David Kriel came through in the clutch to score 14 points as the Vodacom Bulls overhauled the Lions in the URC derby at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Bulls centre stepped into the breach in the second half when misfiring goal-kicker Boeta Chamberlain was replaced by Willie le Roux, kicking three conversions and a penalty to go with a try in the first half as visitors won 37-22.
The conversions of three second-half tries tell the story of a Bulls bench that pulled off a remarkable rescue mission. The Bulls trailed 11-10 at the break and lost talismanic Springbok forwards Ruan Nortje and Elrigh Louw to what appeared to be serious injuries during the match, but Le Roux trotted on with fellow substitutes Canan Moodie and Akker van der Merwe and teamed up with diesel-powered flanker Marcell Coetzee to beat the Lions 27-11 in the second 40.
The Lions weathered a dominant start from the Bulls, coming back from a 10-point deficit to head into the changerooms with a one-point lead. Shortly after the restart, there was a lengthy break after Louw was stretchered off with a serious knee injury.
Perhaps galvanised by the incident, the Bulls rallied and took control of the contest, despite the Lions showing glimpses with limited possession.
Kriel’s haul was complemented by tries from Coetzee, lock Cobus Wiese andVan der Merwe, while flyhalf Chamberlain kicked eight points from the tee.
For the Lions, centre Henco van Wyk was joined on the try-scorers list by lock Etienne Oosthuizen, while flyhalf Sam Francis contributed 12 points with the boot.
The local derbies continue next week with the Lions welcoming the Stormers to Ellis Park, while the Bulls return to Loftus to host the Sharks.
