As it happened: Force v Bulls

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Commentary by Sport24's Herman Mostert

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PICTURE

Bulls No 9 Francois Hougaard had few opportunities to run the ball... (Getty Images)

KEY STATS

Metres run: Force 248-339 Bulls
Carries: Force 83-88 Bulls
Defenders beaten: Force 15-8 Bulls
Clean breaks: Force 1-4 Bulls
Tackles made: Force 79-84 Bulls
Tackles missed: Force 8-15 Bulls
Turnovers won: Force 7-8 Bulls
Kicks in play: Force 49-46 Bulls
Rucks won: Force 64-54 Bulls
Rucks lost: Force 1-4 Bulls
Lineouts won: Force 9-14 Bulls
Lineouts lost: Force 6-1 Bulls
Scrums won: Force 7-9 Bulls
Scrums lost: Force 0-0 Bulls
Penalties conceded: Force 5-11 Bulls

13:35 - TWEET

Stubbornness in the way they play. Mediocre players in the squad. Poor selections. Bulls are masters of their own demise #ssrugby - Brenden Nel

13:28 - Thanks for tuning in!

In next week's action, the Bulls host the Cheetahs in Pretoria, while the Force have a bye weekend.

FULL-TIME: Force 15-9 Bulls

A horrible match ends a horror tour for the Bulls who will return home to South Africa with four losses on the trot.

The skills levels of some of their player are simply not up to scratch!

80' - The Force successfully control the ball for 10 phases before kicking it out to end the game.

79' - Force just winding the clock down now with 20 seconds remaining...

78' - The Bulls really have no idea when they swing it wide... It just leads to someone being isolated after a tackle...

The Bulls need a fetcher!

78' - This time the Bulls attack for six phases, but the Force win a penalty at the breakdown. That was perhaps the Bulls last chance...

76' - After four phases of going nowhere, the Bulls lose the ball on the ground. They really look clueless as to what to do with the ball!

However, a poor clearance by the Force gives the Bulls another chance...

74' - They don't run it! Paige puts in another box kick, but the Force again drop it to give the Bulls an attacking scrum inside the Force's 22m area...

Big chance for the Bulls!

73' - The Bulls get a scrum inside the Force half when the Honey Badger (Nick Cummins) fails to deal with a high ball from Paige. Will the Bulls run it now?

72' - PICTURE

Pek Cowan of the Force is tackled by Dean Greyling and Jacques du Plessis of the Bulls (Getty Images)

70' - Rudy Paige has replaced Bjorn Basson for the Bulls. Francois Hougaard will move to wing and Paige to scrumhalf.

69' - The Bulls look clueless with the ball in midfield. Every time they swing it wide they end up going either backwards or dropping it...

67' - Bulls debutant Wimpie van der Walt is on at flank for Jono Ross. 

TWEET

Sums up Bulls game: on Force line with an advantage & stupid Jacques du Plessis gives away a penalty for foul play. Fix discipline & basics! - Ken Borland

65' - Penalty reversed!

Replays show Bulls flank Jacques du Plessis cleaned out a Force player using no arms. Poor discipline!!! He is perhaps lucky not to receive a yellow card.

64' - The Bulls win a penalty but referee Angus Gardner checks with the TMO for potential foul play against the Bulls...

64' - The Bulls have found a new lease on life. They're back on the attack inside the Force territory...

62' - PENALTY converted by Pollard to bring the Bulls back into it.

Force 15-9 Bulls

61' - Pollard immediately provides a spark by breaking through the Force line. He is stopped 10m short but the referee goes back for a penalty at the preceding scrum, which occurred just outside the Force 22m area.

60' - The Bulls look down and out with 20 minutes remaining. They make two replacements. Handré Pollard on at flyhalf for Potgieter and Bandise Maku on at hooker for Bongi Mbonambi.

59' - PENALTY converted by Ebersohn.

Force 15-6 Bulls.

58' - An Ebersohn grubber kick in behind the Bulls does not work, but the referee goes back for a penalty. He gives Victor Matfield a warning after the Bulls twice transgressed on their own line there...

57' - The Force are hot on the attack after a promising move which started on halfway...

56' - Lineout steals are just about the only positive for the Bulls at present - 5 Force balls poached.

