Rugby: Bulls back to winning ways

The Bulls charged over the Chiefs in Hamilton with a 33-19 victory. Photo / Getty Images

The Bulls recovered from their Super 14 rugby speed bump to deservedly beat the Chiefs 33-19 in Hamilton tonight.

The reigning champions registered their first Super victory in Hamilton, an important milestone coming immediately after their first loss of the season last weekend to the Blues in Auckland.

They were well worth the win, too, scoring four tries to one despite having one to halfback Fourie du Preez ruled out late in the second half because of an earlier infringement.

They dominated the last quarter when their physical strength came to the fore as hooker Gary Botha scored under the crossbar following a break by du Preez and loose forward Dewald Potgieter grabbed their bonus-point fourth two minutes from fulltime following a lineout maul.

The Chiefs, decimated by a growing injury toll, were highly competitive for 60 minutes but faded in the last quarter as the South Africans imposed themselves.

The Bulls had their noses in front 15-13 after a tight first half featuring three tries, two of them to the South Africans.

Left wing Gerhard van den Heever crossed in the ninth minute after entering the line following a lineout, a one-tap in-pass from first five-eighth Morne Steyn confusing the Chiefs defence as van den Heever ran through a hole.

Number eight Pierre Spies scored in more conventional fashion 20 minutes later after taking the ball as the first receiver off a ruck, a score which saw the Bulls retake a lead they would not relinquish before the break.

The Chiefs' best moment came in the 11th minute when halfback Brendon Leonard scored an opportunist try, toeing the ball ahead after chasing a kick from Stephen Donald and positioning himself to pounce when Steyn failed to gather the ball just short of his own tryline.

Bulls 33 (Gerhard van den Heever, Pierre Spies, Gary Botha, Dewald Potgiter tries; Mornie Steyn 3 pen, 2 con) Chiefs 19 (Brendon Leonard try; Stephen Donald 4 pen, con). Halftime: 15-13.

- NZPA