FT: Vodacom Bulls 16-21 Glasgow Warriors
We have won!
Ball held up!
Another Bulls penalty, they go to the corner again
We are five points ahead. Bulls have a five metre line out.
This is the last play as the clock ticks over 80
Bulls penalty
The referee penalises us again, this time on the 22. Goosen kicks to the corner.
One minute to go, Bulls attack
Bulls penalty
Devon Williams sends the ball to touch. It’s a line out to the home team on the 22.
Tom Jordan is sent to the sin bin
Bulls ball with 90 seconds to play. We are a man down, losing Tom Jordan for a high tackle.
Referee goes to the TMO
With two minutes left to play, the officials are looking at a possible high tackle from Tom Jordan.
Glasgow penalty
As the Bulls were gathering momentum Huw Jones faces up at the ruck. We lead by five with less than two minutes to play.
Glasgow trying to front up to every tackle
Bulls now maul
The home side try to make up metres from the maul. He edge up to half way.
Five minutes to play, we lead by five
Glasgow scrum
Just outside Bulls’ 22. George Horne feeds! And, sends Tuipulotu on the attack!
Bulls penalty
It’s not meant to be though and Bulls turnover again. However, the Bulls penalty kick does not go as planned rolling out over Glasgow’s dead ball. Scrum all the way back where we started. For Glasgow.
Henco Venter absolutely batters the defensive line. They are held on to him, but he’s still making metres. Now Matt Fagerson has a go. We move closer to the Bulls 22.
It’s short and Bulls send the ball back up field. Tom Jordan gathers and runs it in. We have possession.
Horne goes for goal
With nine minutes left to play and the score as it is. George Horne opts to kick for goal.
Glasgow penalty
Venter and Dempsey lay on the pressure from the line out, then a awry ball comes up in favour of Glasgow. We have another chance to kick further into Bulls’ half.
Line out on half way!
Glasgow penalty
We consume the pressure and stop that threat. Henco Venter the man to turn over the ball. We can clear our 22 here and build an attack deeper in Bulls territory.
Bulls attack
Bulls working through the phases. Making metres with each ball. They are in Glasgow’s 22. We must defend like nothing else here!
Replacements
Jack Dempsey and Matt Fagerson remain on the field despite earlier updates.
Referee calls it back
No try! A late tackle penalises Glasgow at the initial break.
Glasgow try
Jack Dempsey breaks the line from 30 metres out and runs in a try under the sticks. Try number four!
Horne converts
We move out in front!
Glasgow try
A lovely link up between Kyle Steyn and Huw Jones sees Glasgow score a third try and take the lead for the first time in this game. HERE WE GO.
From the penalty Kyle Steyn makes a break . He finds space on the wing. We are now in the opposition 22.
Glasgow penalty
Jamie Dobie gathers a high ball and finds space to break. He makes 20 metres, but with no other options available. The referee calls back an earlier penalty, in Glasgow’s favour.
Replacement
Henco Venter and Gregor Brown on.
They replace Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey.
Bulls penalty
Bulls close down that attach turning the ball over on the ground.
The maul is moving again, George Turner and George Horne commanding proceedings. They break away to see what options are open out wide. The ball goes to Cancelliere and he runs it in.
Glasgow penalty
From the scrum, Glasgow win a penalty and will go to the corner once again.
Another break
Josh McKay gathers the kick off and is set free beating his first opponents. He then punts it forward for a foot race, but the kick is too heavy. We go back to halfway.
Horne converts
Cool as anything George Horne adds the extras from a fairly awkward angle. There’s now just two points in this game. Here we go!
Glasgow try
Glasgow Warriors power over for their second score of the afternoon. This time from replacement hooker, George Turner!
The line out connects and the maul is on.
Glasgow penalty
From the kick off, Glasgow win the ball back, Kurt-Lee Ardense penalised. Tom Jordan sends us to the five metre line. A huge opportunity here!
Bulls penalty
Goosen adds another three points for Bulls.
Bulls line out
Both teams playing a territory game here. As with the first half. The defensive sets from both sides are almost unbreakable.
Glasgow pressure
Glasgow on the kick chase all the way back to Bulls’ line. With every kick the runners are right on top of their opposite numbers applying huge amounts of pressure. All that’s left to do here is for Bulls to clear from their lines and hand Warriors a line out from threatening territory.
Glasgow win the line out from Bulls and chase the kick back down field.
Replacements
Jamie Bhatti and Johnny Matthews off.
Nathan McBeth and George Turner on.
Bulls penalty
Glasgow not releasing on the ground and it’s a Bulls penalty. So close again!
The line out is good and the maul is moving.
It comes down. Darge drives up to five metres.
Glasgow penalty
Kyle Steyn disrupts the Bulls ruck and wins the ball back for Glasgow. Tom Jordan sends it to touch and it’s a Glasgow line out on the 22.
We’re back underway in South Africa
HT: Vodacom Bulls 13-7 Glasgow Warriors
Horne converts
George Horne adds the extras and we’re back within six points at he break!
Glasgow score
Right on half time, Scott Cummings gives Glasgow something to celebrate and breathe a sigh of relief. A powerful try from a metre out!
SCOTT CUMMINGS TRY
Darge takes it to within two metres!
Matt Fagerson breaks and reaches the five metre line. The ruck sets play.
Glasgow penalty
Rory Darge disrupting the Bulls maul winning the ball back for Glasgow. And they have a penalty deep in Bulls’ territory.
A much looser game in the past few moments. Both teams looking to break up the game and see if they can open things right up.
A significant break from Arendse is stopped by Sione Tuipulotu at the last. Then some clever kicks from George Horne threaten for Glasgow. But, defensively once again both teams tidy up well.
