Bones take a beating from Bully Boys
1 May 2006
The bones, consistently accurate in the last eight weeks, took a beating at the weekend as the Stormers and Bully Boys came good.
The bones had predicted victories for the Sharks in Pretoria, while also giving the Cheetahs and Crusaders a win. The Force were also due a historic first Vodacom Super 14 triumph.
The Sharks defeat is the most significant because it ends their play-offs challenge. The Sharks, on the road, will have more chance of success than the Bully Boys, who once again showed their brutality when playing at home. The Bully Boys on the road are more gravel than granite, but in Pretoria they have the ability to grow extra arms and legs.
The intensity of the Bulls in the first 40 minutes was the equivalent of an assault — as Sharks prop BJ Botha would no doubt tell you. The Bulls had the bonus point by halftime, but they did not have the win until the final hooter. The Sharks were given unanimous backing on this site (70 percent of the poll voted in their favour) for good reason. They are a quality side and the manner in which they fought back from 27-3 to be in a position to win the game was revealing of the improvement this season.
When the Bulls’ intensity dimmed on the hour, the Sharks started to find space and a bit of go-forward and their ability to offload in the tackle, change the line of attack and run the support runner into space troubled the Bulls defence.
The brutality of the first 40 minutes, though, was just too much for the Sharks and their championship aspirations were bloodied on Saturday night. Another whose championship could be over is the Crusaders. I know it is a big call. They lost for just the first time in 17 matches and a year ago they were as emphatically beaten in Pretoria, only to then go on and win the championship.
But they look like a side that has hit the wall in the last fortnight and the two epic encounters with the Hurricanes and Waratahs seem to have taken everything out of them. They will struggle to beat the Bulls in Pretoria and the Brumbies in Christchurch could easily do them as well, which would mean they may end up fourth on the table and needing to win twice away from home to claim the title. They’ve done it before, but rarely have they looked so out of sorts in successive weekends at this late stage of the competition.
The Stormers, for once this season, applied the blowtorch for 80 minutes and should have won by more and scored the bonus point. The Stormers pack was dominant and the Crusaders have now struggled against the Sharks and Stormers forwards. I can’t imagine them relishing the prospect of Pretoria this weekend — especially with the Bulls having to win to stay alive in the play-off race.
Crowd support this weekend was brilliant in Pretoria and very good in Cape Town, given the Stormers horror run at home. That 30 000 still made it on a cold and windy evening tells you how strong the brand is.
Individually, there were some fine performances and most of them came from established Springboks. The Bulls lock pairing of Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield were colossal, Pedrie Wannenburg has been the most consistent South African loose-forward all season, Schalk Burger was huge in Cape Town and Gary Botha and John Smit enjoyed a hectic 80 minute struggle in the front row.
Andre Pretorius showed more confidence against the Force, but again his goalkicking was not good enough, while Meyer Bosman would have backed himself to kick the conversion to sink the Blues.
The most pleasing aspect of this weekend’s matches is that every South African team played for 80 minutes, probably for the first time this season. The Bulls and Sharks were hammering away at each other on the siren, the Cats kept the ball for two minutes after the siren to score a match-saving try, while the Cheetahs also retained possession for two minutes after the siren to score a try that put them in a position to win it.
And in Cape Town the Stormers went in front after 30 seconds and never let up.
It was a heart-warming weekend for SA teams and while it won’t be reflected in Super 14 silverware, we could see the results in the international season.
243 Comments
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1 May 2006, 12:34 pm
St Petersburg the Bulls have done VERY WELL in SA. No arguments. But this style of play will not lead the Bulls or the Boks to international success. Don’t doubt it. The last ten years have shown this OVER AND OVER AND OVER again.
1 May 2006, 12:36 pm
Delek
I’m tired of that “onedimentional” label. It was true when Derrik “the statue” was at 10. But with Morne… either we are watching different games or you have no clue about rugby.
Cab,
Russow at 7 …. no pleaase how many times has Danie to prove that he is a good lock and Bad flanker.
1 May 2006, 12:36 pm
PS:
Because Skeate had a huge game and pretty much ruled the lineout…..can we assume that Skalk Britz can now throw?
