Reds borrowed Bulls’ blueprint
11 Apr 2011
JON CARDINELLI says the Reds’ tactical triumph on Saturday was similar to the Bulls’ savvy beating of the Stormers in the 2010 Super 14 final.
The Stormers’ problems at the set-piece were once again exposed at the weekend. Discipline was an issue, as I feared it would be, and the Stormers were tactically outkicked by Wallabies halfbacks Will Genia and Quade Cooper.
The game produced one try but it was a captivating contest from start to finish. No team has kicked more than the Reds in 2011, and while they have a reputation for thrilling exploits with ball in hand, they can be devastating when they put ball to boot. This was once again evident on Saturday, as Genia and Cooper took charge.
The Reds knew that it would be difficult to penetrate the Stormers formidable defence – and despite the defeat, the Stormers defence was once again excellent – and so they opted for what has become a popular tactic against the Stormers. If you can’t go through that blue and white wall, you go over it with a kick.
Last year, the Bulls beat the Stormers in the Super 14 final thanks to the kicking accuracy of Fourie du Preez and Morne Steyn. The Bulls forwards were magnificent, but it was the tactical probes and booming garryowens that ultimately unsettled the Stormers’ defenders, and subsequently allowed the Bulls to play their attacking rugby in opposition territory.
The Reds adopted a similar style last Saturday. They tested the Stormers defence early on with a ball-in-hand approach, and when they failed to make ground, they employed the boot. Genia launched several box kicks as well as a few rolling kicks aimed at the corners. Cooper was often positioned at fullback, and his kicks from the back usually found space or dribbled into touch.
Losing the territorial battle was always going to be a problem for a team with a shaky set-piece. The Stormers scrum has blown hot and cold all season, and their lineout accuracy has been poor. They have one of the world’s best lineout exponents in Andries Bekker, as well as quality options in Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Burger, but Deon Fourie continues to struggle with his feed to this set-piece.
In the second half of Saturday’s clash, Fourie failed to find a Stormers jumper when the hosts were camped on their own line. The Stormers were fortunate that the Reds didn’t capitalise on this mistake.
Fourie’s wayward throws are also preventing the Stormers from building continuity on attack. When the Stormers are in promising field positions, they’re not guaranteed a win on their own ball. It’s for this reason that the Stormers management is hoping Tiaan Liebenberg recovers from injury sooner rather than later.
Discipline and accuracy at the breakdown were sorely lacking. The Reds got under the skin of Vermeulen as early as the ninth minute. Frustration got the better of Deon Fourie when he tripped a Reds player in the 67th. Both received yellow cards, and you just don’t win big Super Rugby games when you play 20 minutes with 14 men.
It wasn’t a surprise to see the Stormers finish the match tryless. They battled to take the ball through sufficient phases to trouble the Reds defence, and were often turned over in the tackle.
The Reds decision-makers, usually Genia or Cooper, would then kick the ball into space and send the Stormers back into their own territory. The Reds knew that with Peter Grant’s pop-gun boot, the Stormers would struggle to kick their way out of their own half. They also knew that with the Stormers’ misfiring set-piece and errant breakdown approach, they would also struggle to build a ball-in-hand attack.
The Stormers still boast a great record of six wins in seven matches, but the recent defeat highlighted some ongoing concerns that must be addressed. Their current approach is good enough to get them into a playoff position, but as seen by their tactical failure in the 2010 final, it won’t be good enough to win a title.
120 Comments
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11 Apr 2011, 06:00 am
Why re-invent the wheel? Copy and improve.
11 Apr 2011, 06:19 am
Notice they didn’t try and copy the Crusaders blueprint…no…..they went to the supreme masters….the Bulls…
The Crusaders may have perfected that 7′s basketball style of rugby to perfection using their Islanders…but it doesn’t seem to interest the Reds much…
11 Apr 2011, 06:30 am
It may have been an off day for the Stormers but I was not impressed by their lack of motivation. Hardly any of the kicks were chased and only half the lineouts were attacked. The aimless kicking was driving me mad, reminding my of the shite the Boks dished out in 2010…
11 Apr 2011, 06:34 am
So a South African wins the US Masters…the third to do so.
11 Apr 2011, 06:42 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-2: It was initially the Crusaders game plan against the Bulls.
Kick the ball long, and try to keep it infield, limiting the strength of the opposition at the lineout. They won’t counter attack, and will thus either kick a dodgy up and under (although this is unlikely from the 22) or they will try to kick it long and out, thus giving the ball straight back.
The game plan was particularly effective against the Stormers as neither Habana, nor Grant nor Aplon have a big boot of them, and the game was played at sea level. With the Bulls, Steyn could kick it 60 meters and Matfield could pinch the ball at the lineout. Grant and Aplon could punt it about 40.
