Bulls lose live wire
21 Mar 2009
Bulls openside flank Deon Stegmann has been suspended for three weeks for a dangerous tackle on Conrad Smith.
Stegmann pleaded guilty before the Sanzar judical officer Peter Hobbs at the New Zealand Rugby Union’s offices in Wellington on Saturday. He will be replaced in the squad by Namibian international Jacques Burger.
The suspension is a massive blow for the Bulls as Stegmann has been a consistently good performer. He misses matches against the Highlanders, Crusaders and Waratahs.
Stegmann’s place in the starting line-up is likely to be taken by Dewald Potgieter.
46 Comments
21 Mar 2009, 08:19 am
Depth will be needed by the Bulls
21 Mar 2009, 08:21 am
the tackle got what it deserved , plain stupid
its also in line with the 4 weeks the guy from the reds got for the spear tackle on keegan daniel
deon got 1 week less as he got a red card on the field
21 Mar 2009, 08:32 am
Fair call, be we will miss him. Not sure if Porgieter, P3 and Spies is balanced trio though and Jaques Burger has impressed me yet. Problems…
21 Mar 2009, 08:39 am
I finally saw the tackle on the replay clip on the Bulls site.
I’m sorry, but to me that didn’t warrant a suspension.
He took the guy around the middle – not around the legs. Therefore, when the momentum continued to carry Smith upwards, Stegman was never lifting the guy’s legs into the air. For 75% of that tackle, nothing was wrong, then Smith turned right at the end and came down upside down.
Anyway, what’s done is done. It’s gonna diminish the impact of our bench in the last 20 minutes, but Burger just needs to step up to the plate. What a great opportunity for him.
Oh and Sharkslover, maybe try to at least hide your satisfaction the next time the Bulls get a setback. It’s not our fault you lost to the pansy Reds.
21 Mar 2009, 08:59 am
no way this was a spear tackle…damn this is a blow!
21 Mar 2009, 09:14 am
The tackle was rather bad and embarrassing. It’s the kind of thing that we usually see from the samoans or maori muscleheads.
The thing that upsets me is that he got the same treatment as Genia a week before – three match ban.
Genia did not even get yellow carded. It still floors me that all three officials saw the tackle but didn’t get the player’s number. Play from that moment does not continue. You identify the player and send him off.
That is the typical treatment that South Africans have to put up with in this competition.
21 Mar 2009, 09:18 am
mmm yes agreed it was not a spear tackle but certainly dangerous. the backwards bollemakiese onto his head certainly looked bad and it was stegman who flipped him. i think 3 weeks and effectively 4 with the red is harsh. i wonder what the different guidelines for suspensions are re dangerous and spear tackles.
21 Mar 2009, 09:23 am
Just remember one thing: Stegman admitted guilt. After that it was just a case of sentence.
21 Mar 2009, 09:34 am
Ironicslly enough, the two yellows and the one red were the only penalties against the bulls in the whole game…
I think that 3 weeks is a fair call. The fact that the reds player got 4 is fine and that Stegman got one less for his frank honesty. What happened in the Reds game has no reflection on the judicial process, but rather on Leckey, who happened to ref both games.
21 Mar 2009, 10:05 am
#4 Tacitus:
You must be blind or just very stupid he even admited his guilt and you are trying to defend him , as the commentators said yesterday they cannot understand how an team can cheat at this level and also play so dirty , when Bakkies had one of his as usual off the ball after the whistle incidents the ref told him to open his ears as they are so big allready .
Dont worry about the Sharks and the Reds that’s not the point here, the Bulls wheels will start coming off now , they will lose the next four in a row , watch this space .
21 Mar 2009, 10:13 am
#7 JUSM:
Not n spear tackle ? **** sure you did’nt watch the vodacom match last night ? It was so bad it waranted at least six weeks !
21 Mar 2009, 10:17 am
#4 Tacitus:
So its Smiths fault????
So Smith turned himself in the air and land on his neck and fold himself in half,Smith should have got the ban then a Tac.
21 Mar 2009, 10:48 am
why
are shark supporters
so negative
towards
the bulls
trying
to talk them
out of
the competition
maybe
21 Mar 2009, 11:21 am
#13 Porra:
I believe so they are very afraid of the blue machine, and a repeat of 2007!