1 May 2006, 12:37 pm
Ruben was as good as Kronfeld, Smith Waugh etc. A GREAT player. Rassie too was not too shabby, although sometimes used on the blindside I think.
1 May 2006, 12:37 pm
Delek
How can you blame the Bulls for SA’s past 10 years of failure?
What the **** was everyone else doing?
1 May 2006, 12:40 pm
StP
I disagree with Delek. For the first time on Saturday the Bulls looked like they were playing as a 15 man side and Dulane adds a different dimension to their play.
I somehow feel that a lot of their travelling problems might be caused by their over reliance on a powerful pack.
Not only are the big guys having to acclimatise but they’re also expected to carry the responsibility of winning the game.
I bet at the team meetings the focus is mainly on the forwards.
By playing more expansively they are spreading the responsibility (and workload) amongst all 15 players.
1 May 2006, 12:40 pm
StP
I don’t think Delek is blaming the Bulls, what he is saying is that the SA coaching staff have not trusted the team to play more expansie rugby, nor to run into space rather than into the biggest opponent that they can find!
Most SA teams play conservative rugby with the odd game being very expansive.
1 May 2006, 12:43 pm
StP:
Britz is shaky as a thrower – JW’s got that right.
Despite Skeate’s performance, the Stormers lost at least three on their own throw to the Crusaders in the first half because of pathetic throwing.
If Britz could throw consistently well he’d be my number two ahead of Gary Botha.
I’m not sure about his scrumming vs Botha – it’s only really possible to judge that based on opposition comment (and occasional Phil Kearns hype).
1 May 2006, 12:45 pm
David
I said as much a couple weeks ago.Small things that the Bulls usually do well are retuning to their game.
Protecting the ball in the contact situation.
Forwards carrying the ball over the advantage line 2 at a time.
And there is no debate about Steyn.This kid knows how to get his backs away and Olivier is turning into a quality center.
1 May 2006, 12:47 pm
Agree entirely with Delek #39. SA coaches persist with these behemoths who seldom get to the loose ball first. It IS a weakness.
If would be a tragedy if a frustrated Watson was lured away. He’d be good enough for any other international side.
1 May 2006, 12:47 pm
It’s bedtime. Look forward to continuing the debate soon…
1 May 2006, 12:47 pm
Delek,
If you want speed to the breakdown, they dont come faster than Joe Van Niekerk. The guy would burn any of the current “fetchers” in the game and most of the backs. His sprint times are astounding as are Tybilika’s.
However, that does not necessarily make a good fetcher. Hill and Betsen do not have speed, but what seperated them was their mongrel, their sheer competitivity at the breakdown, this is what Burger does so well. Hill and Betsen also have tremenous upper body strength (as do Waugh and Smith) in arresing the ball from the oppo and retaining it in the tackle, Watson has been criticied for a lack of this in the past. Mallet and White have tried to change him from a ball carrier (where he was viewed as light) into a specialist fetcher. He is doing well, but he needs to show at least one full season of consistent performances (not just talk the talk and pull determined faces). Also, its one thing to measure him on these so-called “positive contributions”, but a true opensider is meaured on his turnovers and tackle count (i.e. workrate). McCaw is not any faster than Burger, but he is the most refined exponent of specialised fecther play today.
David, totally agree that Dlulance should be playing all their away games and looks to have done very well at home too.
Okes – just cos a particular style of play is unattractive or doesn’t suit your own preferences, doesn’t make it ineffective. In fact, quite often the opposite. The current world champs base their game around a dominant pack. The poms totally destroyed every pack in 2003 including NZ with only 13 players on the park. I now need a shower.
1 May 2006, 12:48 pm
cheers Delek, ha ha, yes another time.
1 May 2006, 12:48 pm
Britz may have missed a couple jumpers with skew throws…..but John Smit missed just about everyone.Including a Sharks attacking lineout on the Bulls 5 meter line with onlyt a few minutes to go.The Sharks only started winning lineouts when the Bulls stopped competing for them.
Gary Botha also missed a couple throws to the back I think,albeit they may have been knocked on.
