As it happened: Bulls v Rebels

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Commentary by Sport24's Herman Mostert

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KEY STATS

Metres run: Bulls 425-456 Rebels

Carries: Bulls 97-124 Rebels

Defenders beaten: Bulls 22-20 Rebels

Clean breaks: Bulls 9-5 Rebels

Tackles made: Bulls 113-102 Rebels

Tackles missed: Bulls 20-22 Rebels

Turnovers won: Bulls 5-8 Rebels

Kicks in play: Bulls 29-20 Rebels

Rucks won: Bulls 72-88 Rebels

Rucks lost: Bulls 6-1 Rebels

Mauls won: Bulls 10-2 Rebels

Lineouts won: Bulls 19-7 Rebels

Lineouts losts: Bulls 1-2 Rebels

Scrums won: Bulls 7-4 Rebels

Scrums lost: Bulls 0-2 Rebels

Penalties conceded: Bulls 9-16 Rebels

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH

Bulls back Francois Hougaard, who played wing and scrumhalf, received the best player award.

Thanks for tuning in!

Well done to the Bulls. A clinical second half performance made sure that they at least ended the season unbeaten at home.

The Rebels are still searching for a first overseas win as the season ends here for both teams.

Be sure to also follow Sport24's LIVE UPDATES on tomorrow's two South Africa derbies. The Lions host the Cheetahs at 17:05 and the Stormers entertain the Sharks at 19:10.

FULL-TIME: Bulls 40-7 Melbourne Rebels

The Bulls finish their campaign in ninth place on the overall log, with the Rebels certain to finish bottom.

80'- Yet another Rebels knock-on close to the tryline ends their challenge... Lock Hugh Pyle the last culprit there...

79'- The Rebels launch one last attack inside the Bulls 22m area...

77'- Potgieter slots the CONVERSION

Bulls 40-7 Rebels

76'- TRY to the Bulls

Bulls replacement prop Dean Greyling barges over for the BONUS POINT try.

76'- Another Bulls penalty when the Rebels collapse the hosts' driving maul from a lineout.

Not surprisingly, another lineout is formed...

74'- The Rebels are again penalised for cross-running. It's just inside their own half, which gives the Bulls another chance to set up an attacking lineout... They are hunting their fourth try...

TWEET

Rebels standing miles to deep and not running at anybody. Poor - David Campese

73'- Another promising backline move by the Bulls ends when youngster Jesse Kriel knocks it on out wide...

72'- The Bulls win a tighthead off a Rebels scrum. My word, they have markedly improved in this area in the second half...

70'- Bulls captain Victor Matfield is off, replaced by Marvin Orie.

PICTURE

Bulls scrumhalf Piet van Zyl keeps the Rebels defenders guessing... (Gallo Images)

68'- Another Bulls scrum penalty relieves pressure on the Bulls...

67'- The Rebels go oh-so-close after the ensuing scrum, but accidental obstruction saves the day for the hosts. Some good attitude on display from the Bulls defenders though.

65'- Rebels wing Tom English is over the line, but good defence by the Bulls sees him held up... Five metre scrum to the Rebels right under the posts...

64'- Young Baby Bok star Jesse Kriel is on to make his Super Rugby debut. He replaces Piet van Zyl, with Hougaard moving from wing to scrumhalf.

TWEET

Who was the person who told props that they can play at flyhalf? - Rugga World

62'- After a concerted period of attack inside the Bulls 22, replacement prop Paul Alo-Emile drops it close to the tryline. Nothing going right for the men from Melbourne in this second half.

61' - Jacques-Louis Potgieter has replaced Pollard at No 10 for the Bulls.

60'- News filtering through is that Bulls flank Roelof Smith has a broken nose and won't return tonight. Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg can stay on for the final 20 minutes.

59'- Pollard CONVERTS from the corner.

Bulls 33-7 Rebels

57'- TRY to the Bulls!

Francois Hougaard barges over in the left corner. It comes after 11 phases inside the red zone.

Some good stepping and twisting from Hougaard to round off as well...

55'- The Bulls scrum is now absolutely demolishing the Rebels.

54'- The Rebels have a new scrumhalf on - Nic Stirzaker for Luke Burgess.

53'- CONVERSION by Pollard

Bulls 26-7 Rebels

52'- TRY to the Bulls!