55' - TRUCK AND TRAILER!

The Bulls are penalised just short of the line! Another chance gone...

54' - The Bulls win a penalty when the Force collapses a driving maul from a lineout. Matfield opts to kick for touch...

53' -TWEET

All that's happened is the Bulls have gone from reasonable to considerably worse. Excuse me while I catch forty winks- Rob Houwing

52' - Hougaard now loses it in contact just outside the Force 22. Another chance gone begging.

50' - A promising Bulls attack inside the Force 22m area is halted when Potgieter drops a simple ball. My word, the skills levels of these Bulls players are atrocious. I know it's wet, but it's still embarrassing to watch from a South African perspective.

49' - PICTURE

Jacques-Louis Potgieter of the Bulls gets tackled by Pek Cowan and Kyle Godwin of the Force (Getty Images)

46' - It's an error-fest now by the Bulls as Potgieter goes and kicks directly into touch... sigh...

45' - Stupidity from Francois Hougaard who blatantly goes off-side at a ruck. The Force kick up-field into Bulls territory...

44' - Ebersohn simply doesn't look like missing tonight!

43' - PENALTY converted by Ebersohn.

Force 12-6 Bulls.

42' - Another kickable penalty for the Force as the Bulls again refrain from rolling away on the ground. Greyling again the culprit!

Ebersohn to line up - 35m out, 15m in-field.

41' - A good start for the Bulls as they win the kick-off but then JJ Engelbrecht goes and drops it in midfield. The Force kick up-field to put pressure on the Bulls...

Engelbrecht definitely not catching like Springbok!

40' - Welcome back for the second half. Bulls flyhalf Potgieter starts proceedings.

FIRST HALF STATS

Metres run: Force 155-184 Bulls
Carries: Force 43-42 Bulls
Defenders beaten: Force 10-3 Bulls
Clean breaks: Force 0-1 Bulls
Tackles made: Force 33-42 Bulls
Missed tackles: Force 3-10 Bulls
Turnovers won: Force 1-3 Bulls
Kicks in play: Force 29-30 Bulls
Rucks won: Force 29-26 Bulls
Rucks lost: Force 0-0 Bulls
Lineouts won: Force 6-6 Bulls
Lineouts lost: Force 2-0 Bulls
Scrums won: Force 4-3 Bulls
Scrums lost: Force 0-0 Bulls
Penalties conceded: Force 2-5 Bulls

HALF-TIME: Force 9-6 Bulls

Force utterly dominant in the last 20 minutes of the first half!

39' - PENALTY converted by Ebersohn to put the Force in front for the first time.

Force 9-6 Bulls

38' - Bulls flank Jacques du Plessis penalised for dropping his bind too soon at the ensuing scrum...

Easy three points for Ebersohn...

37' - No doubt the Bulls have lost their grip on the match. In the last 10 minutes the Force have enjoyed 69% possession!

36' - Ebersohn puts a chip over the top and Bulls fullback Visser butchers it. Attacking scrum for the Force just outside the Bulls 22m area...

35' - A drop attempt from Ebersohn is way to the left. That was rather poor from the former Cheetah...

34' - Oh dear, Bulls pivot Potgieter drops a high ball inside his own 22m area to give the Force an excellent attacking opportunity...

32' - PENALTY by Ebersohn to level matters.

Force 6-6 Bulls

31' - Some more possession now for the Force and they win a penalty right in front when Bulls prop Dean Greyling fails to roll away after making a tackle...

He didn't really have a chance to roll away, as commentator Tim Horan says. Harsh call perhaps....

29' - However, it doesn't look like it's going to cost the Bulls as the Force knock it on just on the Bulls 22m line...

28' - Oh dear, Jurgen Visser kicks out directly into touch. The touch judge deems his foot was over the 22m line, but replays show his foot was inside. Error from the official!

26' - Bulls prop Werner Kruger limps off injured, replaced by Marcel van der Merwe.

25' - PENALTY converted by Ebersohn.

Force 3-6 Bulls

That was really the first time the Force got into a promising position, and they walked away with points...

24' - First kickable penalty for the hosts as Victor Matfield is penalised for going off his feet at a ruck.

Sias Ebersohn to line up from 39m back, about 20m in from touch.

