Bulls 21-30 Northampton Saints: Tommy Freeman scores two tries in outstanding win
The Premiership champions, who have struggled for form domestically so far this season, began their European campaign with a 38-8 victory over an under-strength Castres last weekend, but this was a very different test.
In temperatures topping 30C in Pretoria, they had to work hard just to hang on for the opening half hour, suffering a setback when Furbank was forced off, using his shirt as a makeshift sling to cradle his right arm after being clattered by Bulls captain Elrigh Louw.
Northampton were undoubtedly helped in the early stages by Bulls’ lack of ruthlessness. The hosts may have dominated physically, causing the visitors all sorts of trouble in the scrum, but failed to convert that into points when the door appeared to be wide open.
The Saints conceded four penalties in the opening 15 minutes – with Iyogun twice penalised for collapsing the scrum – and twice escaped as their hosts had tries ruled out, while Goosen also dropped the ball barely a couple of metres from the line.
That came after Devon Williams had gone clear from an Embrose Papier pass over the top to dive in at the corner – with Goosen actually adding the conversion before the try was pulled back for review and ruled out because of an obstruction by Willie le Roux.
Then former Sale hooker Akker van der Merwe darted over to dot down, but referee Luc Ramos had already blown his whistle for an obstruction by JF van Heerden.
Northampton lost Iyogun, yet not only negotiated his 10-minute absence without conceding any points, but also turned a deficit into a lead through Augustus’ score.
The Bulls’ attacking profligacy haunted them again as Moodie and Le Roux chased a kick over the top, with the centre just winning the race – but as Goosen was lining up the kick, the television match official was called in once more, and ruled that the ball had not been grounded.
When Freeman extended the Northampton lead to 22-7, the win looked there for the taking – but there was always the danger they would tire in the heat, and the impressive Hanekom’s double score increased their anxiety.
It was to Northampton’s credit that they did not wilt, and Smith and Freeman took the match out of the hosts’ reach.
