14 Mar 2010

Unbeaten Bulls surge back to top of Super 14 table

7:41 am on 14 March 2010

The Unbeaten Bulls blitzed the Otago Highlanders 50-35 at Loftus Versfeld to reclaim their place at the top of the Super 14 table.

The South African team made it four wins from four and lead the competition by two points from the Crusaders who have played one game more.

he Bulls had to wait just 24 minutes for their four-try bonus point and scored a further three tries against the New Zealand side.

Number eight Pierre Spies scored twice and also had a hand in the first two tries - by hooker Gary Botha, and wing Francois Hougaard, who also crossed twice.

Bulls wing Gerhard van den Heever added a dazzling try, weaving in and out of several would-be tacklers after the Super 14 holders gained a turnover on their own 22-metre line.

Highlanders fullback Israel Dagg had an awkward time fielding the Bulls' barrage of up-and-unders, and the next two tries, by centre Wynand Olivier and Spies, came as a direct result of spilt catches by the 21-year-old.

Dagg atoned for his errors by scoring a hat-trick of tries to earn the Highlanders a bonus point, their first this season for scoring four tries or more.