LEINSTER OR ULSTER will travel to South Africa for a semi-final next week after the Bulls held off a stern challenge from Benetton to win their URC quarter-final 30-23 at Loftus Versfeld.

The Irish provinces meet at 5pm at the Aviva Stadium, where the winners will earn a trip to Pretoria to face Jake White’s second seeds at altitude.

The Bulls and Treviso outfit Benetton split six tries in an entertaining last-eight clash on the Highveld, with the Italians always remaining in touch despite finding themselves in an ominous-looking 14-3 hole after 20 minutes.

Springbok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse put the Bulls firmly in the ascendancy with two early tries, both of which were converted by Johan Goosen. Between those scores, South African Rhyno Smith had tacked on three points for Benetton, who also saw a try disallowed moments before Arendse added his second.

Marco Bortolami’s men wouldn’t be dissuaded, however, and Onisi Ratave’s unconverted try just after the half-hour mark brought the deficit back to six points.

Goosen and Smith exchanged penalties on either side of half-time before the Bulls out-half stretched the hosts’ lead to 20-11 from the tee on 51 minutes.

Tomas Albornoz crossed six minutes later, with Smith adding the afters, to leave Bulls fans twitching as the game entered the final quarter.

David Kriel’s converted score just after the hour mark seemed like the moment from which the Bulls would kick for home, but Malakai Fekitoa’s 67th-minute try forced a nervy finish which was eased slightly by a Goosen penalty that stretched the hosts’ lead to seven.

It remained as such until the full-time whistle as the Bulls withstood a final, spirited attack from their visitors, eventually forcing a knock-on by Ignacio Brex and negotiating their way to the finish.