24 October 2026
The Vodacom Bulls secured a hard-fought 34-26 victory over a resilient Ulster side in an intense Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at Loftus Versfeld. The Pretoria outfit survived a fierce second-half comeback from the Irish visitors to lock down a valuable bonus-point win.
The Bulls drew first blood through a powerful driving opportunity in the opening stages. Marcell Coetzee crashed over from the back of a well-executed lineout maul, with Pollard adding the extra two points to make it 07-00.
Following a sustained period of tactical arm-wrestling and missed opportunities from both sides, the hosts struck again. Elrigh Louw powered over the whitewash from another clinical lineout maul, and Pollard's accurate conversion pushed the lead to 14-00.
The Pretoria side launched wave after wave of relentless attacks, asking severe questions of the Ulster defence. Captain Marcell Coetzee eventually found a breakthrough, crashing over for his second try of the afternoon to extend the cushion to 21-00 after Pollard's successful kick.
With time expired in the first half, the Irish outfit finally found space out wide against a lapse in the Bulls' defensive line. Chay Mullins dotted down in the corner, and Jack Murphy slotted the touchline conversion to send the teams into the sheds at 21-07.
Ulster immediately set up camp deep inside the Bulls' red zone after the restart. Following a succession of relentless pick-and-goes, Dave McCann forced his way over, and Murphy's conversion cut the deficit to 21-14.
Moments later, the hosts suffered a massive disciplinary blow right after conceding the try. Skipper Marcell Coetzee was shown a yellow card by the referee for a costly infringement at the breakdown, leaving the Bulls to navigate the next ten minutes with 14 men.
Despite playing with a numerical disadvantage, the hosts managed to steady the ship shortly after. Pollard stepped up to slot a crucial penalty goal, temporarily halting Ulster's charging momentum and extending the scoreline to 24-14.
Ulster continued to use their momentum effectively, pinning the Bulls inside their own 22 for an extended defensive shift later in the half. The pressure paid off out wide as Chay Mullins crossed the line for his second try of the match, slicing the hosts' lead down to 24-19.
The Bulls hit back immediately with an explosive response in the Ulster territory. Johan Grobbelaar showed immense strength to power over with several defenders draped across his back, securing the crucial fourth-try bonus point before Pollard converted for a 31-19 lead.
The Irish side caught the Bulls off guard with a quickly taken penalty tap as the game entered the final stretch. Stuart McCloskey barged through the defensive line to secure Ulster's fourth try, and Murphy's conversion made it a tense five-point game at 31-26.
With full-time up on the clock, the hosts won a vital late penalty to seal the result. Curwin Bosch stepped up and cleanly converted the three-pointer, denying Ulster a second bonus point and securing a definitive 34-26 victory for the Bulls.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls: Tries: Marcell Coetzee (2), Elrigh Louw, Johan Grobbelaar. Conversions: Handre Pollard (4). Penalties: Handre Pollard, Curwin Bosch.
Ulster Rugby: Tries: Chay Mullins (2), Dave McCann, Stuart McCloskey. Conversions: Jack Murphy (3).
Teams:
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Luan Giliomee, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Cheswill Jooste, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Reinhardt Ludwig, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp. Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Alu Tshakweni, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Curwin Bosch, 23 Dylan Maart.
Ulster Rugby: 15 Jacob Stockdale, 14 Chay Mullins, 13 Jamie Benson, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Michael Lowry, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 David McCann, 5 Cormac Izuchukwu, 4 Ben Donnell, 3 Keynan Knox, 2 Tom Stewart (c), 1 Tom O’Toole. Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Eric O’Sullivan, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 James McNabney, 21 Matthew Devine, 22 Jake Flannery, 23 James McKillop.