Lions beat Connacht at Ellis Park to maintain faint URC quarterfinal hopes
This match was as drab as the autumn cloak that clung to Ellis Park like a needy octopus.
There was no escaping the collective dread that things were not going to get better in this United Rugby Championship clash and though the hosts, clearly the better of the two teams, created scoring opportunities in the second half they were hamstrung by their hamfistedness.
At final whistle, 26-7 up under leaden skies, the Lions held on to what they perceive to be a silver lining in their effectively doomed quest for a top eight spot.
The Lions came into the game on the cusp of elimination and though they secured victory they remain very long shots for a quarterfinal spot.
They will be energised by some workmanlike performances, especially from their pack.
Props Morgan Naude and Asenathi Ntlabakanye hustled and bustled until they were replaced, while flank Renzo du Plessis proved a bundle of energy in a man of the match performance.
At the back, Morne van den Berg directed operations with aplomb from behind the pack, while left wing Edwill van der Merwe brought his familiar verve and vigour.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Wilco Louw one of three reasons Bulls can upset Leinster in URC final
Wilco Louw has been in outstanding form for the Bulls, and has been rewarded with a Springbok call-up. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix The Bulls are outright underdogs for Saturday's United Rugby Championship final against Leinster in Dublin (6pm SA time start) – but that doesn't mean that Jake White's team have no chance. In fact, here are three factors that are actually in the Bulls' favour to cause an almighty upset at Croke Park... 1 Andrea Piardi as the referee At first, you might think that Italian official Andrea Piardi's appointment as the final referee on Tuesday – his third title decider in a row – might work against the Bulls. The 32-year-old was the man in charge in last season's 21-16 victory for Glasgow Warriors at Loftus Versfeld – and Munster's win over the Stormers in Cape Town in 2023 – and White was unhappy with some of his decisions. 'It's twice in a row now where the referees (Piardi) let the away side win,' White said afterwards. 'In fact, it's three times – last year, Munster won in Cape Town, Glasgow won in Munster, we won in Leinster, and this referee let the away team win. So maybe, next year I'll ask when we play away, that I want him to try and ref us!' So, while match officials try to be objective, there is no doubt that the home crowd does have an influence in a match as big as a final. Normally the hosts would be on the right side of a few tight calls, but it seems it's the opposite with Piardi. White's words about last year's final defeat will surely be in the Italian's head, and he will be keen to ensure that it's a fair contest and that Leinster aren't getting any undue rewards. 2 Props with a point to prove Bulls props Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Wilco Louw have been sensational this season. Louw has been so good that most SA fans – perhaps even a few Stormers ones – voiced their displeasure with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu being chosen as the SA URC Player of the Season last week instead of the Bulls No 3. The giant tighthead has been a destructive presence in the scrums, and gets around the field as well with his carries and tackles to emerge as the clear front-runner to start for the Springboks in 2025. Wessels hasn't been far behind, with his powerful surges around the fringes and outstanding work-rate on defence complementing his scrummaging work and versatility to fill in at hooker. In contrast, Leinster are missing injured Irish tighthead stalwart Tadhg Furlong, while loosehead prop Andrew Porter infamously said two years ago that 'It's about getting that fifth star (Champions Cup titles) on the jersey. You don't see many URC or PRO14s or whatever you have on the jersey'. With Leinster having tripped up at the Champions Cup semi-final hurdle once more this season, how motivated will Porter be for the URC final? 3 Hunger for glory The Bulls' loss to Glasgow in front of a packed 50,000-plus crowd at Loftus Versfeld really hurt them. They had roared into a 13-0 first-half lead, only to watch their advantage being whittled away by Franco Smith's band of Warriors. Bok World Cup-winning mentor Jake White even questioned himself and his approach in the aftermath, noting that 'I myself lost a Super Rugby final against the Chiefs (with the Brumbies), lost a Rainbow Cup in Benetton, lost two URC finals...' Despite not having a dynamic Bok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse available this time – as well as losing injured star No 8 Cameron Hanekom in the semi-final – the Bulls are undoubtedly a more well-rounded side this season. They have produced some outstanding performances away from home, most notably beating Munster and Glasgow in Europe. So, a packed Croke Park won't be a daunting environment for this group of Bulls. They will also enjoy being the underdogs in Dublin, despite winning the 2022 and 2024 semi-finals against Leinster. If they can avoid the unnecessary yellow cards from the semi-final and put their best foot forward, they have every chance of emerging victorious on Saturday – at long last putting to bed the defeats in the 2022 and 2024 finals.
