Rassie hails Hougaard
12 Feb 2006
Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus described Bulls flyhalf Derick Hougaard’s performance as brilliant in the visiting team’s Vodacom Super 14 success in Bloemfontein.
Erasmus, speaking to Rapport’s JJ Harmse, said that tactically the Bulls were the more impressive of the teams and that many of his players were particularly disappointing in the opening hour.
“Hougaard was brilliant with his linekicks,” said Erasmus. “It kept us under pressure all the time. And the Bulls defensive lines were also very good. We struggled to break them down.”
The Cheetahs tight five were expected to dominate an inexperienced Bulls unit, but this never happened. The Cheetahs coach felt it had more to do with his players being wary of the new interpretation.
“If you engage too early, you will concede a free kick. They seemed very unsure and it did hamper them,” said Erasmus. “The defeat hurts and we will want to correct that next week.”
The Cheetahs play the Sharks in Durban.
17 Comments
12 Feb 2006, 23:13 pm
What exactly is “the new interpretation” and why did the Cheetahs not train accordingly?
13 Feb 2006, 00:03 am
Morne Steyn! Hougard needs to tie up his laces or something cause he cant kick!
13 Feb 2006, 00:18 am
If Rassie thinks Hougaard had a brilliant game then that tells you what is wrong with South African flyhalves and how they are let down by their coaches.
Wynand Olivier had to wait for Habana to make a turnover in a tackle before he got a pass.
I also understand why Willem de Waal was kicking so much ball back to the Bulls. Rassie told him to.
13 Feb 2006, 01:09 am
Hougaard is **** man. The guy can’t run, he can’t tackle and his goal kicking is greatly overrated. His ‘booming’ touch kicks are nulified when he leaves the highveld making him a liabilty at the coast.
Steyn is the future (at the moment) for the Bulls. Meyer and Hougaard are in bed together if you ask me.
13 Feb 2006, 04:36 am
Whougaard??? The boy is over-rated and needs to have an absolute masterful game in the Bulls next fixture to secure his place, it’s a game by game situation for the Bulls fly-half position. Rassie, enough with the false praises.
13 Feb 2006, 07:28 am
To be honest Hougie did not impress me much, but then again neither did any of the other flyhalves. if MB covertion went over it would have been in a different game.
FdP, was the difference i think, started the momentum with the pack going forward with good breaks close to ruck and maul situation. All and all not impresive rugby, more like a final with to much kicking. Would love to see ball in hand and not chip and chase when attempting to go for tries.
Cheetas outside centre impressed me a bit, and Johan Roets. glad the tight 5 was not dominated, which i think was the crucial element for winning the match.
13 Feb 2006, 07:32 am
Rassie should rather play the game fairly and stop this nonsense rotating of the front row and changing of the squad moments before the kick off. This is professional rugby. Just go and play the game on the field for 80 minutes. Your own players aren’t even sure who is playing – the official team or the last minute real team!
The Bulls got caught out with his tricks in the CC final (playing about 10 different front rows, including Os and CJ that never were included anyway). Stop playing mind games Rassie. You have all the potential to make it fair and square.
13 Feb 2006, 08:17 am
People that say, Hougaard had a bad game on Saturady, does not know the first thing about Rugby, please buy the book ” Idiot’s guide to Rugby”
13 Feb 2006, 09:09 am
What rubbish think rassie is losing the plot hougaard brilliant? perhaps his tactical kicking was very good but the bigger question is should he have kicked as much doung this against Tuqiri,Rockocoko and co will be suicide. Hougaard , Snyman and De Waal shouldnt be playing at this level if they are going to waste good ball like they do.Olivier,Julies and Goodes must hate these okes.
13 Feb 2006, 10:58 am
Hougaards tactical kicking kept turning the much vaunted Cheetah front row, turning them and tiring them. The Bulls backs got all four tries, so you cant argue that they dont get ball.
