New Zealand Scores Eight Tries In A Win Over The Bulls

Despite a spirited second-half effort, the Vodacom Bulls were ultimately no match for the might and mastery of the All Blacks, conceding eight tries in a 50-19 defeat at Loftus Versfeld.

With hopes that the Bulls could end the All Blacks’ flawless start to the Greatest Rivalry Tour, the visitors’ dominant display against a strong Bulls line-up has made next week’s first Test at Ellis Park an even more tantalising prospect.

The Bulls were hard-hitting and aggressive in defence, clearly relishing the prospect of a physical battle against the All Blacks. However, they were often their own worst enemies, with their attacking game undermined by a lack of accuracy through handling errors and costly turnovers.

The All Blacks, meanwhile, were always a step quicker, matching the Bulls’ physicality while showcasing a superior skill set with ball in hand that was as frightening as it was impressive.

Both teams made entries into the opposition red zone during the opening 10 minutes but were unable to convert their territorial pressure into points. The Bulls, in particular, came agonisingly close on several occasions, winning penalties near the try line only to be met by a ferocious All Blacks defence.

Just as the Bulls appeared to be gaining the upper hand in the territorial battle, the All Blacks struck. After securing a lineout and setting up a rolling maul inside the red zone, the visitors showed exactly what they are capable of from first-phase play.

With the ball released, the All Blacks moved it swiftly through the hands. Josh Jacomb found Leroy Carter with a delayed pass, allowing the centre to slice through a gap and appear certain to score. Carter then drew in Beauden Barrett before releasing Josh Moorby, who finished off a sensational attacking move.

The All Blacks’ composure in possession and rapid ball movement continued to expose the Bulls’ defence, which repeatedly appeared a step behind whenever the visitors moved the ball wide.

As the 20-minute mark approached, Embrose Papier’s attempted box kick was charged down, allowing the visitors to launch their next attack with the Bulls immediately on the back foot.

This was all the opening the electric All Blacks attack needed. The ball was shifted wide at lightning speed, allowing Moorby to dot down for his second try. Barrett missed his first conversion attempt but made no mistake with his second, extending the All Blacks’ lead to 12-0.

The Bulls began to flounder under the relentless All Blacks pressure, with captain Codie Taylor crossing with ease for his first try of the tour in his first appearance.

The score came moments after Francois Klopper was sent to the sin bin for being offside, with the ball striking him as he retreated into the defensive line.

Taylor added his second after the hooter, powering his way over the line to cap a dominant first half and give the All Blacks a commanding lead that reflected their control of the opening 40 minutes.

HALF-TIME: VODACOM BULLS 0-24 NEW ZEALAND

The Bulls made a barnstorming start to the second half as Ruan Vermaak peeled away from the back of a maul and powered over the line to score the first points against the All Blacks in 120 minutes.

The scoreboard had barely stopped ticking before it was called into action again, as Leroy Carter dotted down in the deep right-hand corner for the All Blacks’ fifth try of the night.

Rieko Ioane soon joined him in the same corner, this time with Carter providing the assist, as the All Blacks stretched their lead to 36-7 with 30 minutes remaining.

In the 54th minute, the Bulls stole a page from the All Blacks’ playbook as the impressive Jeandre Rudolph carried the ball effectively from the back of the scrum before releasing Stravino Jacobs.

The winger still had plenty to do, but showcased superb footwork and a burst of speed to finish off a wonderful score.

Carter picked up his second try of the night after a slick handling sequence and superb ball retention, finishing off a flowing move after coming off his wing to collect a well-timed offload from Barrett. Josh Jacomb added the extras to stretch the score to 43-12.

Marcel Coetzee ensured the home side claimed their third five-pointer of a much-improved second half, using a strong pick-up and powerful leg drive to crash over the whitewash.

Wallace Sititi then took the All Blacks to the 50-point mark, finishing off a well-executed training-ground lineout move before brushing off a tackle with ease to score under the posts.