The Bulls tried to find ways to lose, but a 73rd-minute Keagan Johannes penalty and gritty defence from 20 phases of attack saw them beat Munster 16-13 in Limerick on Saturday night.
Jake White’s team were far from their best despite a few encouraging spells in the first half, but they will be relieved to come away with four log points as they became the first South African team to win a United Rugby Championship match at Thomond Park.
It was sweet revenge for the Bulls following their 27-22 defeat to Munster at Loftus Versfeld last season, and they also secured a clean sweep of the Irish teams, having beaten Ulster 47-21, Connacht 28-14 and Leinster 21-20.
The scores were locked at 10-10 at halftime as the Pretoria side failed to capitalise on the front-foot possession provided by their forwards.
The kick that won the match ☑️
Pure perfection from the tee 🤌#BKTURC #URC | #MUNvBUL pic.twitter.com/suNDsRpX1w
A number of attacking opportunities were wasted in the Munster half as the Bulls only had Player of the Match Marcell Coetzee’s 16th-minute try and a conversion and penalty from Johan Goosen to show for their efforts.
The second half was badly affected by heavy rain, which saw a series of knock-ons from both sides.
Eventually the Bulls got a shot at goal for Johannes in the 71st minute, but the replacement flyhalf pulled his effort from the 22-metre mark wide to the left.
Johannes, though, redeemed himself two minutes later when he was presented with another penalty attempt, but this time, it was a much tougher kick from the 10m line on the angle.
The 25-year-old showed his class and temperament as he booted the ball through the uprights with aplomb to put the Bulls into a 16-13 lead.
The visitors battled to keep their composure in the closing stages as first fullback Devon Williams and then Johannes kicked the ball straight into touch instead of downfield.
Munster never gave up until the final whistle, working their way up the pitch to the Bulls 22 through 20 phases, but the defence held firm to force a knock-on, with the ball cleared into touch to clinch a famous victory in Ireland.
But in reality, it should never have been that close as the Bulls were once again guilty of poor finishing.
Time and again they got into the Munster 22, but a knock-on here, loose pass there and committed defence from the hosts saw the visitors score a lone try by Coetzee.
The openside flank was outstanding throughout, taking the Bulls over the advantage line with his energetic carries, while he also defended with great courage.
Mind you, No 8 Cameron Hanekom wasn’t far behind, showing much more aggression and making a more significant impact than in last week’s Challenge Cup quarter-final loss to Edinburgh.
The Bulls varied their play smartly in the first half, using their kicking game to good effect as halfbacks Embrose Papier and Goosen mixed it up with box-kicks and tactical touch-finders.
Wing Canan Moodie also chased those kicks with vigour and won a number of balls in the air.
Jack Crowley opened the scoring for Munster with a ninth-minute penalty, but the first try came from the Bulls in the 16th minute.
Hanekom, lock Cobus Wiese and prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels carried the ball up with conviction, and Coetzee dived over the ruck to dot down.
Marcell Coetzee powers over for the Vodacom Bulls 🐂💥
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Munster’s South African fullback Thaakir Abrahams’ speed across the ground saved his team several times as he fielded the Bulls’ kicks, but Goosen increased the lead to 10-3 with a 23rd-minute penalty.
Abrahams – a cousin of Stormers captain Salmaan Moerat and a former Junior Springbok who hails from Paarl – was rewarded for his defensive work when he rounded off a concerted Munster attack just before halftime to level the scores at 10-10.
Textbook stuff from @Munsterrugby 📖
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They find a way to get across the line 💪#BKTURC #URC | #MUNvBUL pic.twitter.com/Lo1qLzMcGN
Papier had a nightmare start to the second half as he kicked the ball out on the full and then received a yellow card for being offside from a Munster tap penalty close to the tryline.
The Bulls also didn’t get much joy out of Italian referee Andrea Piardi’s whistle at the scrums and breakdowns, but eventually got a penalty following a monster Wilco Louw scrum and Hanekom turnover.
But once the rain started falling heavily with half-an-hour to go, handling became a lottery.
Goosen and Crowley exchanged penalties to take the score to 13-13 after 51 minutes, and then there was a bizarre period of uncontested scrums and Munster going down to 14 men as replacement prop Stephen Archer went off injured.
Vodacom Man of the Match? More like 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 of the Match – take a bow, Marcell Coetzee. 👏@Vodacom #URC | #RaceToTheEight | #MUNvBUL pic.twitter.com/GpJQPNDCBW
Early in the first half, starting No 3 Oli Jager went off for an HIA and never returned, and Munster pointed out to the officials that they should still play with 15 men – which was only cleared up 14 minutes later as another replacement came on.
By that point, the Bulls had lost their shape on attack, with mainly one-off runners taking it up the middle, while hooker Johan Grobbelaar had a skew lineout throw-in as well.
Reserve scrumhalf Zak Burger earned a second breakdown penalty for Johannes to shoot at goal, but the replacement flyhalf missed the target from just outside the Munster 22.
Johannes, though, calmed the nerves a few minutes later to bang over a brilliant kick of over 40 metres – just in front of the Munster 10m line and about 14 metres in from touch – to put the Bulls in front.
Then came the thrilling finish, and the South Africans held on to move up to 54 points on the log – level with second-placed Glasgow, who were playing against Zebre in Italy at the time of writing.
Points-Scorers
Munster 13 – Try: Thaakir Abrahams. Conversion: Jack Crowley (1). Penalties: Crowley (2).
Bulls 16 – Try: Marcell Coetzee. Conversion: Johan Goosen (1). Penalties: Goosen (2), Keagan Johannes (1).