Rugby

MATCH REPORT

The Bradford Bulls edged a tight and tense West Yorkshire derby with an 18-14 victory to end Castleford's 100% record in the engage Super League.

The Bulls were far from at their fluent best but their defensive efforts were a major improvement on their 50-16 hammering at Huddersfield a week earlier as they restricted the visitors to just two tries.

The Tigers, who gave a debut to former Melbourne Storm centre Willie Isa, made the brighter start but never created enough opportunities to suggest they could prolong their best ever start to a Super League season and the loss through injury of skipper Danny Orr midway through the second half was a significant blow.

Bradford coach Mick Potter had spoken in the week of the danger of Tigers' elusive playmaker Rangi Chase but the warning appeared to go unheeded when the New Zealander opened the scoring after just three minutes.

Chase went through the attempted tackles of Jamie Langley and Brett Kearney with alarming ease and had enough pace the hold off the chasers on a 40-metre dash to the line.

Kirk Dixon kicked the touchline conversion and added a penalty on 27 minutes but it was the Bulls who looked the livelier of two ordinary teams in the first half.

French second rower Olivier Elima forced his way over from dummy half to claim his first try for the club on 10 minutes and, after Craig Kopczak and Tom Olbison had been held up over the line, another replacement forward, Nick Scruton, scored crucially just before the break from a pass from substitute hooker Heath L'Estrange.

L'Estrange, back after a two-match absence with an ankle injury, added more purpose and direction to the Bradford attack when he came off the bench after 25 minutes and his accurate pass sent the charging Scruton over for a second try eight minutes into the second half.

Patrick Ah Van's third goal extended the Bulls' lead to 18-8 but the game was back in the balance when Castleford's promising hooker Daryl Clark scooped up a loose ball and sprinted 80 metres for a try.

Dixon kicked his third goal to cut the gap to four points but Bradford maintained their new-found defensive resolve to clinch a third win of the season.