Habana was also shocking – the ball always went to his wing, where he would pick it up, run it at the defence and knock it on. The Stormers were given the ball, but told to go 60-80 meters in order to score a try, and they simply can’t score long distance trys. They also didn’t have the patience to really take it through the phases, and when they did win lineout ball and employed their maul, the Reds would work their way through it to the ball carrier.
The Stormers, like the Springboks, only have one game plan. If that doesn’t succeed or is countered they have nothing else. South African rugby creates structured robots, who can’t adapt.
11 Apr 2011, 06:47 am
Copy the bulls blue print. Hahaha what saffa side uses the blockers so effectivley or closes the space at the rucks by putting your player offisdes or maybe grabbing a defenders jumper and pull him out the way so you can run through the gap.
I wish one of our sides could play smart rubgy instead of bash. We still play Jake White RWC fluke rugby .
11 Apr 2011, 06:53 am
stormers were never in it…..genia and cooper outclassed us…..back to the drawing board….lack lustre and devoid of any plan……
regretfully i can only see either the saders or reds doing the business this year.
sad but true
11 Apr 2011, 07:24 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-2: You have to be really exceptionally SKILLED to play anything like the Crusaders. The Bulls pattern, by contrast. is as simple and one-dimensional as it gets.
11 Apr 2011, 07:30 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-8: Who is coaching the backs at the Crusaders?
11 Apr 2011, 07:33 am
Reds to borrow their own game plan to run the blou bloed bekke off their feet this coming Saturday
11 Apr 2011, 07:36 am
So skilled that the Bools thumped one and all to keep the Super 14 title…
11 Apr 2011, 07:42 am
Any news on Floppie vd Merwe?
Hope that tackle will deter the Bulls from playing such kaka rugby!
11 Apr 2011, 07:54 am
“Flip van der Merwe must have felt he had struck a flying cannonball when he clashed heads with Owen Franks on Saturday night”
11 Apr 2011, 07:56 am
Having sat on the sideline watching his team-mates for 65 minutes, replacement tighthead prop Franks later admitted the blood was still roaring in his veins as he left the bench and collided with van der Merwe two minutes later.
“I was pretty frustrated not getting much game time and maybe that was part of it too,” Franks said afterwards.
“You’re pumped up, you want to make a difference and that’s what it did hopefully,” he said.
11 Apr 2011, 08:06 am
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-9: Darryl Gibson
11 Apr 2011, 08:10 am
@grant10(grant10)-7: oh **** their goes the white flag again
mmmmm grant??? and you say puma raises the white flag boet??
stormers have only lost 1 match and can still lose one or 2 and not be out of it
so to the sharks are not out of it
11 Apr 2011, 08:12 am
@grant10(grant10)-7: Tend to agree with you Grant. I’m afraid they looked very one-dimensional on Saturday. And this run of wins have papered over the obvious short-comings. Sad but true. Also, missed Jean’s brains I think.
11 Apr 2011, 08:21 am
We all have seen this movie before.
Stormers playing some good rugby and give their fans hope and some fans get wind gat, then lose a gimme game and now AC must go and the ref was an idiot.
Also in this movie the Crusaders is on top and my Lions on the bottom.
I hate re-runs.
11 Apr 2011, 08:21 am
@Hop Hop Spinnekop(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-18:
11 Apr 2011, 08:25 am
Well done Charl, watched every shot and the run from holes 15-18 under immense pressure was awe inspiring, “hoendervleis” stuff !!!!! Not a choking bone in his body !!!!!!!
On the rugby front, Stormers were poor, played the game tactically wrong , while the Reds got it tactically right !!!
In this competition, if you are 5% off you will be beat , has happened to the Sharks and Bulls 3 times already !!!!
Bottom line is if you rock up anything less than 100 % focussed iro attitude and game plan and you will be beaten, whether it be the Rebels or the Crusaders you are playing.
Hopefully that lesson has been learnt this week !!!
11 Apr 2011, 08:27 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-16: SA teams need to get a home semi and a home final to win this tournament.
Its 1 thing getting a play off spot
its quite another having to tavel to the saders or reds for a semi or final
ask the saders….they coulnt manage it
ask the blues
No my friend, of course stormers will fight every step of the way, but to go there for a final?
I know where the clever money will be.
11 Apr 2011, 08:28 am
@Hop Hop Spinnekop(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-18: LOL
Classic
11 Apr 2011, 08:29 am
ref had nothing to do with stormers loss
cooper and genia and a team that tackled as if there lives depended on it were to blame.
no excuses….we were done fair and square
11 Apr 2011, 08:31 am
Is that Mujati fellow available for bok selection?
Or does he have similar qualification problems that Beast had?
He is really looking good
11 Apr 2011, 08:35 am
WPians don’t give up … it is only halfway through the tournament … give up next week after the coke tin ambush.
