PRETORIA: Northern Bulls ended the five-match winning streak of fellow South Africans Golden Lions in the Super 15 championship with a thrilling bonus-point 35-33 triumph Saturday.
A large crowd turned up for the Gauteng derby at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria and they were rewarded with seven tries amid a feast of high-tempo running rugby.
Victory lifted the Bulls five places to second on the combined Southern Hemisphere standings, nine points behind the Wellington Hurricanes from New Zealand, and the Lions remained eighth and play-offs contenders.
It was a match of three phases with scrum-half Piet van Zyl scoring two early tries to help the Bulls build a 25-13 half-time advantage under the leadership of 37-year-old lock Victor Matfield.
The Johannesburg-based Lions roared back after the break and edged ahead 26-25 on 55 minutes when fly-half Elton Jantjies converted a try from prop Jacques van Rooyen.
Regular Bulls skipper Pierre Spies then came off the bench to make a decisive contribution, taking a quick tap penalty and barging over the line surrounded by five Lions.
Fly-half and leading Super 15 points scorer this season Handre Pollard converted from the touchline and added a penalty with four minutes left for a 35-26 lead.
But back came the indomitable Lions again to secure a losing bonus point via a try by flanker Jaco Kriel that Jantjies converted to close the scoring.
The Bulls, who whipped the Lions at home and away for five consecutive Super Rugby seasons until last year, showed the losers deep respect at a stoppage-time scrum they won.
Instead of seeking a converted try and depriving the Lions of a bonus point, the home side hurriedly booted the ball into touch rather than risk losing it and giving the visitors a chance to snatch victory.
Matfield and rival skipper and Lions No. 8 Warren Whiteley described the match as one of the best Super Rugby encounters they had been involved in.
"The atmosphere was fantastic, the game was fantastic, and the players and the crowd enjoyed every minute," said 121-cap Springbok legend Matfield.
"We did not get the early second half try that would have given us a good lead, but we came back brilliantly toward the end with Pierre (Spies) scoring an opportunistic try."
Springbok squad member Whiteley said: "What a spectacle. This was a fantastic game, won by the Bulls because they were slightly more clinical than us.
"I am physically and mentally drained and so proud of my team-mates -- we left everything out there on the pitch."
Van Zyl (two), centre JJ Engelbrecht and Spies were Bulls' try scorers with Pollard converting three and kicking three penalties.
Scrum-half Faf de Klerk, Van Rooyen and Kriel crossed the try-line for the Lions while Jantjies slotted three conversions and four penalties.
The Lions host the Otago Highlanders from New Zealand next Saturday while the Bulls have a bye before a four-match Australasia tour.
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