First-half fire not enough as Bulls power back

Edinburgh started with intent, playing with the kind of clinical edge that has made Hive Stadium a fortress.

Within five minutes, Ross Thompson pinned the Bulls deep into their own 22 with a superb touch-finder.

The ensuing pressure saw the ball zipped across the backline with precision, allowing Duhan van der Merwe to finish powerfully in the corner.

The Bulls hit back through their trademark weapon—the rolling maul—with Johan Grobbelaar crossing to narrow the gap. However, Edinburgh refused to let the momentum shift.

Young flanker Freddy Douglas put on a breakdown masterclass, securing the first of four vital turnover penalties to keep the visitors on the back foot.

That platform allowed Pierre Schoeman, to power over for a score of his own.

As the half drew to a close, a dominant Edinburgh scrum forced a mistake from the Bulls, and D’arcy Rae was the man on hand to burrow over under the posts. Thompson added the extras, sending the home side into the sheds with a commanding 19-7 lead.

The Bulls emerged for the second period with renewed physicality. Just minutes after the restart, Grobbelaar bagged his second of the night, with Handre Pollard’s conversion cutting the deficit.

As the clock ticked down, the momentum swung toward the visitors. Despite brave defensive sets and heroic efforts at the set piece, Edinburgh struggled to escape their own half.

A series of penalties gave the Bulls the field position they craved. The defining moment came ten minutes from time; after a relentless barrage on the Edinburgh line, the Bulls bundled over in a crowded ruck.

Despite the Edinburgh pack’s conviction that the ball had been held up, the TMO awarded the try, and Pollard’s conversion put the South Africans ahead for the first time.

Edinburgh showed flashes of late magic, searching for a gap in the Bulls’ defensive wall, but a late scrum penalty allowed Pollard to clear into the stands, bringing a close to a physical and frustrating evening in the capital.