All Blacks prop Greg Somerville and winger Marika Vunibaka each scored two tries as the Canterbury Crusaders beat South Africa’s Bulls 40-21 in a Super 12 rugby match on Saturday.
Somerville’s international teammate Daniel Carter kicked 20 points — four conversions and four penalties from nine attempts — as the Crusaders closed in on a place in the championship semifinals.
”They’re a big, strong team and they really took it to us so we just had to grind it out,” said Crusaders captain Reuben Thorne.
”It wasn’t much of a match to look at but we got it in the end. They really attacked us and that cost us momentum. I don’t think we put together more than two or three phases at any stage.
”But we’ll take the points. It’s pretty close at the top of the table and any points we can get we’ll gladly accept.”
Vunibaka and Somerville each scored tries in a 10-minute period either side of halftime when the Bulls were reduced to 14 men by the sin-binning of flanker Piet Krause.
Krause was sent off by Australian referee George Ayoub for a professional foul. Vunibaka scored his first try to end the first half and Somerville scored his second to start the second and to boost the Crusaders to a 33-8 lead.
The Bulls came back to 33-21 remaining with tries to halfback Fourie du Preez and replacement fullback Willem de Waal but Vunibaka sealed the match and a bonus point with his second try six minutes from fulltime.
”I think we didn’t have a very good first half but we came out firing in the second half and just lost it in the end,” said Bulls captain Victor Matfield.
The Bulls scored the first try of the match through No. 8 Anton Leonard but Carter, with penalties in the eighth and 14th minutes, gave the Crusaders a lead they never yielded.
Somerville scored his first try from a quick lineout and Vunibaka added another when he was left unmarked on the blindside, close to the Bulls line. T
The television referee took several minutes to award Somerville his second try as he crashed over the Bulls line close to the posts.
Vunibaka’s second try, from a slick kick and chase, again exploited a diffident defence.
Tries: Daniel Carter 4 conversions, 4 penalties) def. Bulls 21 (Anton Leonard, Fourie du Preez, Willem de Waal tries; Derek Hougaard penalty; Willem de Waal penalty). – Sapa-AP