Close but no score
Glasgow then had a second chance to go for the try line, but a well executed jackal sees the Bulls turnover Glasgow once again metres from the line.
Glasgow break
Sebastian Cancelliere bursts out of a ruck unexpectedly with the ball. He makes 40 metres. The team then send the ball across field to find captain Steyn, he sees off his opposite men and is stopped by the very last man from crossing the try line. SO CLOSE!
Bulls penalty
The ball goes back and forth between the two teams. Defensively they are both looking good, not allowing anyone any space to open up play.
But, a late tackle sees Scott Cummings pinged at what first looks like a Glasgow turnover.
Goosen sends the ball down field.
Glasgow win back some front foot ball and get a few phases of attack stitched together. Sione Tuipulotu then kicks through a low to press Bulls back into their own 22.
Goosen adds the conversion and Bulls further their lead.
Bulls try
They couldn’t stop that attack though and Marco van Staden powers over the line for the first try.
Bulls penalty
Unfortunately, on the return attack Tom Jordan is penalised for not releasing. It’s another five metre line out.
No try
What an unbelievable defensive effort from Rory Darge and Zander Fagerson there. That is a hard, hard, hard play to stop. Goal line drop out.
Video review
The referee has gone up the stairs to get a better understanding where the ball has ended up here.
Bulls penalty
Bulls try to puncture the Glasgow defensive line from close quarters, on three occassions there. First the Fagerson brothers drove the attackers back, next Johnny Matthews and the third looks as though Rory Darge manages to hold up the ball on the thirs attempt at the whitewash.
Bulls possession
Bulls working through the phases in the middle of the field. And, this phase of attack leads to Glasgow giving up a penalty, for Matt Fagerson coming in at the side at the ruck..
Loose balls
A threatening attack from Kyle Steyn turns into an worrying counter attack from Bulls that see a foot race between Sebastian Cancelliere and David Kriel. Thankfully Cancelliere gets a hand to it and forces a knock on from Kriel on the bounce.
Glasgow scrum
From the kick off Glasgow win a scrum. The ball is knocked on in the ruck and the set piece here sits just inside Bulls’ 22.
Goosen converts
Goosen extends the Bulls’ lead, kicking that penalty through the sticks.
Bulls penalty
Glasgow hold Bulls off for ten or so phases, just shy of their try line. But the pressure ultimately leads to some indiscipline at the breakdown and it’s another Bulls penalty.
Bulls attack
Kurt-Lee Arendse showing his skill there with a break and chip through in threatening territory. However, Kyle Steyn manages to clear the ball out to touch.
Bulls penalty
An utterly dominant scrum from the home side, wins them a penalty from the scrum and Goosen kicks them down to Glasgow’s 22.
Bull scrum
Josh McKay makes a 25 metre run building up some amount of speed, bringing Glasgow back into the Bulls’ half. Unfortunately, the clearance pass gets knocked on and advantage is handed back to the home side.
Ball goes loose in the line out, but Cummings tidies things up quickly.
Glasgow line out
Glasgow looking to play a territory game here. Kurt-Lee Arendse returns the first kick back and puts the ball out on the halfway line. Glasgow line out.
Glasgow attack
Dempsey batters the Bulls line. Then so does Jordan, followed by Zander Fagerson, Johnny Matthews. They are looking for a way through here.
The two teams are camped deep in Bulls’ 22. Glasgow working through the phases.
Glasgow penalty
Bulls penalised at the breakdown and Tom Jordan sends us to the same corner as the previous line out. A chance to make amends for that first line out here.
The free kick lineout goes awry though and Bulls win a free kick.
Glasgow penalty
Josh McKay knocked out the air under the high ball, wins Glasgow a penalty. Tom Jordan sends us from halfway down into the Bulls 22.
Bulls score first
Johan Goosen scores the penalty after 90 seconds played.
Bulls penalty
Josh McKay gathers the high kick and offloads to the supporting Jamie Bhatti.
In the next phase George Horne sends up the box kick. Dempsey finds the ball, but the referee calls a penalty on halfway.
Bulls kick off, west to east
Please welcome the teams to the pitch, HERE WE GO
Club greats
A pair of club greats in Bakkies Botha (Bulls) and Ryan Wilson (Glasgow) bring the BKT URC trophy out onto the hallowed turf at Loftus.
They place it on the plinth and as the cameras look down the tunnel you can see the teams gather ready for this almighty battle!
53,000 fans grace a sold out Loftus Versfeld
Good evening and welcome
This is it. The big dance.
Our first final since 2019. The last two of 16 teams stand from the 2023/24 campaign. Both ourselves and the Bulls have the exact same win/loss ratio.
A win for Glasgow today, would be a first in the southern hemisphere since the BKT United Rugby Championship started and the DHL Stormers, Emirates Lions, Vodacom Bulls, and Hollywoodbets Sharks joined.
Kick-off 5:00 pm
Starting
-
Jamie Bhatti
1. Loosehead -
Johnny Matthews
2. Hooker -
Zander Fagerson
3. Tighthead -
Scott Cummings
4. Lock -
Richie Gray
5. Lock -
Matt Fagerson
6. Number 8 -
Rory Darge
7. Openside Flanker -
Jack Dempsey
8. Number 8 -
George Horne
9. Scrum-half -
Tom Jordan
10. Fly-half/centre -
Kyle Steyn
11. Outside Centre -
Sione Tuipulotu
12. Outside Centre -
Huw Jones
13. Centre -
Sebastián Cancelliere
14. Right-wing -
Josh McKay
15. Full-back