Cheswill Jooste scored a hat-trick as the Bulls beat Stade Français 56–20 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, 17 October, opening their Investec Champions Cup campaign with a home victory.
The Bulls confirmed the final score in their official full-time update at 16:02 SAST. Their match updates recorded Jooste’s third try and Handré Pollard’s conversion taking the score to 56–20 shortly before the end.
Jooste also scored the home side’s opening try, with the conversion putting the Bulls 7–0 ahead. Cobus Wiese added their second, and another successful Pollard kick extended the score to 14–3.
Stade Français had moved to six points by the time the club reported 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Cameron Hanekom then crossed, with Pollard converting to make it 21–6. That remained the score at the interval.
Marco van Staden supplied the Bulls’ first try of the second half. Pollard’s conversion left the home side 28–13 ahead at that stage.
The Bulls led 35–20 just beyond the hour mark before Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ try and another Pollard conversion extended the advantage to 42–20. Jooste later completed his three-try contribution as the hosts finished with a 36-point margin.
The opening-round win came after several changes to the Bulls’ starting line-up. Pollard returned at flyhalf, Elrigh Louw took the captaincy and Luan Giliomee was selected for his first start at fullback, with Willie le Roux among the replacements.
Jooste had been brought into the starting side on the left wing, while Wiese joined JF van Heerden in the second row and Wessels started at hooker.