Willemse stretches over next to the posts for his second try of the night. It all started after another lineout inside the Rebels 22m area.

51'- And immediately the Bulls win a scrum penalty with their new front row! Mellett, Maku and Van der Merwe must feel bad now...

50'- The whole Bulls front row is off.  Visagie, Kruger and Greyling on.

47'- Prop Toby Smith is off for the Rebels, with Cruze Ah-Nau on at loosehead.

47'- Another Bulls attack inside the red zone and another turnover. That's turnover No 5 won by the men from Melbourne tonight.

46'- New Bulls flank Roelof Smit is off for blood. Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg replaces him for the time being.

TWEET

Paul Willemse, Bulls loss, Grenoble's gain. Big time - Brenden Nel

43'- The Rebels are now back to their full compliment with Fuglistaller back from the sin-bin.

42'- CONVERSION by Pollard.

Bulls 19-7 Rebels

41'- TRY to the Bulls!

Paul Willemse barges over after a concerted period of attack.

The move was started when fullback Jurgen Visser counter-attacked brilliantly after the Rebels failed to find touch.

20:09 - Welcome back for the second half! Pollard starts proceedings...

FIRST HALF STATS

Metres run: Bulls 238-269 Rebels

Carries: Bulls 50-62 Rebels

Defenders beaten: Bulls 9-13 Rebels

Clean breaks: Bulls 3-4 Rebels

Tackles made: Bulls 56-59 Rebels

Tackles missed: Bulls 13-9 Rebels

Turnovers won: Bulls 4-4 Rebels

Kicks in play: Bulls 15-10 Rebels

Rucks won: Bulls 42-45 Rebels

Rucks lost: Bulls 2-1 Rebels

Mauls won: Bulls 6-0 Rebels

Lineouts won: Bulls 8-3 Rebels

Lineouts losts: Bulls 0-1 Rebels

Scrums won: Bulls 2-2 Rebels

Scrums lost: Bulls 0-1 Rebels

HALF-TIME: Bulls 12-7 Rebels

40'-  Debreczeni's long-range kick is again away to the left.

40'- On the stroke of half-time, the Rebels win a penalty when Marcel van der Merwe is caught playing the ball after the ruck had formed.

39'- The Rebels will also be happy with how their scrum is going tonight...

37'- Yet another Bulls attack inside the Rebels 22 leads to another turnover. The Rebels will be happy if they can go into the break only 5 points down.

35'- The Bulls get close again, but this time Serfontein is the man to drop a ball from Pollard.

How the Bulls haven't managed a try yet is beyond me...

34'- Good to see the referee act on his earlier warning to the Rebels and dishing out the card. Repeated infringements in the red zone costing the Australian side...

33'- Off the ensuing lineout, the Bulls go oh-so-close only to knock it on very close to the tryline. Marcel van der Merwe is the culprit.

32'- YELLOW CARD

Rebels captain Scott Fuglistaller is off for 10 minutes after yet another penalty conceded by the visitors.

31' - Another top class touch-finder from Pollard puts the Bulls back deep inside the Rebels half. The Rebels then throw in skew at the ensuing lineout to put more pressure on themselves...

30'- PENALTY slotted by Pollard.

Bulls 12-7 Rebels

30'- As Pollard lines up, referee Rohan Hoffmann gives the Rebels an official warning...

30'- The Bulls lose the ensuing lineout, but then win it back, before winning another penalty...

29'- Debreczeni was the man penalised for falling over. That was cynical. Why no card?

28'- Another Bulls penalty right under the uprights. This time they opt for a lineout though...

26'- Willemse is also now back on after cooling down for 10 minutes...

26'- Pollard slots the easy PENALTY.

Bulls 9-7 Rebels

25'- The Bulls get a chance to hit right back when the Australians are penalised in midfield for cross-running...

24'- CONVERSION by Debreczeni.

Bulls 6-7 Rebels

23'- TRY to the Rebels

Flyhalf Debreczeni breaks through to score under the posts. He ran a great line there. The move started after scrumhalf Burgess took a quick tap following a Rebels penalty...

21'- A sniping break from Rebels scrumhalf Luke Burgess brings them into the Bulls 22m area. However, when the ball is swung wide, prop Toby Smith drops it in midfield.

Why is the prop standing in midfield?

20'- Pollard easily slots the PENALTY.

