United Rugby Championship: Leinster unbeaten run ends with defeat by Bulls

Johan Grobbelaar runs in for one of his two tries for Bulls

Leinster lost for the first time in the United Rugby Championship this season as Bulls secured an emphatic 62-7 win in Pretoria.

Kurt-Lee Arendse, Johan Grobbelaar and Canan Moodie all crossed twice as the hosts ran in a total of nine tries.

Ruan Nortje, Stedman Gans and Harold Vorster were the Bulls' other scorers.

Prop Michael Milne scored Leinster's only try as the Irish province rested their senior players, having already secured first place in the URC table.

Johan Goosen kicked seven conversions and a penalty for Bulls, with Sam Prendergast adding the extras to Milne's second-half touchdown.

The home side went into their final game of the regular league season having already guaranteed play-off rugby, but the win will help them climb the table, improve their seeding for the knockout stages of the tournament and assist with their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions Cup, depending on other results.

The hosts were in command from the outset, dominating territory and possession which turned into points with a simple penalty from Goosen and a try from captain Nortje, who powered over from close range to extend his side's early lead.

The visitors' inexperienced line-up was in the unfamiliar position of being on the ropes in the early stages and they struggled to retain possession or sustain any meaningful attack.

Arendse took advantage of his side's dominance, scoring an impressive quickfire double to leave Leinster's young guns trailing.

The misery for Leo Cullen's side continued, as Grobbelaar scored either side of the half time break to give his side the bonus point and, although Goosen missed his first kick of the day for Grobbealaar's second try, the Bulls looked comfortable and the game was over as a contest.

Bulls continued to probe and stretch the Leinster defence, this time using a cross-kick from out-half Goosen to find Moodie, who collected over the head of Dave Kearney and touched down to extend his side's lead further.

Another Bulls try from centre Gans was followed by a rare Leinster attack that resulted in a consolation try for prop Milne, who barged his way over following a brief period of Leinster momentum.

The respite was brief however, and Bulls took advantage of the tired-looking Leinster defence as the game wore on, with tries from Vorster and Moodie in quick succession capping off what was an impressive win.

Leinster will now prepare for their Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulouse in Dublin next Saturday.

Bulls: Moodie; Kriel, Hendricks, Vorster, Tambwe; Smith, Burger; Steenekamp, Grobbelaar, Smith; Steenekamp, Nortje; Coetzee (capt), Botha, Louw.

Replacements: du Plessis, Matanzima, Hunt, Swanepoel, Steenkamp, Papier, Steyn, Arendse.

Leinster: Cosgrove; T O'Brien, Turner, Brownlee, Kearney; Prendergast, McCarthy; E Byrne, McElroy, Clarkson; Soroka, Deeny; Culhane, Connors, Deegan.

Replacements: Barron, Milne, Lasisi, O'Tighearnaigh, Molony, Murphy, Tector, Russell.

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