Flyhalf Louis Koen kicked nine goals from 10 attempts to lift the Northern Bulls to their first Super 12 win outside South Africa, 46-34 Saturday over the Wellington Hurricanes.
The Bulls took a bonus point for four tries, including a penalty try, and Koen added to their total with four conversions, five penalties and his fourth dropped goal in two matches. The win, following last week’s over the Cats, kept the perennial cellar dwellers unbeaten this season. It was the first win for the five-year-old Pretoria-based franchise in Australasia and only its second win since May 2001.
Koen slotted nine consecutive goals from a variety of testing angles and distances before his 10th attempt slid past the posts and broke his perfect kicking record this season. He became the first player in Super 12 history to score 25 points in consecutive games and he took only two games to set a record for the most dropped goals in a Super 12 season.
”His success is not an accident,” Bulls captain and former Springbok halfback Joost van der Westhuizen said after the match. ”He works very hard at his kicking. He practices several times a week and he’s a guy with a goal.”
Koen’s relentless accuracy backed up the overwhelming superiority of the Bulls in scrums. The Hurricanes stayed in the match through typical backline brilliance and an ability to sting the Bulls on counterattack. The match was played at a frenetic pace and there were 50 points on the board by halftime when the Bulls led 30-20.
The Hurricanes seemed to have turned the tide of the match when they scored two
tries in two minutes in the second half to led 34-30. But the Bulls, stirred into action, reclaimed the lead with two Koen penalties and nailed the match with a late, intercept try.
”It’s absolutely extraordinary,” van der Westhuizen said. We came down here to win and we knew if played our own game plan, especially with the wind against us in the first half, we could come through.
”The win is the result of a lot of hard work. We started training in November last year. We don’t have a lot of stars but have players we do have play with passion and have a determination to make a mark.”
Hurricanes captain, All Black center Tana Umaga, said his team had been rattled into errors by the Bulls aggression and determination.
”They put in a committed effort and that took toll on us,” said Umaga. ”They were relentless in the pressure they put on us, on our scrum and our inside backs.
”They had one flat patch just after halftime but they regrouped and came back at us.”
After an early exchange of penalties, Bulls left wing Fabian Juries scored the first try of the match, slipping under the defence near the corner flag. His score was confirmed by the television official. All Black fullback Christian Cullen kept up a personal try scoring record against the Bulls, snatching his fifth try in six matches.
Hurricanes halfback Jason Spice scored a try in his 50th Super 12 appearance but the Bulls grabbed the halftime lead through Koen’s boot and an opportunist try to center Frikkie Welsh. Tries to powerful wing Ma’a Nonu and flanker Rodney So’oialo in the 48th and 49th minutes gave the Hurricanes the lead before the Bulls regrouped.
Koen kicked them to the lead, then flanker Wikkus van Heerden scored for the visitors, intercepting a pass at a goalline scrum.
Scores: NORTHERN BULLS 46 (Fabian Juries, Frikkie Welsh, Wikkus Van Heerden tries; penalty try; Louis Koen 4 conversions, 5 penalties, drop goal) def.
WELLINGTON 34 (Christian Cullen, Jason Spice, Ma’a Nonu, Rodney So’oialo tries; Riki Flutey 4 conversions, 2 penalties). – Sapa-AP