Go Bulls
Dewald Potgieter is a good replacement!
21 Mar 2009, 11:31 am
“Stegmann pleaded guilty before the Sanzar judical officer “….
This is to Stegmans credit.
To those above, who claim the tackle was not dangerous, (no mention of the word SPEAR in the lead article).
Open your minds….they are big enough.
8)
21 Mar 2009, 12:43 pm
Sharks30..
Try to make comment that is objective rather than content coming from a one eyed Shark supporter… It was a dangerous tackle and deserved a red card but the 3 weeks is somewhat harsh in my opinion regardless of Stegmans guilty plea…
But Sharks30 your comment
“The Bulls wheels will start coming off now , they will lose the next four in a row , watch this space”.
This is merely a comment of what you hope will happen and has no basis in fact nor does it come with a legitimate or persuasive argument as to why you think it will happen…
As a Bulls supporter I am watching your team play the Force hoping for a Shark victory so as to increase the size of the SA component in the top 4….
Perhaps then you lot might have to come to Loftus to contest a super 14 final…. Look forward to it.
21 Mar 2009, 14:37 pm
#14 groenie:
Ya can,t have an repeat of 2007 Steve Walsh has been dropped from the A Panel so there go the Bulls only hope , this year they have to do it alone and they cant .
21 Mar 2009, 14:42 pm
#16 Jester:
Half of the comments made here are Jokes some people just get to serious , of course we all hope that the Bulls , Sharks and maybe even the Stormers all make the semi’s .
Good Luck we owe you an Steve Walsh for 2007
21 Mar 2009, 19:34 pm
#4 Tacitus: Actually tacitus you have it wrong old man, i for one have been supporting all the Sa teams as i feel the more SA teams in the SEMI’S THE BETTER
i was merely being honest , something you seem not able to be
If you can honestly come and talk the **** you just have saying that was not a spear tackle then i question your credibility………………….
spear tackle has nothing to do about tackling the legs, but when you tackle a player and lift him and twist him and put him down on his head or neck , which is what happened
In the same breath Deon should not have receiveed the first yellow card he was given
dont try to attack me because your player got suspended for stupidity, he also admitted to it????????????
lets just rather hope none of our players from what ever team does the same, our teams need to think and keep winning
, the semis is in the grasp of the bulls and sharks
21 Mar 2009, 20:23 pm
#10 sharks30: Nou besef ek hoekom is suurgat Murruy Mexted so negatief teenoor die Bulls. Hy het mos ook ‘n seisoen in Natal gaan speel. Hy het ook voorspel dat die Bulls geen punte op toer sal kry nie.
Mense soos jy maak dit vir my baie moeilik om die Sharks enigsens te ondersteun. As jy net wou se dat Tactitus realisties moet wees, sonder haat en vennyn, waarom die k@k oor Bakkies en die Bulls wat niks gaan wen, skryf nie. @##$
22 Mar 2009, 04:02 am
You have to wonder why on earth a player does this shi7? He KNOWS it is dangerous. He KNOWS it is illegal. He KNOWS he will be cited for it.
Did he think no-one would see him? No chance of that!
Did he want to show what a man he is? Now he just showed his
team mates that they cant rely on him staying in the comp!
Did he want to show his coach how dumb he is? He accomplished that!
Does he just want a few weeks off on paid leave? He could just have asked, the grafter..
WTF how stupid do you have to be to still do this?
22 Mar 2009, 07:53 am
#20 james bond:
As jy nou die dag ( Dongerdag aand ) “Wrap from down under” gekyk het sou jy **** hoe die Aussie komentators lag want hulle vertel toe al te lekker hoe hulle e posse gekry het v/d Bull/Trill ondersteuners om hul geluk te wens met die Reds se oorwining oor die Sharks , so soos die Engelsman se “No love lost”.
Hoe wil jy dan nou he ons moet jul ondersteun .
En as jy die wedstryd tussen die Bulle en die Canes gekyk het sou jy **** hoe Goddard vir Bakkies se sy ore is so groot hy moet hulle oopmaak na een van sy beroemde laat vatte , so jy is dus verkeerd as jy se Sharks 30 praat k@k dit het gebeur , maar julle Pretoria outjies is mos nou nie juis Engels magtig of hoe se ek nou . Sy woorde was “Open you ears for the whistle they are big enough” vertaal beteken dit ” maak jou ore vir die fluitjie oop hulle is groot genoeg “.