1 May 2006, 12:48 pm
Oops. Delek#34
1 May 2006, 12:49 pm
sorry Hill=Back
1 May 2006, 12:52 pm
Also,
to negate the Botha/Matfield factor at lineout time….Jon Smit threw to the back of the lineout a lot.Not a very good idea when 6’1 Wannenburg and 6’4 Cronje are there.
More often than not they turned into long passes to Olivier:grin:
1 May 2006, 12:53 pm
StP
I think Jake phoned Heyneke and told him to give his captain a chance.
1 May 2006, 12:58 pm
Cab surely McCaw is faster than Burger. He must be. Now it’s definitely sleep time.
1 May 2006, 13:01 pm
i said last week if the bulls can play ’12′ man rugby they will beat the sharks.
this they did, like StP pointed out their protection at the breakdown was phenominal and the sharks simply could not get their hands on the ball.
given steyn’s display to get his line away effectively and good running in the midfield where in my view the sharks was vulnerable was the perfect plan to employ.
they are not the total 15 man team yet but i tell you what – the bulls are closer to the complete 15 man game than any other team in SA.
sharks and cheetahs not too far behind but their lack of experience is what counts against them currently.
if the cheetahs and sharks build on what we have seen this year and in the CC last year (cheetahs) SA rugby is looking very healty!
i would however like to see both the stormers and bulls get a real leader. in my mind, that is the only thing they are missing.
as for the locks, i read yesterday quinten davids is on his way to bloem…
where there is a real lack of depth though and an area which worries me it is flyhalf.
any idea how butch played this weekend past, anyone watch the game?
and another interesting point about the bulls sharks game is how the sharks seem to be a different team with monty at flyahlf?
that was quite interesting to me.
and also, barrit made an immediate impact when he took the field, this youngster is going to become a great bok.
1 May 2006, 13:07 pm
Burger does not have the speed of some of the other SA loosies, but he has run in his share of tries for WP. My point, McCaw strength is not his speed. One of the quicker fecthers accross the track is probably Croft (reds), but he’s often cleaned up for being too light.
1 May 2006, 13:08 pm
I don’t believe it was Montgomery that was the catalyst for the Sharks near come back……it was Brent Russel and to a lesser extent Barrit and Jacobs(?) who where given carte blanche to play basketball style rugby.
The only sort of rugby that 5 footers will succeed in withregards to international competition.
And before anyone says it…..Giteau is an exception and truethfully has done little for the Wallabies if one bears in mind he was dropped last season if I remember correctly.
1 May 2006, 13:10 pm
i agree cab,
a good fetcher is not only speed, it is how effectively you clean out the ruck or compete for the ball.
like any position your all-round game needs to be up there.
what good is a fly-half if he only has a great boot?
in the same way i rate schalk, and his work-rate as someone mentioned before as key ingedients why he is the best in SA.
1 May 2006, 13:13 pm
For me the Steyn – Olivier combo is the X-factor that the Bulls were missing. Also switching Pedrie and Cronje around. Jaco can ambush from the back.
The Steyn-Hougaard debate is be settled now. Morne and Jaco should be first-choices to wear the Bulls No 10 shirt.
1 May 2006, 13:13 pm
The revival of the sharks was due the fact that bulls alowed them to turn the 2 half into loose unstructured basketball tipe of game. The same mistakes were mad at hte end of the games against brumbies and Hurricanes. Here I would like again ask the abilities of Matfield as captain to make his troops to concentrate on their gameplan.
1 May 2006, 13:14 pm
PA:
I have always rated Monty as a flyhalf.
He was played there for a while at WP. I always thought he could have been given some more time.
I believe Monty is a flyhalf that straightens the line (very rare in SA). Mainly because he is cood at running off the ball, floating a good long pass and passing off a good inside step.
But I think Grant and Olivier have genuine potential. Both are confidence players and very young. Mallet rates them highly too.
I think Hougaard is underrated – he just stand too deep in the pocket.
1 May 2006, 13:16 pm
citizenc
I just wish HM could agree with us on Morne. Somehow HM has blind love and overloyalty towards Derrik same as Drunkmonkey on this site.
