If there were any doubts about the Bulls’ intent this Currie Cup season, they crushed them with a powerful performance in Pretoria.
Using their forwards as a battering ram, the Bulls steamrolled Western Province 48–23 in a clash that was essentially decided by halftime.
Bulls Start Fast and Never Let Up
Right from the first whistle, the Bulls showed they meant business.
Just five minutes in, hooker Joe van Zyl crashed over from a rolling maul to get the scoreboard ticking.
Western Province managed to hit back with a penalty from Kyle Smith, but they soon found themselves on the back foot — and down a man — when Zain Davids was sent to the sin bin.
The Bulls took full advantage. Scrumhalf Zak Burger spotted space and darted over for their second try, piling pressure on the Province defence.
Though WP narrowed the gap again via another Smith penalty, they briefly turned the tide when Shilton van Wyk pounced on a wayward pass and sprinted away to score an opportunistic try.
Discipline Costs WP as Bulls Keep Charging
That flash of hope for the home crowd didn’t last.
The Bulls responded with another bruising maul, and this time Sintu Manjezi muscled over the line.
WP’s discipline soon unraveled completely — both of their locks were yellow-carded, and with their pack down to six forwards, they simply couldn’t compete.
From that dominance came the Bulls’ fourth try — Jeandré Rudolph diving over after a rock-solid scrum shoved Province off the ball.
Even a yellow card for Chris Smit didn’t slow the Bulls down. Burger crossed again before halftime, and Boeta Chamberlain slotted a penalty to send the Bulls into the break with a commanding 36–14 lead.
Province Rally Slightly, But the Bulls Finish Strong
After the restart, WP showed a little more composure.
Courtnall Skosan finished off a well-worked move to give the home fans something to cheer about.
But once again, the Bulls had the answer.
Rudolph capped off a strong day by bagging his second try, taking advantage of slick handling near the line.
Chamberlain added one final blow with a penalty in the 78th minute, closing out what was an emphatic and ruthless performance from the Pretoria side.
Bulls Look Ready, Province Left Searching for Answers
While Western Province will need to seriously regroup before facing the Lions next, the Bulls are looking sharp and structured going into round two.
Their forward pack is firing, their discipline is holding, and their confidence is clear.