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IOL News
3 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Jake White celebrates Bulls' comeback URC quarter-final victory and valuable lessons learned against Edinburgh
Bulls No 8 Cameron Hanekom scores the first try against Edinburgh after slicing through a gap in the defence during their quarter-final clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. Image: BackpagePix Bulls director of rugby Jake White praised his team's fighting spirit after their comeback win over Edinburgh in Pretoria on Saturday to secure a home semi-final in the United Rugby Championship (URC). Having trailed their Scottish visitors 21-8 at a stage after an early yellow card, the Bulls mounted a superb fightback before and after halftime that blew the opposition out of the water to secure the victory at Loftus Versfeld. They scored six brilliant tries and the interplay between the backs and forwards was outstanding for most of them. Although they leaked five tries, of which at least two were questionable, their defensive effort in the final 20 minutes will give them plenty of confidence heading into the next match. The Vodacom @BlueBullsRugby charged home in the Quarter-Final 😤 Can they keep the momentum up in their home Semi-Final next weekend? #BKTURC #URC | #BULvEDI — BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 31, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading However, the experienced coach feels they didn't play as well as they could have. He lamented their yellow cards especially, although he believes they might have been a bit harsh. 'We learned our lessons from the last time we played them in Edinburgh,' White said. 'We were 24-7 down and today 21-8 down. Not many teams would come back in a quarter-final when you are down by that much and win it as convincingly as we did at the end. One lesson we can't ignore is that we can't play with 14 men and give them two tries while down and think you can always come back and win. 'I am just very happy that there was the fight and resilience and learning. I always talk about being in this competition and learning from what happened previously. We were down but got a (winning) result. Whereas the last time we played them, we didn't.' According to White, people think the team placed seventh should automatically lose to the team that finishes second. He made reference to Leinster losing to Scarlets and his side during the round-robin season and being pushed by the same Scarlets in their quarter-final on Saturday evening. The Bulls mentor added that some choice words went down from the coaching booth to the field when they were so far behind. 'A couple of choice words were said. I can't say that on national TV,' he laughingly said. 'But what are you going to do? You can't shout and scream and behave like a lunatic up there. I just had confidence that it was an 80-minute game and although they had a fast start, going from 21-8 to 21-18 in that space must've given the guys belief that we learned from last time.' Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt said they knew the first 20 minutes were going to be vital and he was happy with how they reacted from the first whistle.
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Flyhalf Johannes stars as Bulls subdue Edinburgh
The Vodacom Bulls booked their place in the United Rugby Championship semi-finals after an six-try win over Edinburgh at Loftus Versfeld. Flyhalf Keagan Johannes starred with boot and ball, scoring 17 points – including a superb solo try – in the Bulls' 42-33 win over Edinburgh. The hosts were dealt an early blow when wing Sebastian de Klerk was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle shortly after kickoff. Edinburgh made the most of the extra man, with fullback Wes Goosen crossing to open the scoring. Despite being down to 14, the Bulls responded with a penalty from Johannes to narrow the gap. The Vodacom @BlueBullsRugby are on the loose Keagan Johannes gets the defender with the dummy and goes all the way to score #BKTURC #URC | #BULvEDI — BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 31, 2025 Flyhalf Ross Thompson added a second for Edinburgh, again taking advantage of the numerical edge. Once De Klerk returned, the Bulls struck back. Springbok No 8 Cameron Hanekom powered over to cut the deficit. Edinburgh remained efficient in the red zone, and after a scrum penalty led to a lineout, they moved the ball wide for Thompson to grab his second. The Bulls answered with a well-constructed try sparked by veteran Willie le Roux's linebreak, finished by centre David Kriel. The momentum continued with Harold Vorster finishing a flowing team move to bring the Bulls within one point. However, kicking proved costly in the first half, with the home side managing just one successful kick from four. Edinburgh still led 21-18 at the break. The second half started with the Bulls turning the tide. A dominant spell of possession led to Canan Moodie scoring their fourth try. Johannes soon added a fifth with a brilliant solo effort, before captain Ruan Nortje forced his way over for the sixth, the Bulls' third try of the third quarter. Edinburgh refused to fold, and hooker Ewan Ashman crossed after sustained pressure. The Scottish side then gained a man advantage when JF van Heerden was shown a yellow for repeated infringements, but it was short-lived as Thompson was also sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-on. Goosen's second try of the evening made it 42-33 going into the final quarter, but Edinburgh couldn't find a way back. The Bulls' defence held firm in the dying stages, and they reclaimed possession to close out the win. The result sees the Bulls move on to the semi-finals, where they will face either the Sharks or Munster, who meet in the last quarter-final at Kings Park today. The post Johannes stars as Bulls subdue Edinburgh appeared first on SA Rugby Magazine.