1 May 2006, 13:19 pm
cic,
i don’t believe (steyn / hougaard) the debate is finished.
again, do not underestimate front foot ball and game-plans. the bulls had the clear intention of keeping ball in hand to keep the ball away from the sharks and obviously trying to avoid a basketball type game as StP refers to.
we have a real problem at 10 in my view. apart from jaco and AP, there is really not one guy that stands out as the next carter, honnibal or wilkenson.
they are all the same for me with the one guy being slightly better in one aspect of his play than the next.
1 May 2006, 13:21 pm
and by that i am not saying jaco or AP is even close to carter, not at all.
1 May 2006, 13:23 pm
Ciccino
The Bulls also gave away a host of penalties in the 2nd half that gave the Sharks easy possesion especially when the Bulls stopped competing in the lineouts.
For me, Matfield is turning into a decent Captain.
From a captaincy perspective he played a fantastic final 5 minutes.Linout steal from the Sharks on the Bulls 5 meter line = fantastic mental lift for the Bulls players.
Penalty awarded to the Bulls with a couple minutes to go.Kick into Sharks territory.Easy throw to the front of the lineout.Two or three phases of forward rucking = clock runs down and hooter goes…end of game.
1 May 2006, 13:25 pm
exactly right about Scalk PA, ppl often critise him for the not being effective in carrying the ball up and being a headless chicken, but he’s job is not to carry the ball up, that what the 7 and 8 do. Schalk does have this ability, but he’s strngth are his competitiveness, body strength in arresting the ball (hence his squirms which ppl say is inneffective) and has stamina in getting through so many tackles. He is a great opensider.
Specialist fecthers, those that make dedicated turnovers are very rare, especially in SA. This is an art form we are yet to master to the degree of players like McCaw and George Smith. Besides, I think Burger is still out most successful player at winning turnover ball.
1 May 2006, 13:26 pm
PissAnt,
Ball in hand is exactly what you want in order to win matches specially in S14. Steyn has been much better then Derrik in this regard.
In my memory Steyn has played in 2 lost games, both of them the whole team underperformed and it would be silly to blame him. He is still 21 and given time and good coaching he can become best 10 in Sa.
1 May 2006, 13:31 pm
Interestingly enough…..
In the Brumby side it looks as if George Smith plays openside only on opposition feed and 8th man for Brumby feed.
With the Bulls, Cronje also has a very specific role…..he plays first receiver setting up good 2nd phase ball.Exactly the same role that JW was using Skalk Burger for a while back.
1 May 2006, 13:31 pm
Monty is a bit sluggish these days at fullback, but looked the goods at flyhalf in the second half against the bulls.
Jake could alternate Monty and Jaco (in my view better at fullback) as Bok squad flyhalves/fullbacks while easing in Meyer Bosman. Pretorius remains first choice. This should get us through WC 2007.
The dark horse is Butch James. I’ve always rated him and would be chuffed if he can play himself back into contention.
1 May 2006, 13:33 pm
St. Petersburgbok,
I am not convinced that he is a great captain. His lineout steal was not becouse of his captancy but ‘cose he is the best lineout lock. Last penalty decision agreed good one. But he should have strangled guys, made them focused to play more structured game after sharks scored their first try like Martin Johnson used to do for Eng, or lecester for example.
Don’t know… I still remember games against Force and Reds where great captain would do the job done, Matfield didn’t.
1 May 2006, 13:34 pm
True…Butch James was developing nicely a few seasons back but after 2 operations and 2 seasons out I’d be suprised to see him get back to his best.
1 May 2006, 13:36 pm
cic,
that he has the talent is not being disputed at all – he is talented no doubt.
what i am saying the bulls more often than not play to a game plan where they want to kick the ball behind the opposition and force line-outs inside the oppositions half with their great locks.
it is a game plan they can employ effectively too and something they have done very well in the past.
last week’s game this was not really the game plan. i think because HM believed the sharks will be super competitive at the line out hence they decided to keep the ball in hand more.
if the bulls do not rate their opponents in the forward department and especially at the line-out, you will see them kicking the ball behind the back three and put major pressure on them in order to win a line out in the oppo’s half and attack or maul from there.
both game plans comes with risks and you choose the best one depending on the opposition. you would for instances use the kicking plan against teams like the hurricanes who has dangerous backs and is not a team you would want to run into all the time in the midfield or around channel 1, but the bulls realised that the sharks midfield defence is not as hot as their pack. so run into them and protect posession, sooner or later they are going to run out of defenders.
it was amazing how in-effective the sharks loosies were though – that surprised me a bit.
i said earlier the bulls are probably the closest team in SA when it comes to employing the complete 15 man game.
