Rudolph and Burger doubles headline bruising 48–23 win as Bulls flex forward muscle in Round One
The Vodacom Bulls stormed into the 2025 Currie Cup season with a commanding 48–23 bonus-point victory over Western Province at DHL Stadium on Saturday, using raw forward power and set-piece dominance to overpower a spirited, yet undisciplined WP outfit.
It was a match that reminded South African fans of the importance of tight five supremacy, and the Bulls—led by former Province stalwart Nama Xaba—showed their intentions early with a brutally efficient performance built on dominance in the mauls, scrums, and collisions.
A Statement Start
The Bulls wasted no time asserting themselves. Just five minutes in, hooker Joe van Zyl was the first to benefit from their driving maul, crashing over to open the scoring. Province hit back shortly after through a Kyle Smith penalty, but things quickly turned against the Capetonians.
WP captain Zain Davids was yellow-carded in the ninth minute for his team’s repeated infringements at the breakdown. With Province a man down, the Bulls struck again, this time through scrumhalf Zak Burger, who was a livewire all afternoon.
Smith managed to keep WP in the game with another penalty after a Bulls restart blunder, but any momentum was short-lived. WP’s Shilton van Wyk grabbed an opportunistic intercept try in the 20th minute to close the gap to just three points, yet it was as close as Province would get.
Bulls Pile On the Pressure
From there, the Pretoria juggernaut rolled on. Sintu Manjezi powered over from another maul, and a yellow-card double blow saw Province reduced to 13 men as both Gary Porter and Alex Groves were sent to the sin bin for collapsing mauls. The Bulls showed no mercy—packing down against a six-man WP scrum, No.8 Jeandré Rudolph bulldozed over for his first of the afternoon.
Even with Chris Smit picking up a yellow card for the Bulls late in the half, the visitors remained in full control. Burger darted over again for his second try, and Boeta Chamberlain—faultless off the tee—slotted a penalty to hand his side a commanding 36–14 half-time lead.
WP Show Some Fight, But Bulls Too Slick
To their credit, Province came out with more purpose in the second stanza. Some well-constructed phases created space out wide, and veteran winger Courtnall Skosan dotted down to give the home crowd something to cheer about.
But the Bulls never really looked threatened. Chamberlain dictated the tempo and territory with poise, while the Bulls forwards continued to punch holes through the WP defence.
Rudolph added his second in the 64th minute after a silky move that combined patient phase play with clinical finishing. Chamberlain sealed the result with his second penalty in the 78th minute, capping a personal tally of 18 points in a flawless kicking display.
Man of the Match: Rudolph the Rampant
While Zak Burger’s sniping runs and two tries earned plaudits, it was Jeandré Rudolph who stood tallest. The big No.8 was immense in contact, smart at the base of the scrum, and relentless over the ball. His two tries were a reward for a performance that mixed finesse with ferocity—a true eighth man’s outing.
Concerns for WP
For Province, discipline was a major issue—three yellow cards in the first half crippled their chances of building continuity. Their pack struggled to cope with the Bulls’ physicality, and their inability to stop the maul or solidify the scrum left them scrambling for solutions.
Head coach John Dobson will have plenty to ponder before WP travel to Ellis Park next weekend to face a red-hot Lions team that just put 46 points past the Sharks.
Bulls Send A Clear Message
As for the Bulls, this was a statement win. Ruthless at the set piece, clinical in the red zone, and with a halfback pairing firing on all cylinders, they’ve thrown their name into the contender hat early in this single-round Currie Cup format.
Final Score: Bulls 48 – 23 Western Province
Tries: Bulls 6 (Van Zyl, Burger 2, Manjezi, Rudolph 2) | WP 2 (Van Wyk, Skosan)
Yellow Cards: WP 3 (Davids, Porter, Groves) | Bulls 1 (Smit)
Man of the Match: Jeandré Rudolph (Bulls)
If this opening weekend was anything to go by, this Currie Cup campaign is going to be short, sharp, and seriously spicy.
