Brimming Jake beams over Bulls’ backline prowess: ‘Gee, the backs played well’ | Sport

Madosh Tambwe and Kurt-Lee Arendse. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)

• Bulls director of rugby Jake White gave his backline a nod of approval after their four-try Ulster demolition.
• Fullback Kurt-Lee Arendse added to his growing reputation with an opportunistic intercept try.
• The Bulls travel to Cape Town for a meeting with the Stormers next week.

Jake White was as happy as a kid with a huge slice of cake after his Bulls side went into sixth gear to defeat Irish club Ulster in the United Rugby Championship (URC) at Loftus on Saturday.

After going into the tunned 9-3 down to the Ulstermen at half-time, in a rigid as steel defensive period, the Bulls came back to score for tries for a 34-16 victory in from of nearly 20 000 fans.

Madosh Tambwe, the reportedly France-bound in-form winger, scored his fifth try of the competition, while flank Marcell Coetzee and hooker Johan Grobbelaar added their eighth.

Fullback Kurt-Lee Arendse wouldn’t be left out of the fun either, as he intercepted late on to run 70m and scored the try that put the nail in Ulster’s coffin.

The diminutive fullback, who is an almost exact cardboard cut out of Gio Aplon, impressed White against a side known to be defensively superior to the Dragons he slew the week before.

READ | Coetzee is fabulous as Bulls treat fans to fulsome four-try win over Ulster

“People asked me in the week whether Kurt-Lee’s style will suit this game. He was outstanding. He made a try,” said White.

“People talk about our defence but, flip, our attack was good too. We opened them up with some of the plays we ran.

“When we went down the short side when Harold (Vorster) changed direction in a set play, it nearly worked. Madosh got tackled and turned over.

“The other one when Kurt-Lee came in the line and gave it to Madosh, I think we scored then.

“That was our attack again understanding how they defend. We’ve got a good backline now.

“When you play Cornal (Hendricks), a winger, at 13 and 12, then we’ve got Lionel (Mapoe) and Morne (Steyn) on the bench, Springboks, it gives us confidence.

“It was a hard game. It was physical for the forwards but, gee, the backs also played well.”

The Bulls are now one point behind the Stormers (6th) in 7th position on the URC standings and six points shy of fifth-placed Edinburgh with a game in hand.

With the Sharks in 8th place, the three leading South African franchises are in a good position to make the last eight but are aiming to secure home playoff berths to boot.

However, the catch is that they face each other this weekend, with the Stormers hosting the Bulls in Cape Town and the Sharks welcoming the Lions to Kings Park. 

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