Bulls bully Bayonne to book quarters spot

The Vodacom Bulls scored four tries as Jake White’s charges beat Bayonne on Saturday in the southwest of France to progress to the EPCR Challenge Cup last eight for the first time.

Leading 15-8 at half time, flyhalf Keagan Johannes kicked seven points in a well-earned 32-22 win for the Bulls at Parc des Sports, and next week in the quarter-finals they face Edinburgh in Scotland.

Two first-half tries from right winger Sergeal Petersen and lock Reinhardt Ludwig and a conversion and penalty from Johannes powered the visitors in front at the break, yet the home side remained within touching distance courtesy of a Federico Mori touchdown and the boot of scrumhalf Baptiste Germain.

The Bulls drew first blood soon after the restart when outside centre David Kriel soared over the whitewash, and Johannes added the extras, but loose forward Remi Bourdeau pulled one back for Bayonne from close range. No 10 Tom Spring split the uprights to close the gap to seven points.

What a start from the @BlueBullsRugby as Sergeal Petersen goes over following a fine team move!

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— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) April 5, 2025

The Herd were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes as the game entered the final quarter after hooker Akker van der Merwe saw yellow for a high tackle on speedster Nadir Megdoud.

But, the Pretoria outfit dug deep to navigate the numerical disadvantage, before openside flanker Marco van Staden muscled his way into the endzone for his side’s fourth.

A converted Spring try at the death made it a nervous finish for White and his troops, but two clean strikes from in front of the uprights by replacement Johan Goosen put the result beyond doubt for the men from the Republic.

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