0'
Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Henry Immelman, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Izak Burger, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Mpilo Gumede, 6 Nizaam Carr (captain), 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Janko Swanepoel, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Simphiwe Matanzima.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Merwe Olivier, 20 Reinhardt Ludwig, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Cornal Hendricks.
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Northampton Saints: 15 James Ramm, 14 George Hendy, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Sam Graham, 6 Courtney Lawes (captain), 5 Alex Coles, 4 Alex Moon, 3 Trevor Davison, 2 Curtis Langdon, 1 Emmanuel Iyogun.
Replacements: 16 Sam Matavesi, 17 Alex Waller, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Temo Mayanavanua, 20 Angus Scott-Young, 21 Lewis Ludlam, 22 Tom James, 23 George Furbank.
0'
Greetings and a warm welcome to our coverage of the Champions Cup quarter-final between Northampton Saints and the Bulls from Franklin’s Gardens.
1'
KICK OFF: The Bulls start well with the kick off going deep and the Bulls charging down the attempted exit.
2'
Augustus gets the inercept and draws a high tackle to give the Saints some relief from early pressure applied by the Bulls.
3'
Northampton get another penalty at the lineout and kick deep into the Bulls 22.
4'
Northampton attack through phase play after a worked lineout move gets them going forward but doesn't break the line. The Bulls steal it and kick long but not out.
5'
Northampton just can't get the ball released out wide when they need to but the Bulls cover well in defence.
6'
Mitchell flies through after Northampton steal the lineout but he is held up over the line and the Bulls drop out from the goal-line. Northampton are back on the Bulls 22 in a hurry though and the Bulls have more tackles to make.
8'
The Bulls win a scrum as their counterruck just disrupts Mitchell as he tries to pick up. The Bulls have the scrum ten inside the Northampton half.
11'
TRY, NORTHAMPTON, RAMM, 5-0:
Quick ball allows Ramm to run at the Bulls and shred the line and go through to score.
12'
CONVERSION, NORTHAMPTON, SMITH, 7-0:
Smith converts the try.
13'
Hanekom strips the ball soon after the restart and the Bulls win a breakdown penalty. Decision time for the Bulls. They go to the lineout.
14'
TRY, BULLS, HANEKOM, 7-5:
Hanekom barrels over after the maul is stopped.
15'
CONVERSION, BULLS, SMITH, 7-7:
Smith converts for the Bulls and we are back level.
16'
TRY, NORTHAMPTON, LAWES, 12-7:
Lawes powers over to finish an expansive Saints move started 40 metres out.
17'
CONVERSION, NORTHAMPTON, SMITH, 14-7:
Smith converts the try.
18'
PENALTY, BULLS, SMITH, 14-10:
Smith will kick the goal as the Bulls get the penalty after Augustus gets isolated and picked off for a penalty.
19'
Northampton knock on as they win a short restart. Bulls have the scrum about ten inside their own half.
21'
TRY, NORTHAMPTON, SLEIGHTHOLME, 19-10:
Sleightholme batters his way over with an incredible run.
22'
CONVERSION, NORTHAMPTON, SMITH, 21-10:
Smith adds another two and Northampton are rocking.
23'
Mitchell kicks straight into touch after a great turnover from Northampton. The Bulls have an attacking lineout.
25'
The Bulls lose a lineout close to their own line after Smith had kicked ahead.
26'
CONVERSION, NORTHAMPTON, SMITH, 28-10:
Smith adds another two.
26'
TRY, NORTHAMPTON, MITCHELL, 26-10:
Mitchell ghosts through and this is getting ugly for the Bulls.
29'
The Bulls try to settle things down with a maul at the lineout.
31'
Northampton make a mess of clearing from a lineout that is overthrown. The Bulls will have another crack from about fifteen out.
32'
TRY, BULLS, VAN DER MERWE, 28-15:
Van der Merwe zips down the blindside and into the corner to score and the Bulls aren't done yet.
33'
Smith misses the conversion from out wide.
35'
Northampton still don't want to kick at goal and Smith kicks deep into the Bulls 22. Northampton will have the lineout.
36'
TRY, BULLS, DE KLERK, 28-20:
De Klerk zips up to get an intercept and he will sprint in to score.
