losing by seven or fewer points, and moved to the top of the South African Conference, and into second place in the Overall log.
In next weekend's Round 15 action, the Bulls travel to Rotorua to play the Chiefs (Friday, May 22 at 09:35), while the Blues host the Hurricanes in Auckland (Saturday, May 23 at 09:35).
