Bulls vs Connacht

It was until the 68th that Connacht got their first points when Jack Aungier drove the line. Another try came not longer when David Hawkshaw charged down a kick ...

Up the other end Hawkshaw misses a penalty to get Connacht on the board. But it is good news for Connacht who are awarded the penalty and bring play towards halfway. Under the jumper stuff from Bulls to force a number of infringements from Connacht. Connacht concede a third try before the half-time whistle. And it's nearly the perfect start for Connacht as Oliver blocks down a Bulls kick and they force a number of infringments from the home side. Mack Hansen has enough gas to chase back and get the ball done over his own try line. They have try on the five metre line....but they are penalised when the ball comes out for not releasing and Bulls bring play up to halfway. Connacht try to attack from deep but they get their lines all crossed and it ends up in a knock-on. That's the bonus point for the home side. The home side are down to 14 men for the next ten minutes. Mack Hansen has been a livewire for Connacht as he delivers a perfectly-timed pass to Oran McNulty who then finds Porch who finished very well by cutting inside his man. He then converts the try to bring the gap to 14 points between the sides.

The Bulls will embark on their three-match URC tour next week with three wins from as many starts after a comfortable, bonus point victory over Connacht at ...

Conversions: Hawkshaw (2) Connacht - (0) 14 Bulls - (21) 28

The Vodacom Bulls continued their unbeaten start to the season with flashes of panache steering the hosts to a bonus-point victory over Connacht in Pretoria ...

Connacht were able to take advantage and add one further consolation score through David Hawkshaw. The rest of the game became a bit of a mess as the Bulls had to play with 13 men when S’bu Nkosi was forced off due to a technicality in Wessels’ yellow card. It took just five minutes after half-time for Burger to grab his second try and seal the bonus-point for the Bulls, before Connacht hit back through replacement prop Jack Aungier after Jan-Hendrik Wessels became the third player in blue to be yellow-carded.

Andy Friend's side remain rooted to the bottom of the United Rugby Championship table with no points from three games. Friday's match was always going to be a ...

Aungier held off three tacklers for a 67th minute try, before David Hawkshaw charged down Chris Smith's attempted clearance to score the visitors' second try in quick succession, but the comeback came too late as the Bulls held on to win. Bulls were again temporarily reduced for 14 when Johan Goosen was sent to the sin-bin for a head-on-head collision with Kieran Marmion, allowing Connacht to apply some late pressure. The score was soon doubled as the Bulls romped down the right and to within a metre, allowing Burger to snipe over from the base of a ruck.

First half injuries to Springboks wings Canan Moodie and Sbi Nkosi and hooker Johan Grobbelaar soured the Bulls' bonus-point win over Connacht on Friday ...

But then Van Staden received a yellow card for lifting the legs of a ball-carrier, and the departures of Moodie and Grobbelaar further hampered the Bulls. Nkosi then took a blow to the head and neck area around the 70-minute mark in a high tackle from Connacht captain and No 8 Jarrad Butler, and was attended to by the medical staff before going off for a head injury assessment (HIA). Moodie and Grobbelaar went off around the 25th minute, with the No 14 battling with a hamstring issue and the front-ranker limping a bit with an ankle problem.

Connacht's poor start to their United Rugby Championship campaign continued with a 28-14 defeat against the Bulls in Pretoria.

[Jan-Hendrik Wessels](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/jan-hendrik-wessels/) was then sin-binned for a late challenge, and Connacht capitalised through Aungier’s try that Hawkshaw converted, before Hawkshaw added the extras to his own touchdown during a strong finish. [Connacht](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/connacht/) scrum-half Kieran Marmion. [Ruan Nortje](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/ruan-nortje/) surged clear in open play and sent Burger over for his second score. [Johan Goosen](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/johan-goosen/) converted both touchdowns, and he also added the extras to tries from [Marcell Coetzee](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/marcell-coetzee/) and a second by Burger, with prop [Jack Aungier](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/jack-aungier/) and fly-half [David Hawkshaw](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/david-hawkshaw/) claiming late consolations for Connacht, and Hawkshaw adding two conversions. [Marco van Staden](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/marco-van-staden/), but they could not reduce the deficit despite some attacking in-roads made by [Ireland](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/ireland/) international wing Mack Hansen. [Rugby Championship](https://www.rugbypass.com/the-rugby-championship/) campaign continued with a 28-14 defeat against the [Bulls](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/bulls/) in Pretoria. [Johan Grobbelaar](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/johan-grobbelaar/) touched down following a lineout drive, but the try was disallowed for a flying wedge movement. The Bulls were reduced to 14 players for a second time when Italian referee Andrea Piardi yellow-carded Goosen following head-on-head contact with [Kurt-Lee Arendse](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/kurt-lee-arendse/) and scrum-half Zak Burger scored tries during the opening 10 minutes at Loftus Versfeld. The visitors were then shredded in defence by a blistering Bulls counter-attack, before Burger scored from close range and Goosen added the extras for a 14-point advantage. Connacht players were back behind the posts just five minutes later, and this time there was no reprieve after Arendse sprinted clear for an opportunist try that Goosen converted. [1 Mtawarira posts new Genge message 18 months after critical tweet](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/mtawarira-posts-new-genge-message-18-months-after-critical-tweet-roc-nation/) [2 'Perfect fit' ex-All Black touted to replace Lancaster at Leinster](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/perfect-fit-ex-all-black-touted-to-replace-lancaster-at-leinster/) [3 'Disappointing' Baxter comments haven't landed well in Worcester](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/disappointing-baxter-comments-havent-landed-well-in-worcester/) [4 Player exodus expected after Worcester fail to pay September wages](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/player-exodus-expected-after-worcester-fail-to-pay-september-wages/) [5 URC statement: Bundee Aki cops hefty ban for his latest red card](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/urc-statement-bundee-aki-cops-hefty-ban-for-his-latest-red-card-ireland/) [More News](https://www.rugbypass.com/)