So moet nou asb nie al jou speelgoed uit die kot gooi en die Sharks daarvoor blameer nie , die komentators het ook na julle verwys as “Cheats” ek het dit nog nooit in my 47 jaar gehoor nie , maar dit is seker ook die Sharks se skuld dat julle verneuk en dit is is waarheid ook , veral in die losgemaal.
22 Mar 2009, 08:24 am
#21 SjamBok: One question. How much time does a player have to execute the dead you accuse him of? I believe it happens in a second, and once a player goes up the tackler does not have many options. He cant bail out and drop the tackle and drop the player.
At full speed it does look a bit different. No complaints from my side about the banning , thats what the laws say and everyone must adhere. I just hate it when the player is called stupid, dumb etc.
22 Mar 2009, 08:27 am
#23 superBul: dead = deed
22 Mar 2009, 08:33 am
#23 superBul:
It just happens more often to the Bulls players does’nt it ? More than any other team on the continent , maybe they are dumb and stupid or mistake healthy agresion with foul play , which is dumb and stupid .
One wonders why the Bulls are the most despised team here and abroad ? Maybe it has something to do with these type of incidents and not because they are a good team as you are bound to counteract my post .
22 Mar 2009, 08:43 am
#25 Sharksrthbesteamnrugby: you are so obsessed with that idea , i wonder if i throw you with the stats if you would see light. It is propaganda that suits you and the people you associate yourself with, the people abroad, that always hang the Bulls transgressions on a big clock.
Take JP Nel
Just answer me, how many yellow cards did JP Nel received in the S14 last year?
Your answer will determine your bias
22 Mar 2009, 08:55 am
#11 sharks30: he did not drive him down so by definition it is not a spear tackle.
you still a bit sour after 2007 son? get over it.
22 Mar 2009, 08:58 am
#26 superBul:
Maybe not one , last year the ref’s were not serious on yellow cards , but J P Nel is definately one of the dirtiest players around , just wondering why you are using him as an eg .
If i remember correctly he hardly played last year , he is an reincarnation of “Hang them high Barry ” (De Wet)
22 Mar 2009, 09:00 am
#27 JUSM:
I am not sour after 2007 there is no Steve Walsh for you in 2009 , he has been kicked off the panel so this year you are on your own .
22 Mar 2009, 09:08 am
i cant understand why you guys are arguing about something you can not change
fact is it was a spear tackle , amitted so by the player himself
is he a normally dirty player ?? NO
do i think the bulls are all a bunch of dirty players NO
im sure deon will learn from this
#29 Sharksrthbesteamnrugby: boet i agre and i dont agree. bakkies for example does exactly what johann ackermann did when he played
the enforcer role
22 Mar 2009, 09:13 am
#30 sharks_lover:
I am actually pulling their chain and they are falling for it lock stock and barrel .
22 Mar 2009, 09:21 am
#31 Sharksrthbesteamnrugby: lol
22 Mar 2009, 09:25 am
#28 Sharksrthbesteamnrugby: i used him because of that perception, and he only had 1 yellow and he played in another 5 games this year, although not all full games and nothing so far this year. I dont dispute it, we do get yellows, so did Schalk Burger. But look at the 4 yellows Stegman got and half of it is dubious calls.
Read the match reports of Matt Goddard and decide who is really dumb.
From Planet Rugby reporting on the Chiefs vs Blues game-
Mark Lawrence deserves a mention here as well. In the starkest of contrasts to yesterday’s display from Matt Goddard, Lawrence was even, controlled, and unintrusive. He was helped by the determination of both sides to play rugby, but if Matt Goddard is sick of the criticism of his handling of the Hurricanes-Bulls clash, he should take the video of this game into a dark room and study it closely.
22 Mar 2009, 09:34 am
#31 Sharksrthbesteamnrugby: You dont know me very well , i dont fall for it and i also dont take this type of sheeet, i base my opinions on facts.
