Breathless Bully Boys
7 Apr 2008
A lack of fitness has been a major contributing factor in the Bulls’ poor form this season.
Statistics reveal that their performances have fell off dramatically in the second half of matches. Of the 29 tries the Bulls have conceded, 17 (56 %) of those have come in the second half. In terms of total points conceded (230), 139 (60%) of those points have come in the second half.
Some sectors of the media and public have blamed poor defence on their atrocious run of results. While that may be true to some extent you have to look at the root cause of that problem.
Their defensive structures have remained exactly the same as those that saw them concede the fourth least tries in 2007 tournament. Criticism of defence coach John McFarland is unfounded as well. He is widely regarded as the best defensive coach in South Africa and is highly rated throughout the world.
Fitness, or a lack thereof, then has to be a major factor in their poor defensive record. An inability to maintain a high level of intensity and accuracy on defence for 80 minutes is going to cost any side, particularly with the introduction of the ELVs. The Bulls have fronted relatively well in the first half of their matches but have fallen apart when it mattered most, with ill-discipline and slipped hits a by-product of fatigue.
Forwards Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw and Wikus van Heerden all missed the bulk of the pre-season through injury, and they and Gurthro Steenkamp never had an opportunity to recover sufficiently after a gruelling 2007 season. That’s four of eight players in the pack running on reserve.
In the backline, Fourie du Preez, Wynand Olivier, Bryan Habana and Akona Ndugane were all regular fixtures in the Bulls’ Super 14 winning side, then all travelled to France for the World Cup. Olivier, Botha and Ndungane then joined the Springboks for the year end Test against Wales and the meaningless match against the Barbarians. Add to that mix Pierre Spies, who only returned to competitive action a fortnight ago after an eight month break and the loss of their defensive leader Victor Matfield to Toulon and you have problems.
Hilton Lobbberts was part of that group as well – meaning that eight of their preferred run-on side (excluding Lobberts) are well below the level of fitness needed to be competitive for a sustained period in Super Rugby matches.
Former head coach Heyneke Meyer warned SA Rugby that the tour would have an adverse effect on the fitness of all the Springboks, which the franchises could not afford ahead of a Super 14 that would feature laws which would make the game significantly quicker.
Yet they ignored that warning and eight of the players who were part of the match 22 against Wales either didn’t start the Super 14 (Andre Pretorius and Jaque Fourie still haven’t played), or broke down due to injury during the campaign .
Lobberts, in particular, suffered, despite not getting game time on that tour. The plan was for him to work on his strength and conditioning with the Bulls in the off season, but he came back from tour with a slight knock, which limited his involvement. During the Bulls’ pre-season fitness tests Lobberts only managed an 11 on the bleep test, which is well below the standard expected of a loose forward.
While the coaching staff, including head coach Frans Ludeke, must take responsibility for their diabolical form at present, they can be mitigated to a certain extent given that they are dealing with a core group of players still in search of full fitness.
They won’t improve as the season progresses either. For those players to improve they’ll need to be taken out of competitive action and be placed on a recovery programme designed to improve their strength and conditioning. Until then, expect the Bulls’ form graph to continue to show a gradual downward curve.
By Ryan Vrede
428 Comments
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7 Apr 2008, 18:04 pm
GBS, van die SA spanne dryf my na drank toe
7 Apr 2008, 18:05 pm
Ek meen die naweek het hulle my hele Superbru gebreek, dit is nou stukkend
7 Apr 2008, 18:06 pm
Tequila en / of Suitcases drink ek wanneer ek woes stout voel……. dis taamlik gereeld…. hehehehe
Op my 40 ste verjaarsdag het ek en 2 van my swaers saam 47 Tequilas weggepak, tussen Port, Sangria, Witwyn, Rooiwyn en ‘n 1920′s Brandewyntjie……
Hoepel-sukkel-storm-dronk gewees…..
7 Apr 2008, 18:07 pm
Jislaaik 47
Ek sukkel om 2 van daai te drink
7 Apr 2008, 18:07 pm
Jinne JL1……… ek het ‘n solid 1 puntjie hierdie naweek op SuperBru gescore…. shockingggg !!