Irish Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
What time and TV channel is Sharks v Munster on today in the URC quarter-final
Munster are hoping to make it a hat-trick to remember by seeing off the Sharks for a place in the last four of the BKT URC, having won their quarter-finals in the last two years. The Reds' victory over Benetton in their final regular season game secured a place in the play-offs, with Ian Costello's charges finishing in sixth place in the table. The Sharks are third seeds and are at home at altitude, so this will be a tough assignment for a Munster side that has an unchanged line-up for the third successive game. The Sharks have made five changes for this game and have 12 Springboks in their side, so Munster will have to be at their best to triumph. The game takes place at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban The match kicks off at 5.30pm on Saturday It will be shown live on TG4 (from 5.25pm) and Premier Sports 1 (from 5.15pm) and will be streamed on Sharks are 4/11 to win, Munster are 23/10 to win, the draw is 17/1 Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland) The Sharks have only lost twice at home this season - against Toulouse in the Champions Cup and to Leinster in round 14. One of their home victories came against Munster in October, a result that was followed by Graham Rowntree's departure. That has been the Sharks only win in four against the province. Munster: Thaakir Abrahams, Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (captain), Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Rory Scannell, Mike Haley. Sharks: Aphelele Fassi, Ethan Hooker, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse, Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Vincent Koch, Eben Etzebeth (captain), Jason Jenkins, James Venter, Vincent Tshituka, Siya Kolisi Replacements: Fez Mbatha, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Hanro Jacobs, Emile van Heerden, Phepsi Buthelezi, Bradley Davids, Francois Venter, Yaw Penxe.
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Stormers' URC dreams dashed in Glasgow quarter-final defeat
Stormers flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu could not spark his side on the attack in their quarter-final loss to the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland on Friday evening. Image: BackpagePix The Stormers have only themselves to blame for Friday night's quarter-final loss against the Glasgow Warriors at the Scotstoun Stadium in Scotland. Atrocious defending, with a 65% tackle success rate minutes before the end, coupled with some terrible decision-making on the attack and a Warriors team on the rampage, led to a 36-18 defeat and one of if not arguably the worst performance of the Cape side in the play-offs of the United Rugby Championship (URC). While they had the ascendency in the scrum, they couldn't gain any momentum elsewhere on the field even after they started the match like a house on fire. They were all over the home side in the opening stages of the clash and it delivered an early penalty goal and a 3-0 lead. . @GlasgowWarriors are the first team off to the Semi-Finals 🔥 One step closer to becoming the first team to go back-to-back!#BKTURC #URC | #GLAvSTO — BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 30, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading However, their inability to exit after a kick-off, a recurring issue this season, reared its ugly head again and the home side quickly found them in front, playing against 14 men, after a break that led to a Seabelo Senalta yellow card. That sin bin proved costly, but in the lead-up to it, there was a clear obstruction on two Stormers players, but the referee, Andrew Brace, failed to see it. Some other questionable referee calls also snuck into the game, but with the way the Cape side played, they can hardly blame the referee for it. In the time that Senatla was off, Glasgow scored two tries, and the moment they found the space through the midfield, things started getting ugly for the Cape side. When Senatla returned from the bin, he made an immediate impact and scored a try that brought his side back into the game, only for the team to mess up their exit play from the resulting kick-off. Off the back of a maul, and with the Stormers' defence seemingly napping, South African Henco Venter scored for the Warriors and extended their lead. Senatla pounces on the scraps and turns it into gold! 💥 One loose ball, one lethal finish!