Bristol Bears brilliant attack belittles brittle Bulls in Pretoria

The Bulls continue to be a betrayal to their DNA. They were shameful defensively against a Bristol Bears team that was no better defensively but so much more lethal on attack, writes Mark Keohane.

The Bulls conceded 61 points to a Bristol team, who missed 50 tackles in 184 attempts.

The Bulls missed 27 tackles from 128, but conceded 18 line breaks to the 17 made.

The difference was every second time the Bears made a line break they seemed to score, whereas the Bulls wasted so many opportunities in a match that they always looked capable of winning, despite the charitable defence and the horrors in decision-making.

For any neutral who loves tries, does not care for defence or a set piece and books their Sevens Carnival Tickets a year in advance, this was the stuff of rugby heaven.

The Bulls made 778 metres on attack and Bristol 573 and the Bulls beat 51 defenders and the Bears 27.

For those who appreciate the quality of the Investec Champions Cup, the quality that defines defensive lords of a try line, this was like watching something from another league.

There were 16 tries scored, but there were about 16 effective tackles made in the 80 minutes.

Bristol scored nine tries and the Bulls scored seven, but the hosts were always chasing a game after conceding three tries and 21 points in the first eight minutes.

Altitude and fatigue looked to have done a dirty on the Bears on 35 minutes, with them leading 42-28 but with the legs much weaker than the scoreboard.

The Bulls attacked with a minute to go, but another mistake from one of the leaders in the Bulls, this time flyhalf Handre Pollard, led to an intercept and an 80 metre Bristol try. It was a 14 point swing, not the first of the match, and that proved decisive in the final five minutes when the Bulls were denied two tries through an ankle tap and being held up on the try line.

The Bulls’ game management, like their defence, was non existent. How so many quality Springboks, 10 members of the current world champion and No 1 Springboks, look so inept, disinterested and devoid of desire on defence is not so much a mystery but a confirmation that playing for the Bulls right now is getting a salary and playing for the Boks is getting a legacy.

The most senior Boks failed themselves and the Bulls once again in the most naive and humiliating manner.

It is one thing for a bunch of kids to make such rookie mistakes but to see some of the most experienced players in Springboks history, double World Cup winners, so comfortably show a disregard for the principles of defence and attack, was numbing.

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It has to be when a team can so easily concede on average 50-plus points in their last three home matches.

The Bulls, in all competitions, have lost seven in a row.

Bristol are on a seven-match winning streak.

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The Bulls travel to France to play PAU next weekend to determine who finishes fifth in the Pool Stages.

The Bulls have lost all three round robin matches, two at home, in the Investec Champions Cup.

The worst “points conceded at Loftus Versfeld” stack up (Super Rugby / URC / Investec Champions Cup), from highest to lowest, based on match reports / match-centre sources

1) Crusaders 62 – Bulls 24 (Super Rugby)

• Date: 6 May 2017
• Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
• Why it matters: This is the heaviest “points-against” number at Loftus in the pro era across the comps you named. ESPN’s match report notes the Crusaders scored 10 tries in the 62–24 win. ESPN.com

2) Bristol Bears 61 – Bulls 49 (Investec Champions Cup)

• Date: 10 January 2026
• Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
• Why it matters: This is now the worst Bulls concession at Loftus in the Champions Cup (and second-highest overall on this Loftus-only list). SuperSport+2Rugby365+2

3) Bordeaux-Bègles 46 – Bulls 33 (Investec Champions Cup)

• Date: 6 December 2025
• Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
• Why it matters: Before Bristol’s 61, this was the big Champions Cup damage at Loftus in the current cycle. Rugby365