Segner's 12-carry, 13-tackle masterclass drives Blues to 50-19 demolition of Bulls

Anton Segner delivered one of the performances of the Blues’ tour, winning man of the match as Dave Rennie’s side dismantled the Bulls 50-19 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria to hand the 2026 URC runners-up a heavy home defeat.

The 25-year-old loose-forward finished with twelve carries and thirteen tackles, and his breakdown work was equally influential — most notably a second-half held-up tackle five metres from the line that forced a Bulls line drop-out and snuffed out a dangerous attacking phase.

Rennie was effusive in his post-match media briefing, while also crediting several other standout performers. “I thought Pete Lakai was excellent too till we took him off, and Anton was massive,” the Blues head coach said. “Those guys are applying a lot of pressure.” Rennie also singled out wing Leroy Carter for a strong display, adding with a wry note that he would like Carter to score on the line next time rather than two metres over it.

Segner, who made his All Blacks debut against Italy in Wellington, acknowledged the physical and environmental demands of playing at altitude in South Africa. “It definitely says on the tunnel on the way in that we’re at 1,350 metres here, and that matters — I could definitely feel the difference,” he said. “Credit to the Bulls. I don’t think the scoreboard reflects how hard of a game it was, especially in that second half. They came out firing and really put us under the pump.”

The loose-forward was candid about the physicality the Bulls brought despite the lopsided scoreline. “There’s some big boys there, and they only came one way, which is straight down the middle,” Segner said.

The commanding victory keeps the Blues in strong form and intensifies the selection debate ahead of the All Blacks’ first Test against the Springboks, with Segner’s all-round display making him increasingly difficult to overlook for the national coaching staff.