The spear tackle thing is discussed regularly and whether a Bull a Shark or anyone else execute such a tackle i always laugh at the people who like to brand the player as dirty, thug, stupid, moron…… Because we sit at our TVs with extra slow mo we see what the opponents want us to see. They will show the slow mow over and over to nail their point down.
This game is difficult as it is , why complicate it more. There will be injuries.
22 Mar 2009, 09:42 am
Read this , you agree with this article
Three second-half tries proved the difference as the Sharks responded to their blip in Brisbane with a vital 22-10 victory over Western Force on Saturday.
With the Force donning pink jerseys to raise awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA, two aesthetically pleasing franchises were going head-to-head.
And in a game of two halves, the Super 14 title-chasers got their season back on track as tries from JP Pietersen, Odwa Ndungane and Rory Kockott saw them move second in the standings.
However, in a frantic opening for the hosts, winger Drew Mitchell displayed his out-and-out speed down the left before being hauled down 20 metres from the Sharks’ line. But there was significantly more to come from John Mitchell’s side as they dominated the opening exchanges, particularly with Matt Giteau sparking his backs into life.
The man himself was at his usual blistering best throughout, assured and dominant over his opposite number Francois Steyn, who had moved to fly-half in place of the injured Ruan Pienaar.
Meanwhile, the Wallaby pivot was also given a helping hand from young prodigy James O’Connor’s ever-quickening rise through Australia’s ranks. Full-back on the night, the eighteen-year-old was solid under testers while returning with interest, either with boot or ball in hand.
But however much promise he has, Giteau is still the master as he was forever asking questions of the away defence, who were struggling to gain any first-half momentum.
When possession did venture to the Steyn, he failed to fire his outside backs while there was one man in the Sharks’ ranks who seemed hell bent on trying his hand in the territorial stakes. That was prop/hooker and now fly-half John Smit as the Springbok kicked out of hand twice in the opening quarter.
But the experienced front-row didn’t have wait long for his team playmaker to step up and make his presence felt as Steyn sat back and put his foot through the ball to level matters at 3-3 on the half-hour with controversy to come.
Once again it was Giteau who sparked the Force backs from first-phase as his typical side step and offload got his side going from halfway – David Pocock supporting well up to the away 22 metre. And despite a lack of score, consolation came in the shape of a yellow card for the slow returning Deon Carstens.
From the turnaround though, it was a completely different story in the contest as the Sharks capitalised on turnover ball on two occasions within fourteen minutes as both wings, first Pietersen then Odwa Ndungane, raced away down opposite touchlines to leave Western Force wondering…how?
Before they could find the answer to that question the Sharks were another seven points to the good on 64 minutes as scrum-half Kockott’s quick thinking saw him scamper over the whitewash with the game seemingly settled.
However, the Force were not done yet as Giteau found one last moment of brilliance to release recalled winger Scott Staniforth for a much-needed score but it all came too late as the twelve-point deficit proved too great.
Man of the match: Standing out for the Force week after week has been Matt Giteau with James O’Connor continuing to progress, this time at full-back. However, it has to go to the winning scrum-half Rory Kockott, who was lively and intelligent at the base and full deserved his late score.
22 Mar 2009, 09:56 am
Beeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaast!!!!!!!!!!!!
All I have to say about that.
And JPP is the SA version of Sege Blanco, rugby poetry in motion….
Frans Steyn played like Hugo Porta yesterday.
And we are blessed with the best #6′s in the world.
PdeV must be a very happy chappie.
I know I am…
Viva SA rugby!!!!!!!!!!!!Viva !!!!
Thank you.
22 Mar 2009, 09:56 am
Serge Blanco…..
22 Mar 2009, 16:22 pm
#22 Sharksrthbesteamnrugby:
Ag jou gat man, wat was jou opinie oor bismark en kanko se hissie fit toe die yank op kanko geval het na die drie? In dieselfde naweek het ‘n blues speler op spies geval – dieselfde as met kanko en daar het niks gebeur nie. Ek dink kanko weet sy tyd in die groen en goed is op.
So blameer maar die bulle van wat jy wil en hoop hulle verloor alle toekomstige wedstryde, maar onthou, ons weet jy is bang.
22 Mar 2009, 16:25 pm
#28 Sharksrthbesteamnrugby:
Shows how uninformed you are, he played the whole S14. It seem you are not worthy of a conversation because you shoot from the hip all the time.
