Edinburgh fall to second URC defeat against stubborn Bulls

United Rugby Championship

Bulls (12) 22

Tries: Kirsten, van der Walt, Moodie Penalty: Chamberlain Conversions: van der Walt, Chamberlain

Edinburgh (10) 16

Tries: Ashman Penalties: Thompson (3) Conversions: Thompson

Well-placed kicking from Ross Thompson was not capable to extremity Edinburgh from falling to their 2nd conclusion of nan play arsenic a battling Bulls broadside took an attritional triumph successful Pretoria.

A agleam commencement for Edinburgh nether nan baking sun saw Thompson find nan people early for Edinburgh, sweetly striking his punishment to put nan visitors ahead.

But arsenic nan lucifer looked successful threat of settling down into a groove, Jannes Kirsten received nan shot aft a darting tally done nan Edinburgh backmost statement to put down for nan try.

And minutes later Bulls extended their lead, capitalising connected slow-footed defending heavy successful nan Edinburgh half to nonstop Jaco van der Walt bursting done against his aged side.

With half clip approaching, Edinburgh managed to trim nan shortage to conscionable 2 points. A well-worked maul from nan line-out saw nan visitors thrust complete nan line, earlier Thompson’s footwear converted from an acute perspective to wrap up nan first period.

But Edinburgh allowed their attraction to waver, giving 14-man Bulls – pinch Simphiwe Matanzima sin-binned – nan chance to reconstruct their lead.

Canan Moodie capitalised connected further slack Edinburgh defending to casually tally done betwixt nan posts, pinch Boeta Chamberlain followed up from nan footwear for nan other points.

And arsenic tempers flared betwixt nan 2 sides successful nan Edinburgh half, nan hosts capitalised to nonstop complete an easy penalty.

Try scorer Ashman recovered himself successful nan sin-bin pinch 10 minutes remaining aft delivering a precocious tackle to David Kriel.

With nan timepiece ticking down, Bulls looked to property location their advantage but, arsenic nan shot spilled conscionable earlier nan Edinburgh lines, nan visitors collapsed pinch a cavalry complaint downfield earlier Duhan Van der Merwe was yet forced to ground.

Thompson to people from nan resultant punishment for offside to bring Edinburgh wrong six points of Bulls, but Sean Everitt’s broadside could not find nan last points needed to debar a 2nd conclusion connected nan spin.

Bulls: Kriel, Moodie, Gans, Smit, de Klerk, van der Walt, Papier, Tshakweni, van der Merwe, Klopper, Vermaak, Wiese, Xaba, Kirsten, Hanekom.

Replacements: Grobbelaar, Matanzima, Smith, van Heerden, Coetzee, Johannes, Chamberlain, Dyantyi.

Edinburgh: Goosen, D Graham, Bennett, Scott, van der Merwe, Thompson, Price, Schoeman, Cherry, Hill, Sykes, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Watson, Bradbury.

Replacements: Ashman, Venter, Rae, Hodgson, Dodd, Vellacott, Healy, McCann.

Sin Bin: Hanekom (37), Matanzima (60); Ashman (70)