Bulls captain Victor Matfield conceded that his team were outplayed for most of the game by the Sharks after their last minute win in the Super 14 final on Saturday.
Bulls captain Victor Matfield conceded that his team were outplayed for most of the game by the Sharks after their last minute win in the Super 14 final on Saturday.
The Bulls sneaked home with a last gasp try by winger Bryan Habana to win 20-19.
Earlier Sharks winger Francois Steyn had missed a conversion that would have put his team nine points clear of the Bulls with 80 seconds of play remaining.
"When that conversion kick was missed I knew that if we kept the ball in hand we had a chance," said Matfield afterwards.
"It was almost unbelievable that we managed to pull it off and become the first South African side to hold aloft the Super 14 trophy that all these years has remained Down Under in Australia or New Zealand.
"I guess I will only realise what it was like when I wake up Sunday morning and join the Bulls and Sharks Springboks on their bus trip from Durban to Bloemfontein."
The players are off to join the rest of the national squad at Jake White's training camp in Bloemfontein ahead of the England series of two Test matches.
Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer had high praise for his players.
"It is an honour and a privilege for me to coach such a wonderful bunch of guys.
"We played the game as a team of talented personalities who could each rise to the occasion to support the other when things went awry.
"Almost throughout the Super 14 series of 2007 we had to fight back against adversity and we overcame so many hurdles. It says a lot about the character and spirit of every one connected with the Bulls rugby emblem."
Habana said he would only realise the importance of his winning try during the coming week. "I knew we had a chance in a million," he said. - Sapa
Bulls coach Meyer hails win over Sharks
Bulls captain Victor Matfield conceded that his team were outplayed for most of the game by the Sharks after their last minute win in the Super 14 final on Saturday.
Bulls captain Victor Matfield conceded that his team were outplayed for most of the game by the Sharks after their last minute win in the Super 14 final on Saturday.
The Bulls sneaked home with a last gasp try by winger Bryan Habana to win 20-19.
Earlier Sharks winger Francois Steyn had missed a conversion that would have put his team nine points clear of the Bulls with 80 seconds of play remaining.
"When that conversion kick was missed I knew that if we kept the ball in hand we had a chance," said Matfield afterwards.
"It was almost unbelievable that we managed to pull it off and become the first South African side to hold aloft the Super 14 trophy that all these years has remained Down Under in Australia or New Zealand.
"I guess I will only realise what it was like when I wake up Sunday morning and join the Bulls and Sharks Springboks on their bus trip from Durban to Bloemfontein."
The players are off to join the rest of the national squad at Jake White's training camp in Bloemfontein ahead of the England series of two Test matches.
Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer had high praise for his players.
"It is an honour and a privilege for me to coach such a wonderful bunch of guys.
"We played the game as a team of talented personalities who could each rise to the occasion to support the other when things went awry.
"Almost throughout the Super 14 series of 2007 we had to fight back against adversity and we overcame so many hurdles. It says a lot about the character and spirit of every one connected with the Bulls rugby emblem."
Habana said he would only realise the importance of his winning try during the coming week. "I knew we had a chance in a million," he said. - Sapa