Bulls down Leopards

Bulls down Leopards

25 Sep 2010

GARETH DUNCAN reports on the Bulls’ 39-26 bonus-point win against the winless Leopards on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, it wasn’t the convincing performance expected from the defending champions, but they did enough to come away with maximum log points from their trip to Potchefstroom.

Bulls head coach Frans Ludeke would lament his side’s static start to the match, which allowed the Leopards to build an early advantage. But from the second quarter, the visitors gained ascendancy and the Leopards were closed out by a more physical and composed Bulls outfit.

The Leopards created try-scoring opportunities soon after the kickoff as gaps opened up in the Bulls’ defence. This saw the home team surge into a 10-0 lead as wing Dumisani Matyeshana penetrated through the midfield for an easy try while flyhalf Clayton Durand added a conversion and penalty. The Leopards created more opportunities but they couldn’t find the composure to finish them.

The Bulls fought their way back and levelled the scores after exposing the Leopards’ right wing channel as they ran in two tries through flanker Derick Kuun and wing Jaco van der Westhuyzen.

Flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter was unable to find the target from the touchline on both occasions and this allowed the Leopards to regain the lead as Durand converted his second penalty. More bad news followed for the visitors as skipper Gary Botha and Van der Westhuyzen limped off early with injuries. But this did not halt any Bulls momentum.

They came back strongly in the closing moments of the first stanza to secure the four-try bonus point before half-time. The Leopards failed to solve their defensive woes out wide and the Bulls capitalised as centre Jaco Pretorius and replacement wing Hayden Groepes both ran in at the left corner. Potgieter made up for his earlier misses by adding all the extras for a 24-13 lead at the break.

The win was sealed early in the second half as scrumhalf Francois Hougaard scored a runaway try in the 45th minute after a poor Leopards lineout. This was followed by an erratic period of play from both teams.

Durand and Potgieter traded penalties before Leopards replacement flyhalf Cecil Dumond scored a consolation try at the death to add respectability to the score. Centre Stefan Watermeyer found time to score the Bulls’ sixth try for the final action of the match.

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73 Comments

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  • 51.fantasticbarnsmell: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:04 pm

    great game

  • 52.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:04 pm

    Lions Baby. Nice. Deserved actually.

    The turnaround of this team is the most telling illustration as to how rubbish a coach D ick Muir is.

  • 53.Roar for Mitch and King Carlos: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:04 pm

    ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 54.ET: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:04 pm

    @SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-47:

    Told you your win to loss ratio is getting better all over the planet?

  • 55.fantasticbarnsmell: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:04 pm

    Lions win 22-20

  • 56.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:05 pm

    Sorry Jafta gave that one to the Lions, never seen so much obstruction in my life.

  • 57.Great White Shark: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:05 pm

    Pffff! Kickers were the difference in this game.

    Well done to the Kiwi coaches for making two great teams.

  • 58.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:06 pm

    great stuff Lions… awesome result.. Congrats Soda, RL and other lions fans..

  • 59.Roar for Mitch and King Carlos: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:06 pm

    @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-56: He made up for that Mvovu blunder :grin:

  • 60.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:08 pm

    @Roar for Mitch and King Carlos(RL)-59: Indeed :-)

    And Lambie missed a sitter on 1st try. 22 all would have been a fair refection.

    Tell you what, both teams really looked great tonight. It just shows how incredibly uselss Muir is.

    Great game, well played everyone.

  • 61.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:11 pm

    @ET(ET)-54: Philly Steak. Good day today huh. God knows what happened against Barnsley though.

  • 62.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:11 pm

    @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-60: Nah we deserve a few points for past pain & suffering.

  • 63.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:12 pm

    @Great White Shark(Predawn)-57: Kiwis” Best yacht skippers and best rugby coaches. No contest.

  • 64.Great White Shark: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:16 pm

    Amen.

  • 65.ET: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:22 pm

    @SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-61:

    Barnsley result was not as bad as it seemed.

    The 2 killers Barns. goals came directly from good but unlucky efforts of Leeds not scoring eg, Somma hitting the inner upright and Snoddy or someone heading against the cross-bar.

    But it is good to be in the top 6 and clearly still trying to gel with so many new boys.

  • 66.ET: Reply to this comment
    25 Sep 2010, 19:25 pm

    @ET(ET)-65:

    Also Soda Yorkshire derbies are not for the faint-hearted. Almost always very little between the contestants.

  • 67.SjamBok: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2010, 00:40 am

    I would still ike to see Jaco vd Westhyzen used as a flyhalf- at least to get his eye in as a flyhalf as a backup for JLP – arent teh Bulls a little short of good flyhalves right now? Trying to buy the Griquas flyhalf? When they have a Bok flyhalf sitting on the wing?
    WTF?

  • 68.money_man: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2010, 13:24 pm

    Not starting with Kockott lost them the game.

  • 69.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2010, 13:56 pm

    @money_man(money_man)-68: although i have to say that MC Cleod is a damn fine 9!

  • 70.WP Till I Die: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2010, 18:11 pm

    What’s the update on the following Bulls injuries?

    Juandre Kruger (hand)
    Gary Botha (ankle)
    Jaco van der Westhuyzen (knee)
    Werner Kruger (knee)
    Fudge Mabeta (neck)

  • 71.blueboy: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2010, 18:52 pm

    I thought this was a bulls thread and not a lions thread.I really enjoyed the lionsvsharks game what an advert for currie cup rugby and all credit to the lions for their win as i think it was deserved.Now back to the bulls game i have been saying for a few weeks now the bulls are playing very average rugby way below the standard they are capable of,but we are still in the hunt for a semi-final and in with a good chance of winning it again,they have their destiny in their own hands so it is up to the players to prove they are good enough to win it.GO BULLS.

  • 72.Brigadier Van Zyl: Reply to this comment
    27 Sep 2010, 10:41 am

    bulls got a ton of injuries at the moment.

    what they would give for a flyhalf….JL Potgieter is playing some kind of pish.

    I’d try Wako Jaco at 10.

  • 73.bloubulblog.co.za: Reply to this comment
    28 Sep 2010, 09:49 am

    werner kruger, mabetha and JvdW all cleared to play.

    juandre kruger underwent an operation on his hand yesterday, and earliest he could possibly play, is in the final if bulls go through. which effectively means he will only play again next year.

    gary botha and dewald potgieter will undergo fitness tests today.

    i am not too confident that either will be able to play. gary said that he heard a loud snap sound before he came off. and potgieter was initially ruled out for 8 weeks.

    potgieter would make a huge difference.

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