It was always going to be a tight tactical game against the Cheetahs – Meyer indicatd that with his choice of flyhalf. I agree it would be suicide to play this game against other teams like the Tah’s, but then they were’t playing teh Tah’s were they?
13 Feb 2006, 11:02 am
I thought the 3 players who did their absolute best to destroy the second half of that match as a spectacle was De Waal (who ever said he was bok material?) Hougaard and the totally overrated Fourie du Preez. They had a bit of help from Bevan Fortuin too.
I neary cried when I saw Fourie du Preez was man of the match. Its no wonder he is so highly rated in some quarters if that was a man of the match display. He was aweful.
The bulls have an incredible backline, outside of their halfbacks who are slow, ponderous and kick kick kick all day long (I dont care if its the game plan – at least kick when its on and do it effetively). Aussie and Kiwi team will kill us by running those aimless kicks, all day long.
There was plenty of aimless kicking in the reds/tahs match too – but in that game an aimless kick was conterattacked – not followed by an even worse aimless kick.
januarie is head and shoulders above our other scrummies at the moment, and if you must have a kicking option at 9 lets hope Ruan Pienaar continues this competition the way he has started.
13 Feb 2006, 11:13 am
Good complement.
Rassie does know what he’s talking about. Hougaard did have a good game – EXCEPT for his goal kicking and practice makes perfect. He kicked a great percentage of his line kicks out, alongside Roets. There were just alot of quick throw ins because the ball went so far which made it seem a wasted kick.
His positional play was also good.
13 Feb 2006, 11:13 am
Munki
Did you see Januarie on Saturday , he was pathetic. It seem that you watch the games blind folded
13 Feb 2006, 11:41 am
Munki
Spot on!!
If De Waal ever pulls on a Sprinbok jersey following that pathetic display of wasting good possession I may have to top myself.
Closely followed by Roets, Fortuin and to a lesser degree Hougaard (who at least kept the Bulls going forward at times). Disgusting advert for SA rugby in the 2nd half.
Get the ball, kick it somewhere and hope for the best!!
Whatever happened to retaining possession and setting up the next phase of play, or even passing to a player in the gap, at pace !!?
Most of our backs are weak at counter-attacking, worse as tactical kickers and even worse at regathering their aimless kicks.
13 Feb 2006, 11:56 am
munki
agree with almost everything but comment on January. He did not give TS a good service and that’s a fact. Cats backline problems started with a pack on the back foot, caused January to be under pressure and unfortunately TS looked the culprit.
FdP, gave bulls momentum with the breaks on the side of rucks and mauls. Thought his game was on par. agree all the kicking was really annoying!
13 Feb 2006, 12:18 pm
capebull – no i did not – they only showed the bulls match in London. from what I hear the whole cats team was miserable though – so hard to find a culprit.
I reckon the bulls could have smashed the Cheetas, but their second phase ball must be the slowest in the competition (keo – does anyone time this? – would be a great statistic). how many times did I see fourie du preez standing at a ruck looking around without a clue what to do with the ball. it was scary. or he was at the bottom of or nowhere near the ruck. He is a second loose forawrd who kicks a lot. He is no scrummie in my opinion.
I reckon they should let Hougaard do the kicking – admittedly his was better, and his passing (on both occasions he passed) was pretty good too. du Preez is stifling the bulls in my opinion. I know its only an opinion, but I’d love to see the bulls backs given MORE quick phase ball. Let him become a link man, and not the player who tries to dictate the match.
13 Feb 2006, 12:27 pm
I also wonder how much of the aimless kicking can be attributed to gameplan.
The cheetas tried constantly to reproduce the currie cup final calamity, but the bulls were wise to it this time. They had no plan B until the 70 minute when they got desperate, kept the ball in hand and suddenly looked good.
The bulls DO NOT use their backline until there is a 5 man to 2 overlap. Thats why the backs score tries. They rarely set them up.
The Olivier try was a peach though. I want to see these talented guys allowed to run. They have the fear of god coached into them – when it should be the freedom to experess themselves.
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