Kings clout flat Bulls
29 Jan 2011
RYAN VREDE reports on an inspired 23-7 victory for the Kings over the Bulls.
There won’t be much to encourage the Bulls’ coaching staff in the post-mortem of this match. They were disjointed and rudderless, with little sign of their renowned brutal pragmatism. Their ball protection and the tackle point and breakdown was poor, and against a side whose intensity and aggression suggested this was much more than a gentle hit out, they were always going to struggle.
A lack of synergy was expected, as were structural deficiencies, but it will be consistent fundamental errors that will most vex the visitors’ technical staff. They’ll improve with the return of their first-choice players next week against the Platinum XV, but the boys on the fringe can’t be proud of this effort.
However, credit must go to the Kings, who, buoyed by an excellent home crowd, were better in most facets of play. Their solid phase play and high-tempo attacking manoeuvres stretched the Bulls, while they stood firm in the collisions and bossed at scrum time. Their tactical kicking game lacked precision, but other than that they gave a very impressive account of themselves.
The visitors resisted until the end of the first quarter, when Monty Dumond banked two penalties in quick succession. However, the Kings were handicapped when No 8 Darron Nell was yellow carded in the 25th minute. This saw the Bulls enjoy their most concerted period of pressure. However, they couldn’t capitalise, the best chance being lost when Cornell Hess coughed up the ball in contact 5m short of the tryline just before the break.
Dumond put the Kings 9-0 ahead two minutes into the second half and 10 minutes later sank a conversion after Matthew Taylor-Smith sprinted home for a try that was birthed when Bulls centre Stephan Dippenaar was isolated on the Kings’ 10m line.
The moment of the match was reserved for the Kings’ impressive midfielder Siyanda Grey, who rounded off a flowing backline movement that featured a slick passing interchange with Norman Nelson. Dumond added the extras to establish a commanding 23-0 lead.
The Bulls profited from ordinary defence when Courtnall Skosan eased through the defensive line, but their efforts to stage a late comeback were compromised by a plethora of basic errors, many of those by players with Super Rugby experience.
384 Comments
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31 Jan 2011, 03:26 am
Snor snor ou Skopscat… every single year he spouts the same old anti-Bully Brigade caffeine and Alzheimer induced vitriol only to be shown up over and over again as they either hold a WC or S14 or IRB player or team of the year trophy aloft again… oh the rankling!
The old douche-bag is no different to the nutter tunnel-visioned ‘doom-n-gloomers’ on my Investment forum… once in every 10 yrs they get a decade long call correct…
I don’t see the Bulls taking it this year as competition seems more even than ever particularly with the ‘flawed’ conference system… but they certainly won’t be far off the pace if they don’t…
Bulls are very much indicative of the Bok team… that is, when the 4 or 5 of their best players are not available they are off the pace…
31 Jan 2011, 03:59 am
good to see some tlented players outside the 5 traditional S15 teams… if bulls struggle surely they can draft in some of the EP guys…? hey skop would you support the bulls then… ha ha
31 Jan 2011, 06:50 am
A lot of hot air is puffed
Only the 1st in a series of warm up games, it means nothing, intends to reveal nothing.
Save your energy for the real thing.
31 Jan 2011, 09:03 am
Ludeke bemoans ‘poor ball retention’
Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:25
Looking for the Bulls’ best: Frans Ludeke. (c) Gallo
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke felt that poor ball retention was the main reason why the defending Super Rugby champions’ back-up squad lost to the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth at the weekend.
On top of the woeful Bulls display, the Kings played very well in front of their home fans.
With a strong display in the tight exchanges and playing a good pressure game, the home side ran out deserved 23-7 victors.
“Our ball retention just weren’t up to scratch and because of that, we could not get going,” Ludeke said.
“We also did not scrum well and at crucial times in the game, lost momentum and field positions by giving away penalties.
“Too many times we worked ourselves into good areas, but then gave possession away through penalties at the scrum.”
According to Ludeke, all is not bad, though.
“Our rolling mauls worked well, although it did not yield any points.
“We defended well and turned over some of their ball. We did well in the fitness department and played well in the contact areas.”
Some individuals did disappoint, he admitted.
“Yes they did. We did put in some good work and our training sessions went very well. It did not show in our performance though,” Ludeke said.
He will make some cuts on the squad size on Monday.
“We still have time to fix things and working with a smaller group will help to streamline things.”
31 Jan 2011, 09:05 am
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-352: Let’s not get completely overboard. Most of these players, although some originated from EP, were already top players who played for other unions.
But a great result for them anyways. Let’s hope they can keep most of the players (senior and junior) and build on this.
