The Bulls let themselves down in the final quarter of their URC match in Glasgow to crash to a 21-12 defeat after they had led 12-7 in the 60th minute and appeared to be in control of the game.
As the game wound up to its climax, there was a 14-point turnaround that sealed the spoils for the Scots — the Bulls had a try by Kurt-Lee Arendse chalked off because there had been a knock-on at a ruck in the build-up and, minutes later, the Warriors were awarded a penalty try because the referee judged that the maul had purposely been collapsed.
In fact, it was a final quarter in which the Bulls fell afoul of referee Craig Evans, who repeatedly penalised them.
Johan Ackermann’s men return home with just one victory – against Connacht – from their three-match tour.
The Bulls went into this fixture boosted by the return of Bok lock Ruan Nortje and flanker Marcell Coetzee, but shrouded in the controversy around the mammoth nine-week suspension given to utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Glasgow dominated the opening minutes and were rewarded when their British and Irish Lions centre Sione Tuipulotu scored.
The Bulls replied neatly when their current go-to man, wing Sebastian de Klerk, received a kick and then sliced through a gap to put Stravino Jacobs away.
The Bulls took the lead early in the second half when centre David Kriel intercepted a crucial pass as Glasgow pressed hard on attack. Kriel put veteran fullback Willie le Roux away for a try.
As the game hit the three-quarter mark, it went spectacularly wrong for the Bulls. Arendse, who was making a strong impact off the bench, seemed to have scored a match-winning try, but the TMO spotted a knock-on from Ruan Nortje at a ruck.
Soon after, salt was rubbed into the Bulls’ wounds when the Warriors were awarded a penalty when replacement prop Francois Klopper was adjudged to have pulled down a maul. He earned a yellow card for his sins.
The Warriors’ South African-born prop, Nathan McBeth, then crashed over for the Warriors’ third try, converted by flyhalf Adam Hastings, to give the home team an unassailable nine-point lead.
Scorers
Glasgow Warriors — Tries: Sioni Tuipulotu, Penalty try, Nathan Macbeth. Conversions: Adam Hastings
Bulls — Tries: Stravino Jacobs, Willie le Roux. Conversion: Keagan Johannes.
