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Outclassed Scarlets suffer heavy defeat to Bulls in Pretoria

By PA
GALWAY, IRELAND: October 01: Jake White, head coach of the Vodacom Bulls, watching the team warm up before the Connacht V Vodacom Bulls, United Rugby Championship match at The Sportsground on October 1st, 2021 in Galway, Ireland. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

The Scarlets fell victim to a rampant Bulls performance as they suffered a 57-12 United Rugby Championship defeat in Pretoria.

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Jake White’s hosts had crossed for five tries – through Canan Moodie, Marcell Coetzee, Cyle Brink, Johan Grobbelaar and Elrigh Louw – by the time Sione Kalamafoni got the Scarlets off the mark eight minutes from half-time.

Ruan Nortje and Grobbelaar extended the Bulls’ advantage with the Scarlets temporarily down to 14 men early in the second half, and Coetzee and Robert Hunt carried their side’s try tally to nine before Rob Evans’ late consolation.

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The result lifts the Bulls to sixth in the overall table and top of the South African Shield ahead of the weekend’s remaining fixtures, while the Scarlets remain 12th.

It took little over a minute for the Bulls to score the game’s first try, with Moodie collecting a brilliant Louw offload to go over out wide.

Dwayne Peel’s men were being given the runaround by their hosts and a wonderful exchange of passes between Kurt-Lee Arendse, Madosh Tambwe and Cornal Hendricks, followed by a Chris Smith cross-kick, put the Bulls deep in Scarlets territory, with Coetzee eventually touching down.

Brink burrowed over for the Bulls’ third in the 14th minute after a driving maul put the home side on the Scarlets’ line.

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If there was any crumb of consolation for the visitors, it was that Smith – who ultimately contributed 10 points to the Bulls’ cause – was not taking full advantage from the tee, converting only one of the opening three tries.

But the fly-half could hardly have asked for an easier kick after Grobbelaar wrapped up the bonus point in the 25th minute by powering over next to the posts.

Louw added a fifth and, although Kalamafoni responded before half-time, a Ioan Nicholas yellow card in the opening minute of the second period was punished with further Bulls tries from Nortje and Grobbelaar – the latter following more great passing from the hosts.

Coetzee wriggled through a fatigued Scarlets defence for the Bulls’ eighth, and Hunt completed the home side’s scoring before returning Wales prop Evans went over with the last action of the match.

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J
JW 6 hours ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

He wasn't, he was only there a couple of years. Don't get me wrong, he's a player of promise, but without ever having a season at 10 at that level, one could hardly ever think he would be in line to take over.


But if you really want to look at your question deeper, we get to that much fabled "production line" of the Crusaders. I predict you'll know what I mean when I say, Waikato, Waikato, Queensland.


I don't know everything about him (or his area I mean) but sure, it wouldnt have just been Razor that invested in him, and that's not to say he's the only 10 to have come out of that academy in the last half dozen years/decade since Mo'unga, but he is probably the best. So it's a matter of there having been no one else why it was so easy for people to picture him being razors heir apparent (no doubt he holds him in more high regard than the blurb/reference of his recently published though). And in general there is very much a no paching policy at that level which you may not appreciate .


For England? Really? That's interesting. I had just assumed he was viewed as club man and that national aspect was just used to entice him over. I mean he could stil be used by Scotland given I wouldn't expect them to have a whole lot of depth even thoe fh's one of their strongest positions at the moment. But certainly not England.


Personally I still think that far more likely was the reason. He would/could have done the same for Crusaders and NZ, just without half as much in his pocket. And as an individual I certainly don't think he'd have chosen England over the All Blacks (as a tru blue kiwi i mean), and he of all people should know where he sits. He said he wants to play internationally, so I take that at face value, he didn't think that could be for NZ, and he might have underestimated (or been mislead by McCall) England (and Scotland really), or have already chosen Scotland at the time, as seems the case from talk of his addition.


Again though, he's a player who I'd happily rate outside the trifecta of Barrett/McKenzie/Mo'unga in basic ability , even on par with foreign players like Plummer, Sopoaga, Ioane, and ahead of a bunch in his era like Falcon, Trask, Reihana. I've done the same thing >.< excluding Perofeta from the 10 debate. Hes probably below him but I think pero is a 15 now.

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