7 Apr 2008, 18:09 pm
Ek dink dit het my moerig gemaak vir die Bulls en sommer die hele spul
Ek het 2.5 gekry, maar die ander perde is almal nou verby my en dit gaan sukkel om hulle in te haal, tensy jy ‘n goeie Hacker ken wat ‘n plan kan maak
7 Apr 2008, 18:11 pm
Anyhows, ek sê vir eers baai, ek het ‘n verskriklike snotsiekte op hierdie modder eiland opgetel met die dat dit hier gesneeu oor die naweek
Ons praat weer
7 Apr 2008, 18:18 pm
Cheers JL1….. gedra jouself…. al is dit sleg !
7 Apr 2008, 18:22 pm
WPTID mater ek sien jy was besig hier vandag. Daardie aanhalings van G13G en Tacitus is classic.
7 Apr 2008, 18:25 pm
You’re right about the fact that most our franchises are satisfied with mediocre performances JL, I also find it difficult to stomach, but this situation is a simple realignment of the inevitable, the age old adage of Pride comes before a fall, or put another way, ‘Oh how the mighty have fallen’.
Its almost a guarantee that as soon as one has some cotton picking notion that we are one step ahead of the rest, or that its a case of big headed bravado, you can bet your cotton picking socks that you’ll be heading for the very next fall.
Seems in this country we simply have not learned the art of humility, have you ever heard Robbie Deans go on about how invincible his Crusaders are? No never, because he knows the principle of true sportsmanship and humility go hand in hand, he is aware the minute he or his team think they are beyond learning or have arrived at the pinnacle, there is only one way from there, and that is downhill, thats why they will always be taught to strive for better and achieve higher goals, never believing for an instant that they are supreme.
Unfortunately most of our immature sports coaches and mentors here, and many of our immature sportsmen, I say most, not all, suffer from huge ego induced grandiose dilemmas, and therein lies the actual bitter lesson they have not yet learned.
7 Apr 2008, 18:30 pm
15 mins to kick-off. Come on Maties, do it, you’ve got everything in your favour.
7 Apr 2008, 18:34 pm
Is the game on Mnet or SS Boerboel?
7 Apr 2008, 18:39 pm
Skoppie, seems to me SS1
See you guys later
7 Apr 2008, 21:50 pm
In many ways it’s good to get out of the market when everyone is singing the same song, saying the same thing. When the taxi driver is making “astute” obesrvations … so i am going to go out on a limb (WPTID will archive it I am sure)and say that a Blue Bulls revival would not surprise me.
Sure Tacitus’ Blou Bul pj’s are a little frayed and his BB duvet cover is tear sodden, but the one thing you all discount – is the Blue Bulls are a team of South Africans.
And South Africans are competitors.
7 Apr 2008, 23:55 pm
Sodajoe
Say that to a team that has finished last more than any other team
8 Apr 2008, 00:33 am
i think the fitness was a bigger issue in the 1st 3 rounds – and ALL the SA teams were behind their antipodean rivals in this regard. Slowly that gap has closed – but of course the Bulls, with their injuries have taken a bit longer to catch up.
8 Apr 2008, 00:42 am
redlion you sad git. did you go and find those Tackler quotes, or did you save them at the time. either way it makes for excellent reading, and i think you should post it every time tackler soils a thread with his presence.
8 Apr 2008, 01:00 am
JL – my fervent hope is that Sharks (who I don’t think are playing that well) and Stormers (who I do think are playing well and will get better) make the semis.
I hope for SA rugby sake that the BB’s pull their fingers out and start building their confidence up (if only as individuals)because the Boks need FdP, Habs, confident. Not sure if Bakkies’ heart is in it.
8 Apr 2008, 01:28 am
Ryan, thought-provoking article but can it be true that a team of supposedly professional players lose simply due to lack of fitness? Maybe they are just too heavy for the modern game?