37'
CONVERSION, BULLS, SMITH, 28-22:
Smith converts the try and suddenly the game is back on. what a breathless first half.
38'
A poor kick from Ramm has given the Bulls attacking ball but they lose it as they threaten the Saints 22.
40'
HALF TIME: NORTHAMPTON 28-22 BULLS
Northampton might have thought they had this one wrapped up at some point in that first half. The Bulls have hung in there however, and even hit back with some scores of their own. There have been seven tries already and we probably aren't done.
40'
The Bulls get sloppy as they give away a penalty on a kick and Northampton drill the kick down into the 22.
41'
TRY, NORTHAMPTON, COLES, 33-22:
Coles runs the support line and finishes off well but Mitchell makes the try with a snipe off the lineout.
41'
The Bulls clear right up into the Northampton half with a big exit off the kick off.
42'
CONVERSION, NORTHAMPTON, SMITH, 35-22:
Smith adds a fifth conversion.
43'
The Bulls are caught out being in front of the kicker again off the box kick. Northampton set up a lineout on the Bulls 22.
45'
Northampton have a penalty advantage and Mornay Smith prevents the try with a dot dead after a grubber kick by the Saints. Northampton have the scrum five out.
48'
TRY, NORTHAMPTON, RAMM, 38-22:
Ramm finishes off as Northampton work and overlap within a couple phases after they take a tap penalty.
49'
Smith's kick hits the upright and bounces away.
50'
YELLOW CARD, BULLS, HANEKOM: Hanekom might be in trouble for a tip tackle. The Bulls had got in to score but thay will be chalked off and Hanekom will be yellow carded.
51'
TRY, NORTHAMPTON, DINGWALL, 45-22:
Dingwall cannot be stopped at close range.
51'
Jacobs keeps Hendy out at the corner but the Bulls overthrow the lineout and Northampton pour forward.
52'
CONVERSION, NORTHAMPTON, SMITH, 47-22:
Smith adds another two.
54'
Northampton are eager to open things up and play at a good tempo but they are halted when they knock on and play on the ground. The Bulls setup a lineout on the Northampton 22.
56'
The Bulls run into touch as van Der Merwe cannot keep in the field. Northampton break from the lineout but the Bulls scramble back to recover the ball. Northampton knock on as they try to press their advantage after the Bulls exit with a box kick.
58'
Northampton's man advantage tells at the scrum and they win a penalty as the Bulls scrum goes down. Fin Smith kicks the penalty dead and we go back to the scrum.
60'
It's like an action replay as Northampton dominate the scrum again and win another penalty, this time Smith finds a touch inside the Bulls 22.
61'
The Bulls win a turnover and a penalty to clear their lines and for once they have resisted Northampton's attack.
63'
A scrappy end to what was a promising play from the Bulls and Northampton have a scrum just inside the Bulls half.
66'
The Bulls get some relief as they win a penalty on their 22 after a kick is charged down and Sleightholme plays it from an offside position.
68'
The Bulls have to carry back under pressure as Northampton keep the heat on them. It is a scrum five out for Northampton
69'
CONVERSION, NORTHAMPTON, SMITH, 54-22:
Smith converts the try again.
69'
TRY, NORTHAMPTON, MITCHELL, 52-22:
Mitchell cuts back inside against the grain and gets over.
71'
The Bulls have the lineout on halfway as Northampton kick and hack kick after a charge down. There is no way back for the Bulls now but they won't want to totally collapse.
73'
TRY, NORTHAMPTON, AUGUSTUS, 59-22:
Augustus is helped over by his teammates and does well to get the ball down.
75'
Smith misses a conversion kick for the second time tonight but that will be academic.
76'
Gumede is tackled into touch on halfway to snuff out a Bulls attack. Northampton can attack again from the lineout.
77'
The Bulls have the scrum feed on halfway after a Northampton knock on. The Bulls produce a 50/22 to win a lineout in the Northampton 22.
79'
The Bulls attack really lacks eny sort of verve but they still have the ball for the moment. That is until they get turned over ten inside the Northampton half and give up the penalty.
80'
FULL TIME: NORTHAMPTON 59-22 BULLS
Northampton killed the game off well before the 80th minute. The Bulls hung in there for the first half but the yellow card to Hanekom really killed off their challenge.
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