@Vodacom #URC | #GLAvSTO — Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) May 30, 2025 The Stormers were not helped by the loss of their captain and hardman Salmaan Moerat. He went off for a head injury assessment during the opening 10 minutes and never returned. He was followed by Dan du Plessis who injured what looked like his shoulder. That meant two big defensive players were missing from the team's lineup for the rest of the duel. Flyhalf Manie Libbok entered the fray to replace Du Plessis and things looked way more controlled when he was the general. Starting pivot Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had a match to forget and looked lost on the field at times. So too did young outside centre Suleiman Hartzenberg. This clash would've been a tough but good learning curve for them, especially when it comes to knockout rugby. When Senatla scored his second try shortly after the start of the second half, it looked like the inaugural champions would mount a fightback. The resulting conversion by Feinberg-Mngomezulu would've put them in the lead, but he missed it. From there, another exit error off the restart saw Glasgow winger Kyle Rowe score his second of the match. Six minutes later, a neat little counter-attack try for George Horne hit the nail in the Stormers' coffin and they failed for another year at the Scotstoun Stadium. 'That has to be a contender for try of the season' 🥵@GlasgowWarriors are turning up the HEAT in the first Quarter-Final!#BKTURC #URC | #GLAvSTO — BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 30, 2025
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Tadhg Beirne and Aoife Dalton recognised at Rugby Player Ireland awards
Tadhg Beirne and Aoife Dalton were the big winners at the Rugby Player Ireland awards, claiming the men's and women's top prizes, respectively. The Munster man beat off competition from Tom Farrell, Jamison Gibson-Park and Ireland captain Caelan Doris, while 22-year-old Dalton was recognised for her eye-catching displays at centre to see off the claims of Dorothy Wall, Amee-Leigh Costigan and Niamh O'Dowd. Beirne, who is set for his second Lions tour this summer, has been a rock of consistency at both provincial and Test level. Unable to collect his award as Munster are in South Africa to take on Sharks in this weekend's BKT URC quarter-final, the 33-year-old said the award was both an honour and unexpected. "It comes as quite a surprise given that Caelan, Tom and Jamison have all had brilliant seasons," he said. "To be chosen by my fellow Rugby Players Ireland members makes this award even more meaningful, and I really appreciate their support and acknowledgement." Dalton scooped the OCC Consulting Women's XVs Players' Player of the Year following a hugely impactful campaign in the Irish midfield across 2024/25 and is likely to be a key figure for the women in green at the Rugby World Cup in England later this year. Having made a try-scoring return to international action following two ACL injuries and the birth of her son Caolán, Eimear Considine - pictured above - announced her retirement during the season. To mark both her Irish sporting legacy and long-standing contribution to mental wellbeing discourse in Ireland, Considine was presented with the Zurich Contribution to Irish Society Award as Tackle Your Feelings kicked off its ten-year anniversary celebrations. Another to make their comeback this season was Dan Sheehan who picked up from where he left off upon his return with a powerful effort against England for which he took home the MSL Mercedes-Benz Ballsbridge Men's XVs Try of the Year. Anna McGann was the winner of the AIB Corporate Banking Women's XVs Try of the Year for finishing off a sweeping team effort against Italy in the Six Nations. Having been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup later this year, Erin King was given a morale boost by her team-mates who voted her as their Energia Women's XVs Young Player of the Year. It follows her World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year last November. Meanwhile, Leinster and Ireland out-half Sam Prendergast was named as the Nevin Spence Men's XVs Young Player of the Year, with previous winner and Connacht captain Cian Prendergast on hand to present the award to his younger brother. Further accolades were presented on the night to Dylan O'Grady who was named as the TritonLake Men's 7s Players' Player of the Year, and Lucinda Kinghan who was named the TritonLake Women's 7s Players' Player of the Year. Ireland's Triple Crown success was named as the Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort Moment of the Year with Irish captain Caelan Doris closing out the evening by accepting the award on behalf of his team-mates.
