Bulls pushed all the way by battling Ulster, Stormers too strong for Scarlets

Ulster fell short as they were beaten 34-26 by the Bulls despite a superb fightback in their United Rugby Championship clash in Pretoria.

The South African side raced into a 21-0 lead with two tries from former Ulster forward Marcell Coetzee either side of an effort from Elrigh Louw.

Ulster replied on the stroke of half-time through Chay Mullins and David McCann reduced the arrears further after the restart.

Coetzee was then sin-binned to give Ulster further encouragement but a Handre Pollard penalty checked their momentum.

Mullins’ second try put the Irish side within striking distance but Johan Grobbelaar crossed from close range to all but make the game safe.

Ulster were given late hope when Stuart McCloskey forced his way over but Curwin Bosch’s last-minute penalty sealed the home side’s victory.

Elsewhere, centre Joe Roberts’ hat-trick was not enough for Scarlets as they conceded two late tries in a 52-40 defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town.

Roberts crossed in the first half and went over twice in the second as Scarlets fought back from a 33-14 half-time deficit to level the match at 40-40, but Stormers’ replacement fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed’s late double sealed his side’s win.

Scarlets were reduced to 14 men early on when hooker John McKee was shown a yellow card and tries from Stormers pair Zachary Porthen and

Hasseim Pead put the hosts 12-0 up before Roberts crossed for a converted score.

Wing Ioan Jones’ brilliant finish kept Scarlets in touch at 19-14 after Stormers prop Ntuthuko Mchunu went over for his side’s third try and two more touch downs before the break from home pair Seabelo Senatla and Deon Fourie gave them a commanding half-time lead.

Scarlets rallied after the break with two quick tries from wing Macs Page

and after Oliver Read went over for Stormers’ sixth try, further touch downs from Scarlets skipper Josh Macleod and Roberts, both converted by Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, hauled the visitors level at 40-40.

But the Stormers regained the lead with seven minutes left when Ahmed darted over under the posts for his first touch down and he sealed victory for the South African side with his second converted try in the 79th minute.

Vodacom Bulls: Luan Giliomee, Sebastian de Klerk, Sango Xamlashe, Harold Vorster, Cheswill Jooste, Handre Pollard, Paul de Wet; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Francois Klopper, Ruan Vermaak, Reinhardt Ludwig, Marcell Coetzee (CAPT), Hanro Liebenberg, Elrigh Louw

Replacements: Marco van Staden, Alu Tshakweni, Khutha Mchunu, Cobus Wiese, Cameron Hanekom, Zak Burger, Curwin Bosch, Dylan Maart

Ulster Rugby: Jacob Stockdale, Chay Mullins, Jamie Benson, Stuart McCloskey, Michael Lowry, Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Tom O’Toole, Tom Stewart (CAPT), Keynan Knox, Ben Donnell, Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, Nick Timoney, Juarno Augustus

Replacements: Henry Walker, Eric O’Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Eli Snyman, James McNabney, Matthew Devine, Jake Flannery, James McKillop

DHL Stormers: Warrick Gelant, Seabelo Senatla, Wandisile Simelane, Markus Muller, Leolin Zas, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Haashim Pead; Ntuthuko Mchunu, André-Hugo Venter, Zachary Porthen, Riley Norton, Connor Evans, Paul de Villiers (CAPT), Evan Roos, Hacjivah Dayimani

Replacements: Lukhanyo Vokozela, Olly Reid, Neethling Fouché, Adré Smith, JD Schickerling, Deon Fourie, Cobus Reinach, Yaqeen Ahmed

Scarlets: Ioan Nicholas, Ioan Jones, Joe Roberts, Joe Hawkins, Macs Page, Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, Dane Blacker; Kemsley Mathias, John McKee, Harri O’Connor, Alex Groves, Sam Lousi, Taine Plumtree, Josh Macleod (CAPT), Fletcher Anderson

Replacements: George Roberts, Sam O’Connor, Gabe Hawley, Harvey Cuckson, Dan Davis, Archie Hughes, Gareth Anscombe, Isaac Murray-Macgregor