Bulls wary of Saders showmen
6 May 2010
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke scoffed at suggestions that the indifferent form of Dan Carter and Richie McCaw will make their challenge easier.
The Crusaders’ dynamic twosome has struggled in recent weeks, delivering performances well below the standard they’ve set for themselves.
In the last two matches, the Force and Stormers were able to nullify McCaw’s immense threat at the breakdown by ensuring that their ball carriers and cleaners were in sync, thereby forcing him to either infringe in an attempt to turn over possession or resist a pilfer attempt.
Carter’s potency has been diminished due to the mediocrity of his pack. He was ordinary against the Force and near anonymous at Newlands.
With their ballistic missiles failing to fire, the Crusaders have possessed the threat of a pop gun. However, Ludeke believes their class will surface in the face of adversity at Loftus on Friday.
‘There are reasons for their perceived struggles and all players go through that period. The world-class ones, like McCaw and Carter, are able to pick themselves up, and their desperation to secure a semi-final place makes Friday’s game a massive one tailor-made for them to do something special,’ Ludeke told keo.co.za.
‘It’s become a cliché, but form is temporary and class is permanent. They haven’t become bad players overnight. They’re still two of the world’s best, and if we don’t play well they have the capacity to punish us.’
Asked if he had observed methods which sides who have put McCaw and Carter in the shade have employed, Ludeke said: ‘It’s really not that complicated. If you secure your ball in contact and the work rate of your primary cleaners is up there, you have a good chance of ensuring that McCaw is less of a factor at the breakdown. We’ve struggled at times in that regard this season but I believe we’re getting it right more often now.
‘With regards to Carter, you can try your best by making sure you’re solid at the set phases and try to slow his service from the breakdown, but he is a special player who can make something from nothing, so you have to focus on the basics and trust the guys who have the experience of playing against and beating teams he’s been in.’
Ludeke continued by saying that he felt his side had the attacking variation to break down the second-best defensive unit in the tournament, but it would take tactical intelligence, patience and a sustained effort to oust the seven-time champions.
‘You have to have more than one weapon in your arsenal to break them down, like the Stormers showed last week,’ he said.
‘They [the Stormers] weren’t able to get their rolling maul going, but they adjusted well and were able to vary between attacks down the middle, in the wide channels or play for territory and back their defence to force turnovers. We’ll have to be equally adaptable.’
By Ryan Vrede
119 Comments
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6 May 2010, 11:37 am
mush=much
6 May 2010, 11:56 am
Go bulls!
The saders hate the mall, they collapse it or drive in on the support players!
The bulls will need to take the attack away from Reechee and attack at pace out wide!
Maybe Spies on the skip ball.
What’s the weather like in Pretoria?
6 May 2010, 11:57 am
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-102:
Fair weather.
Correction:
The Crusaders love the mall, they hate the maul.
6 May 2010, 12:04 pm
Lol!
6 May 2010, 12:10 pm
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-102: the saders are good at stopping the mall. stormers got no where trying that one on them
6 May 2010, 12:30 pm
@Mainland – somebody said earlier on the Stormers thread that they had reason to believe the Saders were bringing it down illegally
6 May 2010, 12:42 pm
@Martin(Martin)-100: Sharks fans are nothing but honest about how kak their teams are. We should just disband Sharks, Lions and Cheetahs and keep two SA sides in the S14/15. Make way for an Argentinian side and maybe a PI side.
6 May 2010, 12:44 pm
Fine I will fck off. I’m sick and tired of all the cr@p spouted on this site. Could do with a break from the negativity I read on here and in the SA news.
6 May 2010, 14:15 pm
That is one angry dude from Natal!
Anyway, my gut feeiling is that the Bulls are really going to click on Friday and win convincingly. The 1st half may be close and a big battle, but these Bulls looked great at the start of the season and will click again at the business end of this tournament.
This is my gut feeling and should not be seen as arrogance or windgat, or whatever.
And btw. I have fully supported the Bulls now for 35 years through thick and thin. I watched every match of theirs where I could. No matter where they were on the log. Yes it is great to be a Bulls fan now but it sure makes up for the “maer jare”. ButKZN I never sprouted vile comments about the Bulls when they lost 12 in a row in the S14, neither resorted to name calling of other team’s fans.
Support your team boet…through thick and thin. Just my 2 cents worth…
6 May 2010, 14:18 pm
That is one angry dude from Natal!
Anyway, my gut feeiling is that the Bulls are really going to click on Friday and win convincingly. The 1st half may be close and a big battle, but these Bulls looked great at the start of the season and will click again at the business end of this tournament.
This is my gut feeling and should not be seen as arrogance or windgat, or whatever.
And btw. I fully supported the Bulls now for 35 years through thick and thin. I watched every match of theirs where I could. No matter where they were in the log. Yes it is great to be a Bulls fan now and it makes up for the “maer jare”. But I never sprouted vile comments about the Bulls when they lost 12 in a row in the S14.
Support your team boet…through thick and thin. Just my 2 cents worth…
6 May 2010, 15:15 pm
What does “touch you on your studio ” mean ??
6 May 2010, 15:19 pm
@bananas(bananas)-111: Thinks it refers to the Malema radio interview and subsequent Youtube hit song.
6 May 2010, 15:23 pm
@Boer in beton(Boer in beton)-112: Ah. I’ve been hearing a lot of references to it, but never knew what it was about.
6 May 2010, 15:40 pm
It was about the debate the AWB secretary general had with a black lady on some sabc show. Quite pathetic
6 May 2010, 15:49 pm
@Partizan(Partizan)-114: YEs correct. Just did a bit of research re this. The Malema interview was with the BBC and unrelated. All really pathetic as you say. The “I touch you in your studio” comment was on Etv.
6 May 2010, 16:37 pm
@Boer in beton(Boer in beton)-110:
the maer jare was realy shite, i remeber i used to try and do gardening when the bulls played just to find my self, peeping through the window for the whole game, just doing some gardening when the opp scored tries, my garden was in excelent condition.
6 May 2010, 17:19 pm
@vasteses(vasteses)-116:
Haha ja I can imagine. I was constantly in a bad mood from Jan to September. To top it off the Bokke also played swak rugby, so no respite once the Bulls stopped getting moered.
6 May 2010, 23:37 pm
@vasteses(vasteses)-116:
@Boer in beton(Boer in beton)-117:
hehe you are not kidding – those maer jare were REAAALLY kak. But I cannot claim to have sat idly by while my team was so kak. I was spouting venom at a rate of knots, calling for heads to roll and blood to flow. I like to think that the sheer “vowlence” that I was proposing against the coaching and administrators is what made them realise that if they did not get their act together and start behaving professionally, then they were in real danger of getting moered in the street.
Its just a pity that there are not more Lions supporters like me – then maybe the Lions admistrators would hav been booted 7 years ago, and might have been a professional union by now. And maybe the old Lions CEO would have been moered in the street by now. God knows he deserves it…
Never fear change.
7 May 2010, 18:32 pm
True bru. I was swearing at the Bulls, their management, coaches, etc, too, but in my living room in front of the tv. The thing is though, I never switched my alliance to another team or stopped watching them play. I knew they would sort themselves out sooner or later.
Maar ja ek dink die Leeu bestuur moet bietjie goed gedonner word deur hul fans. Hulle vang regtig groot k@k aan op die oomblik
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