Bulls miserable tour ends with loss

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 26: Dane Haylett-Petty of the Force is tackled by Jan Serfontein of the Bulls during the round 11 Super Rugby match bewtween the Western Force and the Bulls at nib Stadium on April 26, 2014 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 26: Dane Haylett-Petty of the Force is tackled by Jan Serfontein of the Bulls during the round 11 Super Rugby match bewtween the Western Force and the Bulls at nib Stadium on April 26, 2014 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

Published Apr 26, 2014

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Western Force capped the Bulls' miserable tour of Australia and New Zealand with a 15-9 win over the South Africans in an attritional Super Rugby match played in pouring rain in Perth on Saturday.

With the dismal weather reducing the match to an error-strewn battle for territory, flyhalf Sias Ebersohn kicked all the home side's points as the much-improved Force shored up their place in the southern hemisphere tournament's top six to boost their hopes of a maiden playoffs campaign.

Flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter slotted two early penalties to put the Bulls 6-0 up after the 13th minute, and his replacement Handre Pollard slotted a third in the 62nd minute to put the visitors within a converted try of snatching the match.

But the Force dug in grimly during the final minutes to close out a try-less contest and improve to 6-3 on the season, sending the Bulls (3-6-1) home to Pretoria licking their wounds after a fourth successive loss on the road. – Reuters

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