Super Rugby Round 19 - Bulls 20-19 Sharks
Bulls top Super Rugby ladder
ESPN Staff
July 6, 2013
Date/Time: Jul 6, 2013, 19:15 local, 17:15 GMT
Venue: Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
Bulls 20 - 19 Sharks
Half-time: 13 - 8
Tries: Basson, Vermaak
Cons: Steyn 2
Pens: Steyn 2
Tries: Lambie, Ndungane
Pens: Lambie 3
The Bulls escape with victory in Pretoria (video available only in Australia)
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The Bulls survived a fierce test to defeat the Sharks 20-19 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday and move atop the Super Rugby ladder with one round of regular-season games to play. Replacement scrum-half Jano Vermaak scored the match-winning try in the 73rd minute, collecting a grubber kick from Jurgen Visser for a score Morne Steyn converted to hand his side a one-point lead and ultimately claim their ninth consecutive victory after they had trailed twice to the visitors.

In a final twist, Sharks fullback Riaan Viljoen missed a last-minute penalty that would have ended the Bulls' streak and kept New Zealand's Chiefs atop the overall standings. The Bulls now are placed to claim home advantaged through the Super Rugby finals if they defeat the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday.

"My nerves are shot," Bulls skipper and No.8 Dewald Potgieter said after the match. "It was always going to be a close match that could have gone either way. We need to examine the breakdown area where we were penalised severely."

Sharks No.8 and captain Keegan Daniel, who started from the bench, said: "I'm extremely proud of our performance, especially the way we defended in the closing stages. Having two players sin-binned hurt us badly."

Dewald Potegeiter led the Bulls from the front © Getty Images
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