Bulls 6-0 Rebels

19'- The Bulls win a penalty at scrum time just inside the Rebels half. Pollard will line up...

TWEET

What the hell was Willemse thinking? Bloody idiotic. Takes yellow. Bulls up 3-0 after 17 minutes in a game not even the players care about - Front Row Grunt

17'- If I was Willemse's coach I would not allow him to come back on. Sub him with someone eager to play the ball, and not the man.

15'- YELLOW CARD

Bulls lock Paul Willemse is rightfully sent to the sin-bin. He picked up and dumped a Rebels player above the horizontal. And it was done way off the ball as well.

The penalty the Bulls had is also turned around.

15' - The Rebels do well to defend the driving maul, but conceded a penalty.

However, the TMO is called into action for potential foul play against the Bulls...

14'- A massive punt down-field from Pollard puts the Bulls on the attack inside the Rebels 22m area...

12'- After 18 phases of attack, the Rebels knock it on inside the Bulls 22m area. However, Jan Serfontein kicks it away down-field, only to see the Rebels counter and threaten again. Yet another knock-on saves the Bulls though...

10' - The Bulls get off the hook, but they'll be disappointed with the manner in which they lost possession on the ground after trying to run out from deep inside their own half...

9'- Oh dear, Debreczeni pulls his penalty attempt badly to the left...

8'- Chance for the Rebels to hit back when Bulls No 8 Jacques Engelbrecht is pinges for hands in the ruck...

6'- Easy PENALTY slotted by Pollard.

Bulls 3-0 Rebels

5'- After 9 phases of attack inside the Rebels 22m area, the Bulls win a penalty in front when the Rebels go off-side...

4'- Matfield is played in the air in the game's first lineout. Penalty Bulls.

They set up another lineout deep inside Rebels territory...

3'- A good build-up take the Rebels five metres from the tryline, but players going off their feet gift the Bulls a penalty...

2'- Debreczeni's effort is just wide and short...

1'- The Rebels win an early penalty when Bandise Maku is penalised for hands in the ruck. Flyhalf Jack Debreczeni to line up from close to the touchline, and only just inside the Bulls half...

19:11 - And we're under way as the Rebels kick off!

19:09 - No 8 Colby Fainga'a and prop Toby Smith lead out the Rebels. Both play their 50th Super Rugby game tonight.

A poor crowd at a very cold Loftus Versfeld tonight. Imagine how much bigger the crowd would have been had the Bulls beaten the Stormers last week...

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke tonight oversees his 132nd Super Rugby match as coach, improving on Ewen McKenzie’s record.

MILESTONE TWEETS

Victor Matfield captains for the 82nd time, passes record of 81 matches as captain in this competition by former Reds and Force skipper Nathan Sharpe - SA Rugby

Well done to Frans Ludeke who tonight becomes the most capped super rugby coach of all time- Jonathan Kaplan

RESULT

The Blue Bulls Under-21s have beaten Border Under-21 143-0 in the curtain raiser.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Rebels have never won a Super Rugby game overseas.

TWEET

STAT: With plenty of injuries & Higgers suspension, our starting lineup tonight have combined for a total of 77 points this year - Melbourne Rebels

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OFFICIALS

Referee: Rohan Hoffmann
Assistant referee: Stuart Berry, Sieg van Staden
TMO: Johan Greeff

RECENT RESULTS

2012: Bulls won 41-35, Melbourne
2011: Bulls won 47-10, Pretoria

TEAMS:

Bulls

15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Jono Ross, 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Morné Mellett

Substitutes: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Dean Greyling, 19 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 20 Marvin Orie, 21 Jesse Kriel, 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 23 William-Small Smith.
 
Rebels

15 Jason Woodward, 14 Telusa Veainu, 13 Tamati Ellison, 12 Mitch Inman, 11 Tom English, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Colby Fainga'a, 7 Scott Fuglistaller (captain), 6 Luke Jones, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Hugh Pyle, 3 Laurie Weeks, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Toby Smith

Substtutes: 16 Pat Leafa, 17 Cruze Ah-Nau, 18 Paul Alo-Emile, 19 Lopeti Timani, 20 Jordy Reid, 21 Nic Stirzaker, 22 Sam Jeffries, 23 Alex Rokobaro

Welcome to Sport24's LIVE scoring and interactive commentary on today's Super Rugby match between the Bulls and Rebels in Pretoria!