Ulster welcomed Jake White's Pretorian side to Belfast, hoping to make it two back-back BKT URC wins, after the away victory against Zebre Parma.
The fixture marked a unique occasion for the club, as the first home match this campaign was the first time the team was to play on the new 3G pitch surface, which was installed in time for the season.
The match was also being played on a Sunday evening, due to the Rugby World Cup Finals being played on the same weekend.
No doubt the South African visitors wanted to make it a double success this weekend, after watching their countrymen lift the Webb Ellis cup for the fourth time in the nation's history last night against New Zealand.
Making a few changes from last weekend's win, Dan McFarland brought in the returning Ireland international Tom O'Toole at tighthead, Nick Timoney at eight and Rob Baloucoune returning to the right wing in a strong line-up.
It was also a special night for academy product Jude Postlethwaite, making his first home start and Will Addison, making his first start at Kingspan Stadium since 2021, after a long-term injury.
Ulster started off strongly on their home ground and made the first breakthrough through try machine Tom Stewart. Showing his drive, the hooker acted sharply from a penalty to tap and go, crashing over the line to pierce the tough Bulls rearguard. Nathan Doak carried on where he left off in Parma, kicking accurately in the wind to send Ulster into an early 7-0 lead.
The Bulls gathered themselves and quickly tried to get back into the contest in Ulster's 22. Winger Rob Baloucoune showed excellent anticipation to intercept a Bulls pass being whipped out to the wing. The Enniskillen man showing a burst of pace to push Ulster up the field.
From the resulting counter attack, young centre , Jude Postlethwaite, was inches away from being clear on the wing, with Will Addison's kick out to the wing just slightly overcooked.
Despite going a man down when Addison was shown a yellow for a breakdown offence, Ulster countered the Bulls pressure and scored their second try of the match through Jacob Stockdale.
The Ireland international was unleashed down the left wing by the unlikely source of Tom O'Toole, who threw out a dagger of a pass like a out-half might expect to make!
Stockdale finished in style, his third try in two appearances after dotting down twice against Zebre last week. Doak's kick was bang on the money and Ulster went 14-0 to the good.
The Bulls showed their horns soon after, with two tries in quick succession before the half through Steenekamp and De Klerk. Johan Goosen's missed conversion on the stroke of half-time ensured Dan McFarland's side entered the half with a slender two point lead.
HT: 14-12
With a lead to protect Ulster played the second half with good game intelligence, Nathan Doak opting to kick for three points when Ulster forced the Bulls into giving away a penalty in front of their posts.
One of the moments of the match came just minutes after when Stockdale showed the Bulls midfield a clean pair of heels, and made an incredible line break. He could only be stopped by a cynical shirt pull, which prevented him from a certain second try.
The referee awarded a penalty and Doak made sure Stockdale's lung-burning sprint wasn't in vain, with another three points added to the lead.
Ulster were made to sweat in the increasing rain, which was starting to lash down. The Bulls made a big attacking play and managed to score a try through Louw who bundled the ball over the line. A TMO check would confirm the try, after it looked like it may have been dropped but the try was good. Goosens added the extra two and narrowed the gap to four points.
As Ulster piled on the pressure in the Bulls 22, the away side gave away another penalty which Doak signalled for once more. In lashing wind and rain, the young scrum-half showed incredible nerve and composure to add a buffer to Ulster's lead.
In the pouring rain, the Bulls launched everything at the Ulster defence with nothing to lose. The Ulster crowd bellowed the team on in deafening volume, as Ulster had to contest a Bulls lineout and then a Bulls scrum.
In a huge defensive push, flanker, David McCann, managed to turnover the ball from a maul and Nathan Doak gleefully booted the ball out for the final whistle to make it a first home win on the new 3G pitch.
Cue the relief from the stands and the players, who left Kingspan Stadium drenched, but more importantly, smiling, after a well-earned physical win against the brute force of the Bulls.
BKT United Rugby Championship Player of the Match - Tom O'Toole
Post-Match Reaction | Dan McFarland
Thoughts from Dan 🎤 pic.twitter.com/BHtXBiQvBb
— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) October 29, 2023
Scorers:
Ulster:
TRY: Stewart, Stockdale
CON: Doak x2
PEN: Doak x4
Vodacom Bulls:
TRY: Steenekamp, De Klerk, Loeuw
CON: Goosen x2
Team
(1-8) Andy Warwick (Callum Reid, 64'), Tom Stewart (John Andrew, 76'), Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor (C),Cormac Izuchukwu (Harry Sheridan, 37'), Dave Ewers (Marcus Rea, 40'), Dave McCann, Nick Timoney;
(15-9) Will Addison (Mike Lowry, 56') , Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Jacob Stockdale (Stewart Moore, 76'), Billy Burns, Nathan Doak.
Replacements: John Andrew, Callum Reid, Greg McGrath, Harry Sheridan, Marcus Rea, Dave Shanahan, Stewart Moore, Mike Lowry.