The Bulls were their own worst enemy right from the start as they slumped to a disappointing 34-28 Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to Edinburgh on Saturday.
Not even a second-half rally from the replacements could rescue the Pretoria side from a 24-7 halftime deficit as Jake White’s team missed out on an opportunity to claim some silverware.
But the damage was done in the opening 40 minutes as a questionable eighth-minute yellow card to Zak Burger, a leaky defence and unforced errors on attack all combined to make life difficult as nothing seemed to go right for the visitors.
The Bulls were on the back foot as early as the second minute when scrumhalf Burger – who was outstanding in last week’s win over Bayonne – dropped the ball cold from a clean lineout.
Soon after that, non-existent tackling allowed Edinburgh fullback Wes Goosen and centre Matt Currie to slice through the middle, and No 12 James Lang rounded off easily.
Then came Burger’s controversial yellow card as he tackled Lang and then tried to claim the ball on the ground, but at the same time, Lang offloaded to a teammate.
French referee Pierre Brousset deemed it a deliberate knockdown, though, and Burger was off for 10 minutes.
Some fortune went the Bulls’ way, though, as Edinburgh scrumhalf and co-captain Ben Vellacott looked to have scored the try, but the match officials felt that there wasn’t a clear grounding on the line.
The Bulls, though, battled to gain any momentum, with their scrum not as dominant as usual, while the lineouts were a mess as the bounce of the ball never seemed to go the visitors’ way.
Edinburgh got their reward for their high-tempo approach that mesmerised the Bulls defence as No 8 Magnus Bradbury forced his way over in the 14th minute.
White’s team, though, responded quickly as centre Harold Vorster picked up a loose pass and charged down the middle before putting midfield partner David Kriel away.
Edinburgh were well in command on the 4G pitch, though, as they stretched the South Africans from side to side and found holes everywhere.
David Kriel has been lethal in the Challenge Cup 😤🤌
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) April 12, 2025
The Vodacom Bulls' centres combine for their opener 🏉
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Lang grabbed his second touchdown of the afternoon in fortuitous circumstances as a grubber kick bounced off Wilco Louw to the No 12 to dot down under the posts.
It was a long road back from 21-7 down, but the mistakes kept hampering the Bulls as they lost numerous balls in contact, while fullback Devon Williams sliced a penalty in-field instead of into touch.
They also conceded a fifth lineout before halftime, and Edinburgh slotted a three-pointer through flyhalf Ross Thompson to stretch the lead to 17 points at the break.
The Bulls began the second half as they did the first, with a yellow card to flank Jannes Kirsten for a dangerous tackle on wing Ross McCann, which could easily have been a straight red as there was contact to the head.
The Scottish club struck immediately, with lock Grant Gilchrist powering over to make it 31-7.
The Bulls, though, got the spark they needed with replacements such as Johan Goosen, Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Marco van Staden, and they earned a penalty try from a well-worked lineout drive where Akker van der Merwe was close to scoring.
Flyhalf Goosen showcased his full array of skills to take on the Edinburgh defence with little grubbers and a varied passing game as the momentum changed.
Powerful wing Stravino Jacobs produced a massive run up the middle as he bumped over Darcy Graham, and No 8 Cameron Hanekom cantered over to reduce the deficit to 31-21 with 30 minutes to go.
It's not over yet 😤🔵
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) April 12, 2025
Hanekom gets the third for the Vodacom Bulls as they trail by 10 points ➡️
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Moodie combined effectively with Goosen, Hanekom and Wessels, but the last pass just seemed to evade the Bulls as they were unable to convert their pressure into points in the final quarter.
Edinburgh kicked an important penalty via Thompson on the hour mark to stretch the lead to 34-21, and the Bulls needed to find a way to get back into the game.
But further lost lineouts and desperate defence from the hosts kept the South Africans at bay until the 77th minute, when Kriel went over for his second try to ensure a thrilling finish.
The Bulls got back into the Edinburgh half in the final minute, but in the end, a former Pretoria prop in Pierre Schoeman won a breakdown penalty to clinch an Edinburgh victory.
Points-Scorers
Edinburgh 34 – Tries: James Lang (2), Magnus Bradbury, Grant Gilchrist. Conversions: Ross Thompson (4). Penalties: Thompson (2).
Bulls 28 – Tries: David Kriel (2), Penalty Try, Cameron Hanekom. Conversions: Keagan Johannes (1), Johan Goosen (2).