Loftus Bites Back
Two from two became two from three in twenty-nine first-half minutes at Loftus Versfeld.
The Lions arrived in Pretoria unbeaten, having taken down the champions and then put five past the Ospreys. They left having conceded seven tries.
IT DID NOT START BADLY. Vorster crossed for the Bulls inside ten minutes, but Siba Qoma answered on seventeen, Chris Smith converted, and a Smith penalty on the half-hour made it 13-10. For a quarter of an hour this was a contest.
THEN IT WAS NOT. Grobbelaar went over on twenty-five, Hanekom twice in five minutes either side of that penalty, and Rudolph on thirty-nine. Three Bosch conversions, 31-10 at the break, and the game decided before the shed.
Moodie scored within three minutes of the restart. Morné Brandon got one back for the Lions on forty-nine, and Jooste had the last word on sixty-four, Pollard converting.
THE RECORD. Played three, won two, lost one. Seventy-seven points scored, eighty-eight conceded. A campaign that opened by beating the reigning champions now has its first correction in it.
WHAT COMES NEXT. Stade Rochelais away on 17 October, and the first Investec Champions Cup match in the club's history. Zebre Parma are the next visitors to 10bet Ellis Park, in January.
For a quarter of an hour this was a contest. Then it was not.