Between all the other posts, Apollo @137 and Sparrow @61 might just have hit on the real reason – are they just physically not suited to the faster game brought about by the ELV’s? I would be interested to see the average weights of the forward packs fielded by S14 sides. WPTID had some interesting stats on penalties conceded and cards conceded, maybe he can help?
8 Apr 2008, 02:24 am
i think the bulls showings against the blues and force – who until recently were touted as very realistic semi contenders shows they are turning the corner. they will become a real handful when back at loftus, and expect them to finnish the season strongly.
we have a good chance of having 3 teams in the top 6 of this competition, and that would be a sensational return considering the despair we were in after week 3.
8 Apr 2008, 02:27 am
WPTID, here’s another for your Tacitus collection. I promise it is the only one saved to my hard drive. Tacitus is so passionate about his team I thought I had to keep it to re-read about now:
Tacitus “Bulls is baas” post on 17 Dec 07:
Seems like the Bulls are looking at a slow start to the season as usual, but that is nothing we can’t take in our stride – as we’ve shown in the past.
I reckon 2 wins out 4 in the first month might be a decent showing for the Bulls – depending on the return dates of guys like Gurthro, Bakkies, Spies and now Matfield.
3 out of 4 will be a bonus. It is the last half of the competition where we usually get into our stride.
Hurricans[sic] Loftus
Brumbies, Loftus
Highlanders, Loftus
Waratahs, Loftus
followed by the final game against the Cheetahs in Bloem – when the Cheetahs depth will be utterly depleted as usual. That’s a great line-up for a 5 win home streak in SA.
Added to the 2 wins in the first month, plus hopefully 2 wins out of 4 on tour, gives us 9 wins out of 13, and about 40 points on the log.
Well the Bulls were 0/4 not 2/4 on their overseas leg and it is impossible for them to get from 10 to 40 points in 5 games but will Tacitus get his 5/5 in the “home streak”?
8 Apr 2008, 03:07 am
bulls played ok despite their lack of intelligence in slotting a droppie at the death against the blues.
they simiarly lost it late against the force, those are 2 wins they could have had.
they are not playing like mud like some would have us believe, they are playing their style of rugby, although slightly modified since elvis.
they should take those 5 wins at home, and possibly the cheetahs one too. try bonus wise i dont know if that will happen. but they could end on mid 30 points and that could spell mid table for them.
not bad given the creds of ludicrous.
8 Apr 2008, 06:10 am
You could also make the argument that the yellow cards has contributed to them being exhausted from defending with 14 men at towards teh end of teh match. They have performed much better in those matches where a player was not sent off midway, have they not?
Maybe its not their fitness, but their discipline.
8 Apr 2008, 08:00 am
Is it player fitness before the game or their tactics that cause them to become tired?
8 Apr 2008, 08:31 am
Maybe oom Steve Hoffies should do a cover version of ” take my breff aways” and scrap liefling!!
8 Apr 2008, 09:35 am
Over the last few months much has been written by bulls fans and non bulls fans about the situation at loftus.Barend van graan has stated that ludicrous will not be fired even though we are playing boswell&wilkie rugby with the players the performing clowns and it is embarrassing to watch.Walter Smith the manager of Glasgow Rangers football club in scotland,stated that once the fans turn against the manager there is normally only one ending the manager leaves.I hope ludicrous will read this and understand that the bulls fans have turned against him and that he must leave now and take slaptjips with him and never darken the doors of our beloved loftus again.Please get HM back as soon as possible.MY BLOED IS BLOU MAAR MY HART IS SEER.
8 Apr 2008, 11:13 am
11 on the beep test is abysmall for a S14 player, guys in high school get 11 easily
8 Apr 2008, 11:27 am
In the first week of January my son and I went to Loftus to watch the Bulls doing fitness tests. Afterwards I told my son the Bulls’ conditioning is not up to scratch and he agreed.
Chilliboy and Pierre Spies were the only forwards that did well, and we all know Pierre is a freak.
Pedrie arrived with his Venter trailer still hooked to his vehicle!!
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