Bulls fightback sinks Edinburgh to book semi spot

URC play-off quarter-final: Bulls v Edinburgh

Bulls (18) 42

Tries: Hanekom, Kriel, Vorster, Moodie, Johannes, Nortje Cons: Johannes 3 Pens: Johannes 2

Edinburgh (21) 33

Tries: Goosen 2, Thompson 2, Ashman Cons: Thompson 4

A 12-minute blitz astatine nan commencement of nan 2nd half helped nan Bulls roar backmost from down to sound Edinburgh retired of nan United Rugby Championship play-offs astatine nan quarter-final stage.

The Scottish broadside had built a commanding 13-point lead successful Pretoria pinch Wes Goosen going complete early connected and Ross Thompson crossing either broadside of Cameron Hanekom's effort for nan hosts.

David Kriel and Harold Vorster reduced nan Bulls' shortage earlier half-time.

And Jake White's broadside took complaint aft nan restart arsenic Canan Moodie burst done to put them successful beforehand and Keagan Johannes exploited different spread for their 5th try.

Ruan Nortje took nan South African hosts further successful beforehand earlier Ewan Ashman's effort and different from Goosen gave Edinburgh precocious hope.

Travelling to nan high-altitude Loftus Versfeld Stadium is nary mean feat, but Edinburgh could return inspiration from Glasgow Warriors' heroics a twelvemonth agone erstwhile they upset nan Bulls connected location ungraded to triumph nan URC title.

The visitors started pinch each nan momentum built from nan last fewer weeks of nan regular season.

Sean Everitt's broadside person been written disconnected astatine times this play but nan past fewer games person already had a play-off consciousness to them, fixed their win-or-bust nature. Until nan quarter-final, Edinburgh had produced.

They started fast, assisted by Sebastian de Klerk's early yellowish card. With nan hosts down to 14 men, Edinburgh scored doubly successful speedy succession done Goosen and Thompson.

Hanekom charged complete from short scope arsenic nan Bulls recovered their feet, but Thompson dotted down again to springiness nan visitors an unthinkable lead.

It wouldn't beryllium nan commanding advantage astatine nan break that Everitt wanted, though, arsenic Kriel and Vorster punished Edinburgh doubly for mediocre footwear chases, scoring connected nan counter.

The half-time whistle was blessed alleviation for nan visitors, but nan 2nd half didn't get immoderate easier. With nan upwind successful their sails, nan Bulls had turned nan people connected its caput aft 52 minutes.

First crossed Moodie, past Johannes and Nortje. Edinburgh looked retired connected their feet, sapped of power and morale, punch drunk from nan flurry of tries.

Ashman's people stopped them staggering, but a correction from nan restart led to Thompson being sin-binned, and Johannes knocked complete an easy punishment to put nan hosts retired of reach.

Goosen scored a questionable 5th effort for Edinburgh - location was a clear guardant walk successful nan build-up - but nan elevation was excessively large to climb and they had to make do pinch ending nan play pinch pride, alternatively of a semi-final place.

Bulls: Le Roux, Moodie, Kriel, Vorster, De Klerk, Johannes, Papier, Wessels, J Grobbelaar, W. Louw, Wiese, Van Heerden, Coetzee, Nortje, Hanekom.

Replacements: Van der Merwe, Matanzima, M. Smith, Kirsten, Van Staden, Z Burger, Gans, Williams.

Edinburgh: Goosen, Graham, M Currie, Lang, Paterson, Thompson, Price, Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Sykes, Skinner, Ritchie, Watson, Bradbury.

Replacements: Harrison, Venter, Sebastian, McConnell, Muncaster, McAlpine, Healy, Bennett.