Bulls End Losing Run With Crucial Comeback in Pau

The Bulls kept their Investec Champions Cup campaign alive with a 26-24 victory over Section Paloise in Pau on Friday night, overturning a nine-point half-time deficit and snapping a seven-match losing streak in the process.

Trailing 21-12 at the break at Stade du Hameau, the Pretoria side appeared set for another disappointing result. Instead, a disciplined second-half display, backed by major impact from the bench, shifted the contest and left the Bulls in contention for a place in the Round of 16.

The result moves the Bulls to fourth in Pool 4 on seven points. Pau stay on six, while Scarlets, on two points, must beat last season’s finalists Northampton Saints by a significant margin on Sunday to deny the South Africans a qualifying spot.

Head coach Johan Ackermann made 11 changes after the heavy defeat to Bristol Bears the previous weekend, opting for a stronger replacements’ bench. That decision proved decisive. Loose forward Jeandré Rudolph and veteran Nizaam Carr led the late surge that eventually closed out the match.

Rudolph, who has been one of the Bulls’ most consistent performers this season, produced two crucial breakdown turnovers, including the match-winning steal in the final minutes as Pau pressed for a drop-goal opportunity. Carr completed 24 tackles, many of them in the closing stages, as the Bulls defended their narrow lead through more than 20 phases inside their own half.

Up front, the loose trio of Carr, Marcell Coetzee and Mpilo Gumede set the tone with a combative performance against a physical Pau pack. After weeks in which missed tackles and defensive lapses had cost the Bulls, their organisation and discipline without the ball stood out. They conceded no penalties in the closing stages despite sustained pressure in their 22.

Pau controlled long periods of the first half. Their direct carries and accurate kicking pinned the Bulls back, and three tries before the interval gave the French side a 21-12 advantage. The Bulls, however, stayed in touch through opportunistic scores and improved field position from a more effective kicking game.

After half-time the visitors tightened their defence and gained more territory. The Bulls’ scrum and maul began to yield penalties, and Pau’s attack lost fluency. A converted try brought the South Africans within two points, and a subsequent penalty nudged them into a 26-24 lead heading into the final quarter.

From there, the match became a test of nerve. Pau camped inside the Bulls’ half, working through repeated phases as their fly-half positioned himself for the drop goal that would likely have decided the fixture. Each time the hosts gained a metre, the Bulls’ defenders reset and held the line, forcing carries into contact and denying clean ball.

Eventually, with the clock in the red, Rudolph got over the ball at the breakdown and won the decisive penalty. The reaction from the Bulls’ players and staff underlined the weight of the previous seven weeks. The win does not guarantee a comfortable path in the competition – they are likely to face a high-ranked opponent away from home if they progress – but it ends a damaging run of results and restores confidence.

For Ackermann, the match provided evidence that his side can close out tight European fixtures under pressure. For the Bulls, the immediate concern now shifts to Llanelli, where Scarlets’ clash with Northampton will decide whether this performance forms the basis of a knockout campaign or stands as a single, badly needed course correction.

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