The Herald
3 hours ago
- The Herald
Bulls must stamp out wayward discipline, says Coetzee
Stamping out wayward discipline will be a priority for the Bulls when they face Leinster in the United Rugby Championship final in Dublin on Saturday, loose forward Marcell Coetzee says. The Bulls' hopes of success were almost derailed in the semifinals after they were on the receiving of three yellow cards before they were able to beat the Sharks 23-13. A similar lack of control in front of 82,000 fans at Croke Park is unlikely to go unpunished by a Leinster side who take full advantage if the Bulls expose any frailties (kickoff 6pm). The Bulls were forced to defend their try line frantically after they were on the receiving end of a spate of yellow cards before halftime against the Sharks. 'It will not be an easy task for us in Dublin against Leinster,' Coetzee said. 'There are a lot of work-ons for us and that includes our discipline. 'There are also a lot of positives for us to take to the final. 'At Loftus, it was one hell of a game against the Sharks. 'It was physical and both teams went at it and we scored our tries from broken play.' Inspirational Bulls skipper Ruan Nortje said it was a privilege for his team to be appearing in the grand final. 'I must thank the Sharks for what was an awesome semifinal,' he said. 'It was the bounce of the ball and it could have gone any way and we are lucky and privileged to be on the winning side. 'The Sharks put us under a lot of pressure after we had the yellow cards against us. 'They also put us under pressure in the line-outs, so full credit to them. 'I'm so proud of my team and I want to thank the Loftus crowd for all their support, which means so much to us and we love them. 'It was hectic out there after we got those yellow cards. 'It has been a really special team effort since our game league game against Munster. 'Since then, we have pulled together and we are trying to create something special at the Bulls. 'This win means a lot to the guys and we are very privileged to be in the final again. 'Any team could have been there. 'We are sad we could not give our supporters a final at Loftus on Saturday, but we will go will give it our all in Dublin.' Bulls try scoring hero Sebastian de Klerk said he was proud to have been named man of the match after a contest that featured many world-class players. 'It was quite a physical battle and we expected that from the Sharks because it was two South African teams up against one another in a semifinal,' he said. 'I am extremely proud to receive this award and I have learnt such a lot from Canan Moodie and we are privileged at this union to have great coaches and wings. 'It is nice to compare yourself with the best in the world, so I am very happy with that. 'It was difficult for us when the Sharks upped the tempo and we know they are a quality side. 'We are lucky to have warriors like our captain Ruan Nortje, who never stops and that motivates you and gives you energy.' The Herald
TimesLIVE
3 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Bulls must stamp out wayward discipline in URC final, says Coetzee
Stamping out wayward discipline will be a priority for the Bulls when they face Leinster in the United Rugby Championship final in Dublin on Saturday, loose forward Marcell Coetzee says. The Bulls' hopes of success were almost derailed in the semifinals after they were on the receiving end of three yellow cards before they were able to beat the Sharks 23-13. A similar lack of control in front of 82,000 fans at Croke Park is unlikely to go unpunished by a Leinster side who take full advantage if the Bulls expose any frailties (kickoff 6pm). The Bulls were forced to defend their try line frantically after the yellow cards before halftime against the Sharks. A proud Jake White reflects on reaching the final of the #VURC for the third time. #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 7, 2025 'It will not be an easy task for us in Dublin against Leinster,' Coetzee said. 'There are a lot of work-ons for us and that includes our discipline. 'There are also a lot of positives for us to take to the final. At Loftus, it was one hell of a game against the Sharks. It was physical and both teams went at it and we scored our tries from broken play.' Inspirational Bulls skipper Ruan Nortje said it was a privilege for his team to play in the grand final. 'I thank the Sharks for what was an awesome semifinal,' he said. 'It was the bounce of the ball and it could have gone any way and we are lucky and privileged to be on the winning side. The Vodacom Bulls land the first blow at Loftus. Sebastian de Klerk finishes off a brilliant move by Embrose Papier. 📺 Stream #VURC on DStv: — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 7, 2025 'The Sharks put us under a lot of pressure after we had the yellow cards against us. They also put us under pressure in the line-outs, so full credit to them. 'I'm proud of my team and I thank the Loftus crowd for their support, which means so much to us and we love them. It was hectic out there after we got those yellow cards. 'It has been a special team effort since our league game against Munster. Since then we have pulled together and we are trying to create something special at the Bulls. 'This win means a lot to the guys and we are privileged to be in the final again. Any team could have been there. We are sad we could not give our supporters a final at Loftus on Saturday, but we will give it our all in Dublin.' Every scrum from last night's #VURC semi-final 💥 The power from the Bulls in those first few battles is scary 💪 — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 8, 2025 Bulls try-scoring hero Sebastian de Klerk said he was proud to have been named man of the match after a contest that featured many world-class players. 'It was a physical battle and we expected that from the Sharks because it was two South African teams against one another in a semifinal,' he said. 'I am proud to receive this award. I have learnt such a lot from Canan Moodie and we are privileged at this union to have great coaches and wings. It is nice to compare yourself with the best in the world, so I am happy with that. 'It was difficult for us when the Sharks upped the tempo and we know they are a quality side. We are lucky to have warriors such as our captain Ruan Nortje, who never stops — that motivates you and gives you energy.'
