Blues 23 Bulls 21
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For the second week in the row, the Blues were forced to scramble for a win when they beat the Bulls 23-21 in a Super 14 rugby match in Auckland tonight.
The Blues were outscored three tries to two by the defending champions but moved into temporary occupancy of second in the table on 24 points after notching their second straight win over a South African side at home - they beat the Stormers 17-14 last week.
Returning first five-eighth Nick Evans snatched victory with a dropped goal in the 73rd minute which put the Blues back in the lead for good after they fell behind to a brilliant try created by Bulls winger Bryan Habana.
With the Blues leading 20-14 midway into the second half, Habana, the Bulls best player of the night, zipped through a tackle by Kurtis Haiau and then outpaced Evans down the touchline before off-loading to hooker Derick Kunn who had a free run to the line.
First five-eighth Derick Hougaard converted to give the Bulls the lead at 21-20 but it was wiped out by Evans' well-taken dropped goal.
The Blues took a halftime lead of 10-7 on the back of a fortuitous converted try to skipper Troy Flavell and a penalty by Evans.
Flanker Daniel Braid was excellent as he created the turnover and then handled the ball again as the Blues swept upfield.
After numerous probes at the Bulls' tryline, Flavell finally bore down with the ball from close range and seemed to have been held up by Habana in the 12th minute.
But after a lengthy scrutiny of replays from various angles, the third umpire ruled that Flavell had grounded the ball although there was an impression he lacked lawful control over the ball.
There was no lack of endeavour from both sides, particularly the Bulls who were still smarting from the 27-43 trouncing from the Chiefs last week.
However, the execution from both teams was inconsistent leading to a dour first half crying out for someone to take creative control.
Evans, on his return after two weeks out from concussion, looked tentative and could not impose his customary control on the game.
The Bulls closed the gap through prop Wikus van Heerden who cleverly clambered through the middle of a ruck close to the Blues' tryline in the 16th minute for Hougaard to convert.
Habana was denied a try when he dived for the corner only for his left foot to roll onto the touchline in the tackle of fullback George Pisi.
The misfiring Blues backline finally sparked a dangerous move and although Pisi was stopped on the line, Mealamu was on hand to snap the ball up from the ruck and scamper over for the try which Evans converted in the 45th minute for a 17-7 lead.
The Bulls' reply was not long in coming - from a lineout five metres out, their forwards rumbled through a loose Blues defence for Van Heerden to collect his second try which Hougaard converted from wide out.
Evans stretched the Blues' lead out to 20-14 before Habana's touch of class led to the Bulls' shortlived lead.
It was the fifth defeat for the Bulls who have won just two matches and leaves them mired in the bottom third of the standings.
Blues 23 (Troy Flavell, Keven Mealamu tries, Nick Evans 2 pen, 2 con, dropped goal) Bulls 21 (Wikus van Heerden 2, Derick Kuun, tries, Derick Hougaard 3 con). Halftime: 10-7.
- NZPA