The Bulls, I’m not really sure what they wanted to achieve with this game. They obviously had no gameplan that they wanted the second-stringers to learn. Only thing possible, that I can think of, was to teach them a lesson. Bring them back to earth or something.
31 Jan 2011, 09:06 am
“bygone broederbond byeenkoms fokmavoort rugby”
31 Jan 2011, 09:13 am
“bygone broederbond byeenkoms fokmavoort rugby”
I get this but how many trophies did they win doing just this? We can laugh and make fun of them because they dress funny and talk funnier but writing them off after a stand-team lost may be a little premature celebration.
31 Jan 2011, 09:23 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-357:
Not laughing at them, laughing at Skop!
31 Jan 2011, 09:29 am
He deserves to be laughed at.
So much of bile.
His nokia was running on pure adrenalin.
31 Jan 2011, 09:34 am
@gunther(gunther)-359: skop fixed his pc long ago…
31 Jan 2011, 10:01 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-354: Ludeke: “Our ball retention just weren’t up to scratch”
No Frans, it bladdywell weren’t.
31 Jan 2011, 10:05 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-361: it’s his 2nd language man!
31 Jan 2011, 10:33 am
Possibly the worst game of rugby I’ve ever seen. I had to change channels.
31 Jan 2011, 10:44 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-362:
Same with Julius Malema, yet we mock him for it?
31 Jan 2011, 10:47 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-362: Was that you in the scrum cap warming up?
31 Jan 2011, 10:50 am
Loved the ‘war cry’ every time the Kings scored, which was quite often actually. Sounded like the haka mixed with apache.
31 Jan 2011, 10:56 am
@Eish(Eish)-366: it’s the war cry from the movie 300. Awuu Awuuu Awuuu..
nope that wasn’t me in the scrum cap
31 Jan 2011, 10:57 am
@stand-off(Braders)-363: talking kak
31 Jan 2011, 11:01 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-367:
I thought you were the guy in the EP jersey wearing the scrum cap?
31 Jan 2011, 11:12 am
This result means very little, but the message that it does send is that the Bulls better hope for few injuries this season.
Brummer looked pretty useless, and Mabeta and Hess aren’t physical at all.
Bulls will be ok – this game shouldn’t create too much concern, but if Morne Steyn and a few of their front rowers and locks get injured – they may well be in a spot of bother as the season progresses.
This said though – the same can be said for many teams. I thank the stars above that the Sharks are not the team scrambling to find flyhalves this year.
31 Jan 2011, 11:13 am
Did no one see the bikini-clad girl running around the field with a spear.
31 Jan 2011, 11:13 am
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-364:
No we mock him because he is a lifesized ***** who managed a D in wordwork
31 Jan 2011, 11:19 am
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-364: No, no, no. Big difference between getting the language wrong and getting the content wrong. Malema deserves all the mocking we can muster.
31 Jan 2011, 11:20 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-371: I thought you weren’t going to do it. What spear did you go for in the end?
31 Jan 2011, 11:23 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-367: Ohhhhh. Loved that movie.
31 Jan 2011, 11:23 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-371: When I saw her, I thought ‘Is that the best PE has to offer ?’
They will have to up their game. I also thought the woman who asked everyone to stand to tell them Madiba is ok was a bit corny. She looked very impressed with herself.
31 Jan 2011, 11:24 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-374:
Wuzzn’t me … although she looked good …
Gold bandana style top and bottom, Amazon-like, spear-wielding.
31 Jan 2011, 11:26 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-376:
Oh come on.
She was cool!
Anyhoo .. I thought it was a good idea.
And less clothes than the other franchises’ dolly-birds.
31 Jan 2011, 11:28 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-378: Ok – she wasnt too bad
The chicky who asked everyone to stand up should join the circus though. She looked a few cards short of a full deck.
31 Jan 2011, 11:50 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-379:
Who is she?
31 Jan 2011, 15:14 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-376: Firstly, those chicks with the Spears, although hot, are not all PE has to offer. I am here!
Secondly, the chick with the microphone is not from PE. She was telling us how she was at Newlands the evening before and that there were only 15000 people at Newlands and how our crowd was at 30 000.00 plus for a warm up match was great stuff.
31 Jan 2011, 15:15 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-379: Agree that chick was a little annoying.
31 Jan 2011, 15:17 pm
@Eish(Eish)-375: You should hear the crowd go awuu awwuu awuuu!
Great fun to hear it live.
1 Feb 2011, 00:56 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-367:
You guys should look up ‘The Rebel Army’… the uber organised yet still small (only 5000 members) Melbourne Rebels ‘fan squad’
who are basing themselves on The Barmy Army… and add some Afrique flavour to a similar concept in EP…
In a country with so many musical, vocal people the best any fans can come up with is “Ole Ole’” go figure…
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