PRETORIA — The Bulls opened their Investec Champions Cup campaign with a commanding 56-20 victory over Stade Francais at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, running in eight tries in sweltering 30-degree heat to secure a maximum-points start.
Cheswill Jooste led the rout with a hat-trick, while Cobus Wiese, Cameron Hanekom, Marco van Staden, Jeandre Rudolph and Jan-Hendrik Wessels also crossed, with Handre Pollard faultless off the tee converting all eight. For the much-changed Parisians, Jacques Botha and Petero Mailulu claimed tries as Ihaia West and Louis Foursans-Bourdette combined for 10 points.
Jooste, the 20-year-old wing, showed out-and-out pace from the outset, racing onto a Harold Vorster kick to score after barely 30 seconds, seeing a second effort denied on 15 minutes, then adding a walk-in on 73 minutes before completing his hat-trick in style. With Sebastian de Klerk also electric on the opposite flank, the Bulls boast two wide men with no shortage of gas.
Hanekom again underlined why Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus rates him so highly, crashing over three minutes before the break for a key score a week after his stunning try against the Lions, even if Jasper Wiese, 30, remains the favourite for the national number eight shirt. Rudolph then produced the try of his career on 62 minutes, chipping over the advancing defender from inside his own half on the right wing, hacking the ball over Aisake Manna and winning the foot race to gather and score — a moment the commentator said to “hang it in the Louvre”.
Stade Francais, who arrived as major underdogs after sending a much-changed XV to South Africa, stayed in the contest for long periods before the Bulls’ superior quality told during the closing stages. Head coach Paul Gustard will take positives from the effort on the road as his side turn their attention back to Top 14 matters and a trip to Castres.