Bulls beat Ulster 34-26 as late penalty limits visitors to one bonus point

Ulster remain without a United Rugby Championship victory after losing 34-26 to the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday. According to BBC Sport's match report, Marcell Coetzee scored two tries against his former club as the hosts built a 21-0 lead. Ulster recovered to collect a four-try bonus point, but a last-kick penalty from Curwin Bosch pushed the margin to eight points and denied them a losing bonus.

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The result leaves Richie Murphy's side with two draws and two defeats from their opening four league fixtures. BBC Sport reported that Ulster had not gone through their first four league games without a win since 2008-09, when they began the Celtic League season with four consecutive losses. Their Challenge Cup victory over Zebre last week therefore remains separate from a frustrating start to the URC campaign.

The Bulls established control through their forwards. Coetzee finished a maul after only two minutes, before Elrigh Louw added another try in the 19th minute following a quick-tap penalty and an infield maul. Coetzee then crossed from close range eight minutes before the interval. Ulster finally responded after the first-half clock had expired, moving the ball wide for Chay Mullins to score in the corner and reduce the deficit to 21-7.

David McCann's try and Jack Murphy's conversion brought Ulster within seven points after the restart. Coetzee was subsequently yellow-carded for a high hit, with the sanction remaining unchanged following a bunker review. The visitors could not turn their numerical advantage into points, however: a Handre Pollard penalty was the only score during Coetzee's absence, giving the Bulls additional breathing room.

Mullins later scored his second try after work from Keynan Knox helped create space, but Johan Grobbelaar answered almost immediately from the restart. Stuart McCloskey then secured Ulster's fourth try with 10 minutes remaining, keeping the visitors in contention and ensuring that their recovery would yield at least one league point. They were unable to close the gap further in the remaining exchanges.

Bosch's concluding penalty settled the eight-point margin and removed the additional reward Ulster would have received for finishing within seven. Ulster next face the Stormers in South Africa on 31 October. The URC then pauses for four weekends for the November Nations Championship fixtures, with the province still seeking its first league win of the season.