22 Mar 2009, 16:54 pm
#38 onerb:
Bedaar my maat , die seisoen is nog nie halfpad nie en jy wil almal donner, ten spyte van al die k@k praat hier hier op die site hoop ek dat die Bulls , Stormers en Sharks die Semis haal , dit is tyd dat SA bietjie in die kompetisie begin domineer .Moet nou nie die Bull ondersteuner se reputasie gestand doen nie .
#35 superBul:
No i agree it’s a load of horseshit , when watching the Bulls match i switched to Afr comentary , i could’nt take another minute of Australasian comentary whining about the Bulls cheating and playing dirty etc .
My predictions are Semi final 1 @ loftus . Bulls vs Stormers . Bulls by 6
Semi final 2 @ kings park Sharks vs Chiefs . Sharks by 8 .
Final @ Kings park between the Sharks and Bulls . Sharks by 3 plus 7 = 10
The Sharks will pass the Bulls on the log in the last match of the tournament @ Kingspark .
The 3 would have been the winning score and divine justice for 2007 will give us another 7
22 Mar 2009, 17:10 pm
#40 Sharksrthbesteamnrugby: As stront praat ‘n korreltjie sand was, was jy Durbs se hoofstrand.
22 Mar 2009, 18:44 pm
#40 Sharksrthbesteamnrugby:
Ek glo dat jy die shark ondersteuners se reputasie gestand doen, ek het net ge reageer op jou uitbarsting. Ek aanvaar dit en gaan aan en glo, nes jy, dat alle SA spanne ‘n goeie kans staan om goed te doen. Met die cheetahs wat natuurlik nie in my vorige stelling sal feature nie.
Sterkte ou maat. Ek hoop ons kan hierdie jaar geskiedenis maak.
22 Mar 2009, 20:19 pm
To sharkstbtir you sharks fans will never get over the fact that the BULLS won the SUPER14 and in your own rubbish dump in durban,you just can`t get your heads round the fact the BULLS were the better team and won the game fair and square and the BULLS name is on the cup as WINNERS not like your lot3 finals and LOSERS medals every time,enough said.MY BLOED IS BLOU.
22 Mar 2009, 20:44 pm
#23 superBul: If you are going to tackle a player, tackle him backwards. No problem there. If you lift a player into the air, which is legal, just make sure that you then push him backwards without pivoting him.
it can get difficult sure if teh player starts falling over. but then if you feel him falling over, you dont lift him even more! It really is not rocket science if you focus on just hitting him backwards onto his back.
Frankly, players ARE DUMB, STUPID, etc if they still get the red mist and go into kill mode.
22 Mar 2009, 21:00 pm
just gotta congratulate the bulls on a brilliant game. they brought the fight, and the canes just didnt know how to combat them. the bulls pack was ruthless, mostly due to bakkies really getting into everybodies faces from the get go and not letting up for 80min. bakkies was in good form. roughing up little halfbacks and any other players he decided to pick on.
agree stegman’s first yellow was rubbish. his spear tackle was silly though and forced his team to play 1 man down. didnt seem to affect them as bakkies was monstrous throughout.
commentators were talking smack the whole game. sure goddard was a bit padantic but the yellows he handed to waldrom and eaton were completely justified. waldrom was head and arms on the ground. pretty much flopped over to kill/slow the ball.
eaton was stamping on bakkies and even got one or tow on the head. how that isnt cited i dont know?
congrats bulls. didnt pick you on the weekend, but you definitely showed you have the fight. morne steyn controlled game brilliantly.
22 Mar 2009, 22:06 pm
#45 Tomsta:
So Stegmans yellow card was stupid but then you said the yellows for the canes players were justified???
If you ask me Goddard started the game off with a yellow,no warnings,that was his mistake,so after every person who came in from the wrong side had to be sent off,to be honest you cant take anything from that game.To me the Canes played really good but were out defended,the Canes scrums were better.The Canes spent 16 mins in the Bulls qtr to the bulls 7 mins in the Canes qtr,all the stats were in Canes favour,the Bulls placed more tackles.All i am saying is that if it was played in different circumstances (Ref) i believe it would have been different.
But again hats off to the Bulls but this site would have been different if the Bulls lost that game.
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