Bulls captain Ruan Nortjé praised his team’s “never-say-die attitude” after the Pretoria side produced heroic defence to hold out Munster in a thrilling 16-13 United Rugby Championship victory in Limerick on Saturday night.
The win saw the South Africans move up to second on the URC log temporarily on 54 points, the same as Glasgow, who were playing against Zebre at the time of writing.
The Bulls completed their ‘Grand Slam’ of Irish teams this season, after getting past Ulster 47-21, Connacht 28-14 and Leinster 21-20, while they also made history by becoming the first SA side to win at Thomond Park as they avenged last year’s 27-22 defeat to Munster at Loftus Versfeld.
Despite Keagan Johannes’ 73rd-minute penalty, the Bulls looked shaky in the closing stages of Saturday night’s epic showdown in Limerick.
The kick that won the match ☑️
Pure perfection from the tee 🤌#BKTURC #URC | #MUNvBUL pic.twitter.com/suNDsRpX1w
Coach Jake White’s side went up 16-13 with Johannes’ terrific three-pointer from close to the Munster 10-metre line – after he missed a much easier penalty from near the 22 a few minutes before that.
But in a frantic finish, the Bulls nearly lost their way as first fullback Devon Williams booted the ball straight into touch, and then Johannes repeated the mistake in the final minute.
Nortjé and his team, though, showed real grit as they never stopped tackling despite Munster forging their way up the field near the Bulls 22.
Wing Sebastian de Klerk tackled Munster No 14 Sean O’Brien and the ball squirted loose, before David Kriel passed to Mornay Smith, who offloaded to Canan Moodie, who kicked it into touch to clinch a memorable victory.
“It was massive. It’s indescribable. It’s special to come here and get a win,” No 5 lock Nortjé said in a post-match TV interview on SuperSport.
“I just think the effort, and a never-say-die attitude... The biggest thing for us was coming with the right plan.
“Munster are a very good attacking team, and tactically, they’re very good. So, I think our contestables (kicks) were very good today, and it’s a massive team effort today.
“Really honoured to represent an awesome team.
“We will gain a lot of confidence out of this. Munster are a quality side, and a really tough place to play.
“But it’s good to see that we can actually do it here.”
Marcell Coetzee powers over for the Vodacom Bulls 🐂💥
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) April 19, 2025
📺 Stream #VURC on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/vnaRK5cWtS
Bulls flank Marcell Coetzee, who scored the only try by the visitors in the first half, led from the front with a typically belligerent display.
The 33-year-old used all his experience from his five-year stint with Ulster in the past to help the Bulls absorb the pressure from Munster and seal a famous win in the rain at Thomond Park.
“We were very disappointed with our result last weekend (the Challenge Cup quarter-final loss to Edinburgh), and we thought about making the shift,” Coetzee said on SuperSport.
“Playing against a Munster side that’s a really quality side – (lots of) British and Irish Lions internationals.
“The vibe here is immense, so we prepared for that. It could’ve gone either way today.
“We know the conditions in Ireland – you sometimes get four seasons in one day!
“But it’s enjoyable. We love coming to Ireland, love playing here. I’ve been here for five years.
“The team worked hard for this. We knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy battle, and to achieve that milestone just shows the quality of Munster to keep sides out at their stadium.”
Now the Bulls have a real chance of pushing for second place on the log as they will travel to Scotland to face Glasgow on Friday (8.35pm kick-off).
Points-Scorers
Munster 13 – Try: Thaakir Abrahams. Conversion: Jack Crowley (1). Penalties: Crowley (2).
Bulls 16 – Try: Marcell Coetzee. Conversion: Johan Goosen (1). Penalties: Goosen (2), Keagan Johannes (1).