1 May 2006, 13:36 pm
The specialist fetcher is the result of the rules of the modern game. I’m not saying they didn’t exist before but the combination of skills and physical ability to steal the ball while staying on your feet is an unusual one that needs a combination of speed, upperbody and leg strength combined with timing.
Before the new rules you just had to be fast or strong enough to smother the ball before the opposition could get it.
I think it’s taken a while for this to permeate down to our youngsters.
1 May 2006, 13:38 pm
There too many people on this site what I call ‘emotional sisters’.
One weekend we have a bad result and we want to knock someones block off then the next weekend all is good and we are world champions.
Morons! I say of you lot. I THINK MOST OF YOU ARE TOO CLOSELY RELATED TO THE ENGLISH.
1 May 2006, 13:38 pm
Cinnio
Lets not forget it’s his first real season as Captain, he’s an intelligent player who analyzes opposition lineouts….I’m sure he is doing work analyzing his own leadership performances.I can only see him being better off for all those narrow defeats earlier on.
I was pleased to see how he has had the confidence to chirp the ref.This is usually a tell tale sign withregards to a player who is aware of the game situation.
1 May 2006, 13:41 pm
and you have been in oz to long.
1 May 2006, 13:41 pm
citizenc,
agreed Jaco is way better fullback then flyhalf. But that means we have seriouse problem at 10.
Mongomerie – still a question is he good enough to play 10 in a test, Pretorius – way too inconsistent, can be great one day and disapear the other (just recall his game against Bulls fortnight ago), Bossman – never realy showed that quality that JW saw in him (apart from Stormers game).
I would love to see Steyn introdused to the bok culture. He has been great for the U21 may be he could be answear to the bok’s problems. You can’t tell unless you tryed him.
1 May 2006, 13:42 pm
1 May 2006, 13:44 pm
Meyer Bosman should be playing 12.
He has a fantastic range of passing skills and physic to boot.I hesitate to say that he may well be a little immature mentally to play flyhalf in top tier rugby.
Develope him at 12 before moving him to 10.
1 May 2006, 13:47 pm
BokinOzzie
You’re way too emotional and have missed the point entirely. Had a long day with the XXXXs?
This whole site is about emotional therapy – Lifeline doesn’t do rugby-related distress calls.
I need it even though I am perfectly balanced – 50% Afrikaans blood and 50% British.
1 May 2006, 13:47 pm
David,
totally agree, and there’s something else that all the best modern fetechers have, if you watch carefully their body positioning is excellent at the breakdown, i.e. which allows them to get good leverage for wrestling the ball while still playing legally, also the way they cover the ball to force a penalty from an oppo player not releasing. these all look like specific skills which have been trained. We need an Nz/Oz coach that is able to impart these skills.
1 May 2006, 13:49 pm
StP,
now there is something i agree 100% on with you, bosman will be a phenominal 12.
he has all the skills our current 12 have (and before someone slays me i do not believe a 12 should be someone in the mould JDV and olivier are) plus he has a great boot on him.
1 May 2006, 13:53 pm
Cab:
If you want to see a SA player with awesome sklls at the breakdown – watch Barry.
The speed at which he gets up from the tackle, braces his legs (to stop from going to his knees) and contests for the ball is awesome.
Yes he gives away penalties at the breakdown, but so does McCaw, Smith and everyone else who really contests.
1 May 2006, 13:53 pm
Morne is unspectacular but makes things “happen”. He gives players around him time, and probably doesn’t get sufficient credit as a result.
Ditto on Bosman at No 12. Whereto with JVD?
1 May 2006, 13:54 pm
Cab
Marvellous skill, that last one! Having the skill to kill the ball whilst making it look as if it’s the other player who’s not releasing it.
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