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ESPN staff
The Bulls are finally up and running in Super Rugby this season but it was the farcical jersey clash that really grabbed the headlines from their 38-13 win over the Highlanders.
The two sides ran out onto Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld in a clash of colour schemes seldom seen in any sport, making life difficult for the players themselves, referee AJ Jacobs, the commentators and of course the fans.
Just how SANZAAR officials allowed the uniform clash to go ahead is anyone’s guess, for not only were the colour schemes near identical but so too the patterns themselves.
Common sense prevailed at halftime when the hosts changed strips into a white and yellow combination which immediately made both teams far more distinguishable.
And it seemed to help the Bulls, too, who overcame a five-point halftime deficit to run out comprehensive 38-13 winners after winger Rosko Speckman bagged a second-half hat-trick in just 16 minutes.
The 25-point defeat is the Highlanders’ fourth loss of the year and leaves them rooted to the bottom of the New Zealand conference, eight points adrift of the fourth-placed Hurricanes.
The Bulls moved off the bottom of the South African conference with a win, but now face a tough four-week Australasian tour that sees them face the Reds, Waratahs, Hurricanes and Chiefs.
None of those opponents should however present a uniform clash, thankfully.