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M. Coetzee (1', 31'), E. Louw (17'), J. Grobbelaar (65')
Tries
C. Mullins (40', 62'), D. McCann (44'), S. McCloskey (69')
H. Pollard (2', 18', 32', 66')
Conversions
J. Murphy (40+1', 45', 70')
H. Pollard (49'), C. Bosch (81')
Penalties
This told us everything about how to win at Loftus. The Vodacom Bulls blew the hinges off the opening quarter, banked a three-try platform before the half-hour and then played the scoreboard. From there, the rest of the afternoon was a management exercise: contain the visitor’s chase, take points when they’re on offer, and make Ulster spend energy for every metre at altitude.
It also told us something about Ulster Rugby. They can scrap and they won’t go away, but they’re not built to spot a side like the Bulls 21 points and still win. Once the home forwards had punched two early holes through Ulster’s tight channels, the visitors were locked into riskier shapes and longer sequences. They made it interesting after the break, but never truly reset the terms of the contest.
The turn came inside 17 minutes. The Bulls’ first two tries were as blunt as they were decisive: a 1st-minute strike from Marcell Coetzee and another on 17 from Elrigh Louw, both finished by back-rowers off front-foot ball. That’s more than a quick start; it’s a declaration that the gain line will belong to you. When Coetzee rumbled in again on 31 minutes and Handre Pollard curled over a third conversion, 21–0 felt like a mountain Ulster would be climbing all day. And it was.
From there the game changed shape. Ulster chased and the Bulls controlled. The visitors found a lifeline either side of half-time — first through Chay Mullins just before the hooter and then with David McCann while Coetzee sat for a yellow — but the gap never closed beyond one score. That card was the only window where the Bulls’ composure wobbled. Pollard’s penalty on 49 cooled things to 24–14; Johan Grobbelaar’s finish on 65 restored daylight at 31–19 after Ulster had trimmed it again. When Stuart McCloskey dragged it back to 31–26, Curwin Bosch arrived to knock over an 81st-minute penalty and turn a losing bonus into nothing.
Why did the early surge stick? Because the Bulls owned the tight exchanges and turned red-zone visits into sevens. Their set piece was cleaner, the maul threat was credible enough to force narrow spacing, and their collision work around the ruck was simply sharper. Ulster’s first-quarter tackle detail — particularly at the fringes — wasn’t at the level you need in Pretoria, and the scoreboard punished them for it.
Numbers back the picture up. The Bulls were neater in the set piece and slightly more ruthless at the breakdown, while Ulster had more ball but less control of where the game was played.
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAK
DEFENDER BEATEN
TACKLE
MISSED TACKLE
TURNOVER WON
TURNOVERS CONCEDED
PENALTY CONCEDED
YELLOW CARD
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
Individual performances mirrored the pattern. Coetzee set the tone twice over: two first-half tries and 14 tackles, even if his card after the break invited Ulster back in. Louw’s early finish underlined the Bulls’ gainline edge, then Grobbelaar did what good hookers do, grafting for 14 tackles and hitting 11 lineouts before popping up for the game’s decisive fourth try. Pollard’s 11 points mattered too; the calm after each surge kept Ulster at arm’s length. Out wide, Sebastian de Klerk (126 metres) and Luan Giliomee (100) supplied the exits and broken-field carry to relieve pressure when the chase got messy; Paul de Wet beat six defenders and gave them the tempo they wanted.
Ulster had standouts. McCloskey carried the fight, quite literally, with 15 carries, a try and a hand in another. Mullins took two chances well, and McCann’s finish straight after the Coetzee card was the spark their bench needed. Tom Stewart worked hard in the tight and hit 12 throws, but three lost lineouts at Loftus is a tax you can’t afford when you’re chasing. Jacob Stockdale was dangerous on kick return — 96 metres — yet his four turnovers fed the Bulls’ ability to reset field position cheaply.
Does the margin flatter the Bulls? Not really. The late Bosch penalty stretched it to eight, but this was a game they led from the first carry and managed from the front. If anything, conceding 26 at home after being 21–0 up will itch. The yellow card swung momentum, discipline frayed in patches and the backfield’s decision-making under the contestable kicking load wasn’t always tidy. They’ll be pleased with the platform; they won’t be thrilled with the leakage.
For Ulster, the concern is that the same issue — soft starts against powerful packs — keeps writing their script. You can’t give the Bulls short fields and front-foot ball and expect to win late. The resilience is real, and their phase attack after the interval had bite, but they lacked a territorial foothold and the lineout wobble at key moments cost them the chance to apply repeat pressure. Being stripped of a losing bonus at the death will sting, because they earned the right to one with that second-half push.
The takeaways are clear. The Bulls showed the Loftus blueprint: fast collisions, clinical conversion, then manage the chase with set-piece reliability and a cool boot. They still need to close cleaner. Ulster roll on with effort and character, and some big performances in the midfield, but unless they fix the first 20 minutes and tighten the lineout under heat, they’ll keep spending afternoons running uphill.
