Bulls Open URC Campaign With a Statement in Italy
Away trips to Italy have humbled bigger sides than this Bulls squad in years past, but there was little sign of nerves on Saturday. The Bulls dismantled Zebre 47-13 in their United Rugby Championship opener, a scoreline built on quick ball, sharp support lines and a half-back pairing that controlled the tempo from the first whistle.
Paul de Wet was the architect. The scrum-half gained 118 metres, broke the line repeatedly and set the platform for a performance that never let Zebre settle into the contest. Willie le Roux, operating at fullback, added 14 carries and set up two tries with the kind of vision that has defined his career at the highest level, a reminder that experience still counts for plenty in a competition increasingly shaped by younger legs.
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Vorster and the Forwards Do the Rest
Harold Vorster carried well and eventually broke through Zebre’s defensive line for a try of his own, rounding out a midfield performance that gave the Bulls’ backline balance between de Wet’s guile and Le Roux’s playmaking. Up front, Jeandre Rudolph, Marcell Coetzee and Reinhardt Ludwig each drew strong marks for a pack that won the collisions and denied Zebre any sustained possession in their own backyard.
Ruan Vermaak and Zak Burger were among the try scorers as the Bulls pulled clear in the second half, turning a contest that started as a URC opener into something closer to a men-against-boys mismatch by full time. Zebre, playing in front of their own supporters, had no response once the Bulls found their rhythm after the break.
Round One Sets the Tone
A 34-point away win to open the campaign is the kind of result that shapes early conversations about URC contenders, even this early in the season. The Bulls have made deep runs in this competition before, and a performance built on set-piece dominance and individual quality in the middle of the park suggests this year’s squad has the pieces to go further still. For Zebre, the challenge now is turning the page fast, before a difficult URC campaign gets away from them in round two.
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