23' - Some concern for the Bulls with flank Jono Ross down after taking a heavy knock. But he's back to his feet...

21' - The Bulls must just kick to the corners. They have the Force lineout rattled...

20' - Another Force lineout gone awry. The Matfield factor clearly playing its part as hooker Nathan Charles over-throws at the back...

20' - TWEET

Bulls lineout really is a thing of beauty ... Drive off it has been stuttering though ... Big power bully game working for them thus far - Front Row Grunt

19' - Rain falling steadily now at NIB Stadium...

16' - CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR!

Potgieter attempts a drop goal from about 35m out. Initially it looked like being short but kept going, before eventually hitting the cross-bar!

15' - The Force are being suckered into an aerial ding-dong kicking battle here. And there's only one winner at present...

13' - PENALTY slotted by Potgieter.

Force 0-6 Bulls

12' - The Force again caught off-side - right in front of their own posts, 25m out.

Easy three-pointer coming up...

11' - Bulls relishing the rainy conditions. So far they are dominating the set pieces...

8' - Bulls fullback Jurgen Visser struggles to deal with his first up-and-under inside his own 22.

The Honey Badger (Nick Cummins) troubled him there but then knocked it on to bring relief for the Bulls.

7' - TWEET

First lineout stolen, so the cat is among the pigeons. Now the Bulls must start playing to the corners - JW Coetzee

5' - First Force lineout on halfway and the Bulls - via Paul Willemse - steal it!

4' - Rain has also started to fall now. The Bulls will like it as it will suit their conservative game style...

4' - PENALTY converted by Potgieter.

Force 0-3 Bulls

3' - The Bulls string 9 phases together outside the Force 22, but go nowhere. However, they win a penalty when the hosts go off-side.

Potgieter to line up from close to the touchline.

1' - Already a lot of kicking in this game. The Bulls will look to dominate in this department!

0' - Good start by the Bulls as they take the kick-off and Jacques-Louis Potgieter clears well - up to halfway...

0' - Sias Ebersohn gets play started...

11:44 -  Angus Gardner from Australia is the referee for today's clash.

11:41 - WEATHER

There has been some rain in Perth today and there could be some more during the game. But no rain at present as the teams line up to commemorate fallen Anzac soldiers of the past...

11:39 - Victor Matfield - who is now the most decorated South African Super Rugby player - leads out the Bulls in the absence of the suspended Flip van der Merwe.

11:38 - The Bulls are again in their army-style camouflage away kit… Many people have critcised it but I reckon it's better than the pink Bulls!

11:35 - Can the Bulls finish their tour with a win and notch a first South African overseas win in 2014? 

If they harbour any playoff hopes, they simply have to. But I reckon they are in with a shot. Up front, they can dominate and especially in the set pieces...

SPORT24 'EXPERT' PICKS

Sport24's self-proclaimed experts - Editor Garrin Lambley and Chief Writer Rob Houwing - give you their thoughts on today's match.

Click HERE to listen to their thoughts...

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OFFICIALS

Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: James Leckie (Australia) , Matt O'Brien (Australia)
TMO: Peter Marshall (Australia)

RECENT RESULTS

2013: Bulls won 36-26, Pretoria
2011: Force won 26-21, Perth
2010: Bulls won 28-15, Perth
2009: Bulls won 32-29, Pretoria
2008: Force won 15-14, Perth
2007: Force won 30-27, Pretoria

TEAMS

Western Force:

15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 13 Marcel Brache, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Nick Cummins, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Ian Prior, 8  Ben McCalman, 7 Matt Hodgson (captain), 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Sam Wykes, 4 Adam Coleman, 3 Kieran Longbottom, 2 Nathan Charles, 1 Pek Cowan

Substitutes: 16 Heath Tessmann, 17 Tetera Faulkner, 18 Ollie Hoskins, 19 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 20 Brynard Stander, 21 Justin Turner, 22 Zack Holmes, 23 Chris Tuatara-Morrison

Bulls:

15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Johannes Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Grant Hattingh, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Jono Ross, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Dean Greyling

Substitutes: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Marcel van der Merwe, 18 Jacques Engelbrecht, 19 Wimpie van der Walt, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Handré Pollard, 22 Ulrich Beyers, 23 Morné Mellet

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