Reds slip past Bulls in Brisbane

The Red managed to outlast the Bulls invasion of Brisbane in a 23-18 victory, following the Reds loss to the Western Force the week before.

Bulls centre JJ Engelbrecht’s burst at the end was the closest they came to scoring a try on the night, a fact that will haunt them as they head to a tougher match next week against the Brumbies.

And were it not for the boot of Louis Fouchè the Bulls may have struggled to keep in touch on the scoreboard. The Bulls’ pressure game in the first half was good, allowing them to hold a slender 6-3 lead in early action. Some poor defence allowed Quade Cooper to ghost through past a ruck and let Jonno Lance score shortly after his return to the field following a yellow card, sending the Reds 13-6 in at the break.

Three quick penalties in the second half brought the Bulls right back into it, and allowed them to move into a 15-13 lead. A crucial moment happened when Lionel Mapoe was yellow-carded for his tackle on James Slipper and it cost the Bulls their lead and 10 points while the winger was on the sidelines.

Cooper found the space he needed shortly after Mapoe’s departure, as the Reds attacked and left him to dance around Werner Kruger to put his team back into the lead, and then added a penalty shortly afterwards.

With the hooter sounding, the Bulls had one final chance and looked to have scored when the replays showed Engelbrecht’s foot in touch.

Scorers

Reds – Tries: Jonno Lance, Quade Cooper. Conversions: Cooper (2). Penalty: Cooper (3).

Vodacom Bulls – Penalties: Louis Fouchè (5), Mornè Steyn.