Bulls 19 Hurricanes 18
Memo to the All Black selectors: urgent action required on rolling mauls. First, how to defend against them. Second, how to use them.
It's no exaggeration to say the Bulls' rolling maul won this match. The top-of-the-table outfit has been putting 50 points on almost everyone up to this point but could have been beaten yesterday.
At least until they reverted to type and put together rolling mauls the Hurricanes simply couldn't counter. With the way the new tackled ball interpretations are being refereed, the rolling maul becomes an interesting and powerful weapon - and the Bulls used it well.
The Hurricanes were heavily penalised as they tried to halt the maul or scoot around the edges to attack the ball carrier.
Referee Steve Walsh had a fine old time and it all boiled over when flanker Victor Vito was pinged and he seemed to give the ref what used to be called a free character reading. One yellow card later and the Bulls' inexorable pursuit of the Hurricanes' lead continued.
Vito disappeared after 60 minutes and - no coincidence - the Bulls took the lead for the first time shortly afterwards, with first five-eighths Morne Steyn banging over the kicks after Walsh whistled them.
The Bulls really resorted to rolling mauls five minutes before Vito vanished, although they'd pulled one or two earlier.
The rolling maul is a bit like the dropped goal in New Zealand rugby. We are not very good at them. We know they are an effective and high percentage play but often seem beneath us.
We seem to feel as if it's the rugby equivalent of drinking your tea out of the saucer - it's just not attractive; just not done.
Certainly, they are an ugly asset. The formation of the rolling maul - with bodies in front of the ball-carrier - also contradicts all the other rules of rugby which ban obstruction and are a great frustration for the opposition, hence the number of penalties.
But they work. The Bulls were forced into this tactic by a bold start from the Hurricanes who - deprived of ball for much of the first half - made the most of what they had.
Hooker Andrew Hore was at his pugnacious best in the rucks and mauls, Rodney So'oialo got through a power of work and locks Michael Paterson and Jeremy Thrush also stood out - the former for an all-action game and the latter for some good grunt work.
In the backs, Ma'a Nonu looked dangerous without really puncturing the defence and his quick thinking at a tap penalty paved the way for Thrush's try.
That took the Hurricanes out to 12-0, after flanker Karl Lowe had popped up at the end of passing chain that outflanked the Bulls defence for a fine team try.
The Bulls hit back with a fine try to fullback Zane Kirchner after good work by second five Wynand Olivier but were still down 15-10 at the break.
Willie Ripia added a penalty to make it 18-10 and the Hurricanes never again came close to scoring in the next 30 minutes. The Bulls tightened things up, took the ball back into their forwards and began rumbling up the rolling maul.
They pulled it twice in five minutes and Steyn's boot did the rest as the penalties flowed.
With the score at 18-16, Vito's yellow card arrived as did the penalty, in the 66th minute, that ultimately decided the match. The Bulls kept it tight after that, not giving the Canes a chance to counter-attack and ran the clock down formidably well.
The major changes by coach Colin Cooper in his team mostly worked with Thrush and Lowe going well as did John Schwalger for some time. Tyson Keats also had a busy game at halfback and the only real failure was Alapati Leuai, the winger who replaced David Smith.
He showed a startling lack of skills - let's see, catching, passing, kicking and tackling - and at one stage seemed to turn the ball over every time he touched it.
However, it was a flawed performance by the Super 14 leaders and one which will suggest to more than one of their rivals that they can be beaten. They now embark on a difficult overseas tour which will take in the Force, the Blues, the Chiefs and the Reds.
It's a fair bet the rolling maul will be seen in those games too.
The New Zealand franchises seem to have some work to do on the rules covering it, referees' interpretation, defending it and - here's a thought - doing it themselves.
Bulls 19 (Z. Kirchner try; M. Steyn con, 4 pens), Hurricanes 18 (K. Lowe, J. Thrush tries; W. Ripia con, 2 pens). Halftime: 10-18.
