31 October 2026
The Vodacom Bulls maintained their unblemished home record with a relentless eight-try, 54-26 demolition of the Scarlets at Loftus Versfeld. The clinical Round 5 United Rugby Championship victory consolidated the Pretoria franchise's third-place position on the log.
The hosts struck first after 11 minutes of gruelling work in the trenches. Following a flurry of pick-and-go drives, flanker Jeandré Rudolph stayed low to crash over for the opening score. Curwin Bosch added the extras to secure an early 7-0 lead.
The Pretoria outfit continued to stretch the visitors by shifting the point of attack. After 20 minutes of crisp handling, the ball was spread wide to veteran fullback Willie le Roux, who dotted down in the corner.
The Bulls' high-tempo attack quickly proved too much for the Welsh outfit to contain. A brilliant multi-phase passage saw the backline cut loose, allowing winger Dylan Maart to cross the whitewash with a dramatic swan dive. Bosch landed the conversion to push the lead to 19-0.
The Scarlets hit back instantly, exploiting a momentary lapse in the home side's defence. Hooker John McKee struck first in the corner, before lock Sam Lousi powered over under the posts six minutes later. Carwyn Leggatt-Jones converted the second to slash the deficit to 19-12 at the halftime whistle.
The Bulls capitalised on a disallowed Scarlets try early in the second half to launch a counter-offensive. Securing a lineout deep in the visitors' territory, the Pretoria pack set up a powerful 10-metre driving maul for skipper Marcell Coetzee to crash over for the crucial bonus-point try. Bosch added the two points to make it 26-12.
Discipline cost the hosts shortly after when centre Stedman Gans was sent to the sin bin for a yellow card offense. The Scarlets immediately attacked, exposing a defensive error on the edge to put scrumhalf Archie Hughes over for a converted try.
The Welsh side pounced on a handling error straight from the ensuing kickoff to completely alter the momentum. Centre Joe Roberts ghosted through to secure their own four-try bonus point. Leggatt-Jones added the easy extras to level the scores at 26-26 after 56 minutes.
The deadlock lasted barely two minutes before the Bulls pack asserted total dominance. Coetzee spearheaded the response, bruising his way over for his second try of the evening. Bosch remained accurate from the tee to reclaim a 33-26 advantage.
The backline then clicked into gear after 62 minutes with a spectacular display of handling in the wider channels. Outside back Sebastian de Klerk was put in space, slicing the Scarlets' defensive line completely in two to dot down under the crossbar.
The Pretoria franchise put the result beyond doubt in the final ten minutes as the Welsh resistance crumbled. Replacement hooker Johan Grobbelaar rumbled over from close range in the 68th minute before Maart intercepted to claim his brace in the 74th minute. Bosch maintained his flawless kicking display to seal the comprehensive 54-26 victory.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls: Tries: Jeandre Rudolph, Willie le Roux, Dylan Maart (2), Marcell Coetzee (2), Sebastian de Klerk, Johan Grobbelaar. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (7).
Scarlets Rugby: Tries: John McKee, Sam Lousi, Archie Hughes, Joe Roberts. Conversions: Carwyn Leggatt-Jones (3).
Teams:
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Hanro Liebenberg (c), 6 Jeandre Rudolph, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Khutha Mchunu, 2 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 1 Alu Tshakweni. Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Sebastian de Klerk, 23 Hakeem Kunene.
Scarlets Rugby: 15 Ioan Nicholas, 14 Ioan Jones, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Gabe McDonald, 11 Isaac Murray-Macgregor, 10 Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Fletcher Anderson, 7 Josh Macleod (c), 6 Sam Lousi, 5 Alex Groves, 4 Tom Allen, 3 Harri O’Connor, 2 John McKee, 1 Corey Domachowski. Replacements: 16 Isaac Young, 17 Sam O’Connor, 18 Gabe Hawley, 19 Harvey Cuckson, 20 Dan Davis, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Gareth Anscombe, 23 Jac Davies.