Bulls player ratings vs Benetton | 2025/26 URC

Bulls player ratings: The Bulls moved into the United Rugby Championship top four with a 45-19 win over Benetton at Loftus Versfeld, but it was far from flawless in Pretoria.

There were moments of brilliance throughout, especially out wide, yet the hosts also coughed up soft penalties, missed tackles and allowed Benetton far too much joy in transition.

Still, when the Bulls turned on the power game, Benetton simply could not live with them. So here’s how the players rated:

15 Willie le Roux – 8
There have been more difficult afternoons in Willie le Roux’s 400-game career than this. The veteran full-back was typically sharp with ball in hand and bagged one of the easiest tries he will ever score after Handre Pollard sent him through untouched. His handling before Sergeal Petersen’s second try was sublime as well, shifting the ball quickly to expose Benetton’s fractured edge defence. Broke the line twice and carried with intent throughout as the Bulls eventually wore the visitors down.

14 Sergeal Petersen – 8
Petersen’s opening try was a straightforward finish after Canan Moodie’s incision, but his second was pure class and effectively ended the contest as a spectacle. He swerved through Benetton’s defence untouched, gliding over in a moment that lit up Loftus. Constantly looked threatening with ball in hand and his footwork caused problems all evening, even if he did concede a penalty and miss a couple of tackles defensively.

13 Canan Moodie – 7
His clean break inside the opening minutes gave the Bulls the perfect platform for Petersen’s first try and immediately put Benetton on the back foot. Moodie looked dangerous every time he touched the ball and beat defenders with ease, though there were a couple of defensive lapses mixed in with the highlights. Still, another strong outing in the midfield before making way just after the hour mark.

12 Harold Vorster – 7
Vorster’s carrying was absolutely crucial in generating momentum for the Bulls. Time and again he got his side over the gainline and his powerful running created quick ball that Pollard and Papier could play from. Produced a sharp linebreak in the build-up to Cobus Wiese’s try and finished with solid defensive numbers as well. The kind of industrious midfield display coaches adore.

11 Devon Williams – 6
A difficult afternoon defensively at times. Williams was left stranded during Benetton’s opening try and struggled to fully shut down the space out wide, though he was not solely responsible given the amount of territory he had to cover. Worked hard in contact and chipped in defensively before departing in the second half, but was one of the less convincing performers in a Bulls backline that looked dangerous going forward.

10 Handre Pollard – 7
Not vintage Pollard, but effective enough. The fly-half created the opening two tries with simple but accurate distribution, putting Petersen and Le Roux away with minimal fuss. His goal-kicking was mostly reliable, though he missed twice, and there were defensive moments that will frustrate him, particularly on Louis Lynagh’s second-half score where he appeared reluctant to fully commit. Controlled territory reasonably well without ever fully dominating proceedings.

9 Embrose Papier – 7
Papier threatened around the fringes and made a clean break in the first half, but his defensive work was inconsistent. Rhyno Smith exposed him badly one-on-one just before half-time to drag Benetton back into the match, and there were moments where the scrum-half looked vulnerable physically. Still offered tempo to the Bulls attack and linked nicely with Pollard in patches.

1 Gerhard Steenekamp – 7
An interesting shift from the loosehead. Steenekamp was penalised at scrum time early on and looked under pressure initially, but he responded strongly and became increasingly dominant as the match wore on. Won an important scrum penalty in the second half when the Bulls were wobbling slightly and produced a couple of dominant tackles as well before departing after 54 minutes.

2 Johan Grobbelaar – 8
A proper hooker’s performance. Grobbelaar was busy defensively, hitting double figures for tackles completed, and he powered over from the driving maul for the Bulls’ third try at a crucial moment after Benetton had started building pressure. Reliable at the set-piece overall and brought plenty of physicality around the field.

3 Wilco Louw – 7
Like Steenekamp, Louw had his moments of frustration and was penalised early in the second half for not driving straight, though the decision looked harsh. More importantly, he won the scrum penalty that gave the Bulls the territory to score through Grobbelaar after Benetton had begun to swing momentum their way. Solid enough before being replaced shortly after half-time.

4 Cobus Wiese – 8
Persistence paid off for Wiese. After seeing two Bulls tries chalked off in quick succession, the lock finally got over himself with a close-range pick-and-go. He carried strongly throughout and added plenty of physicality in contact, even if there were a couple of missed tackles mixed into his game. A good response after a slightly chaotic spell around the half-hour mark.

5 Ruan Nortje – 8
Nortje’s work rate was exceptional once again. The lock had one try ruled out in the first half but kept plugging away and eventually got his reward late on with a well-timed line close to the posts. Carried with real intent throughout, while also contributing defensively despite a couple of missed tackles.

6 Jeandre Rudolph – 9
The Bulls’ best player by some distance. Rudolph was immense at the breakdown and repeatedly disrupted Benetton momentum with turnovers, finishing with four steals overall. His tackle off the maul to dislodge the ball from Bautista Bernasconi was outstanding, and he produced another huge turnover late in the game when Benetton were pressing again. Carried strongly, tackled relentlessly and generally looked like the only forward consistently winning collisions for 80 minutes.

7 Elrigh Louw – 6
A mixed outing. Louw smashed people backwards all game and topped the dominant tackle charts, but his defensive discipline and positioning let him down at times. He overcommitted to a tackle on Federico Ruzza which opened the gap for Matt Gallagher to exploit in the build-up to Benetton’s third try, then compounded matters by drifting offside soon after. Physical, but slightly erratic.

8 Cameron Hanekom – 7
Hanekom was heavily involved physically and carried more than any other Bulls forward, beating defenders and offloading effectively. However, he will be frustrated that a handling error at the base of a scrum resulted in a try being chalked off. Still managed to provide plenty of go-forward in a game where the Bulls pack occasionally lacked fluency.

Replacements – 6
The Bulls bench ultimately gave the hosts slightly more control but it was far from perfect. Mpilo Gumede made an immediate impact after coming on, reacting quickest to a loose ball to score before adding further energy with a linebreak. Jan-Hendrik Wessels endured a difficult moment when he was penalised in the scrum, but responded positively by winning one back shortly after. Marco van Staden brought typical abrasiveness around the contact area, while Stedman Gans marked his milestone appearance with some sharp involvements, including the key contribution in Petersen’s brilliant second try. Paul de Wet also injected pace late on and played a major role in Nortje’s try as the Bulls finally pulled away from a stubborn Benetton side.