11 Apr 2011, 08:36 am
@grant10(grant10)-21: At the moment the Saders dont care where they play they are just on top of their game …. Got to admire a team that has not played one home game but is topping the S15 table ….. and MCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCAW returns this week !!!
11 Apr 2011, 08:38 am
@grant10(grant10)-24: Well he has played for the Boks ????
11 Apr 2011, 08:39 am
@stew(stew)-26: a truly remarkable team.
what i meant was they lost a couple of semis in SA over last 3 years….as did abalues.
without home ground advantage it is so tough ….
stormers couldnt even manage the trip to durban or soweto last year, never mind to brisbane or Christchurch!
Home semi and final was the way for stormers…..no white flag, just a practical observation.
imo
outta here
11 Apr 2011, 08:48 am
Look the earthquake disaster as really galvanished the Saders – they are doing the people of Canterbury proud – amazing feat in this proffesional era .
Will GH keep the Saders backline intact for the Abs – certainly seems to be working , add in Rene Ranger maybe
11 Apr 2011, 09:02 am
Having to sit up until 01H15 on a Monday morning to witness Charl Schwarzel win the US Masters is well worth the continual yawns I am experiencing this morning.
What a performance from a true sports ambassador of South Africa.
Flying totally ‘under the radar’ for eleven holes after a birdie and eagle on the first and third holes respectively everyone seemed to forget about him. The commentators hardly commented on him, focusing rather on the better known players. One could sense that the commentators had written him off as a non-contender through holes 4 to 14.
Only for Charl to strike with long putt birdies on holes 15, 16, 17 and 18 and leave everyone in his wake.
One of the better golfing wins by any South African and humble and gracious in his win.
Well done young man!
11 Apr 2011, 09:03 am
Stormers didn’t seem up for the game. They always battle to get motivated for games vs Oz sides, this one was no exception. The two huge emotionally draining victories over the last two weeks would have left little in the tank.
11 Apr 2011, 09:09 am
Augusta Master’s Race
South Africa 5
Australia 0
New Zealand 0
11 Apr 2011, 09:16 am
@Panache ( òó /) Aplomb(Panache and Aplomb)-32:
Ain’t that SSCCCCHHHWWWWWWWEEEEETTTT !!!!!
11 Apr 2011, 09:17 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-2:
What islanders are you talking about, the Crusaders crushed the Bulls from 1 to 15 , your boys don’t have the skills to play basketball rugby hence the Stormers scoring 1 try in three outings.
11 Apr 2011, 09:19 am
Mujati is looking good , the Leiscester v Lienster game was brutal !!! The french ref allowed anything to go without carding or penalising the players.
The game was 100 times tougher than S15 or local SA derbys. Intense !!!
11 Apr 2011, 09:19 am
@Panache ( òó /) Aplomb(Panache and Aplomb)-32: don’t know golf but isn’t it 6?
11 Apr 2011, 09:20 am
@quantum(quantum)-31:
Any other excuses, fark I’ve never heard so many variations as to why a team loses other than they weren’t good enough, the Crusaders are going to spank the Stormers.
11 Apr 2011, 09:22 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-2: “The Crusaders may have perfected that 7?s basketball style of rugby to perfection using their Islanders”
They all are islanders. If you are implying, they use “poached” ones, could you, please, name them?
Last time I checked, whole Crusaders squad have been born in NZ.
11 Apr 2011, 09:23 am
Even though I’m still pretty miffed at how the Stormers “failed to pitch up” on Saturday I must say that watching Charl win that one was a great end to the weekend.
For a while all we had was Ernie and Goose.
Now it’s Charl, Trevor and Shrek.
Bet you Ernie is “green” with envy about not having one of those jackets…..
11 Apr 2011, 09:25 am
@Pick the team in August not March(stormersboy)-39:
because they aren’t that good, it was nothing to do with pitching up, they can’t score tries against decent teams.
11 Apr 2011, 09:27 am
@Roar Loud(RL)-36:
Gary Player 3 (1961, 1974 & 1978)
Trevor Immelman 1 (2008)
Charl Schwarzel 1 (2011)
11 Apr 2011, 09:30 am
@Pick the team in August not March(stormersboy)-39:
With you on this !!
Last 3 majors, 2 won by SAFFAS !!
11 Apr 2011, 09:32 am
Eish.
Can the bulls have their blueprint back please.
Suuuuupeeerb win from Charl.
Blitzed it.
11 Apr 2011, 09:35 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-42: And with guys like Tim Clark and Rory Sabbatini also playing up there with the best.
Who knows? For a small country we do OK.
5 different players to win a major in the last 15 years.
I’ll bet that the only other country that can boast that is the USA?
Can anyone correct me on this?
11 Apr 2011, 09:38 am
unless the bulls forwards start getting some ball, nothing else matters.
amazing what can happen in just a few months…the bulls forwards “magnificant” 10 months ago look like a bunch of powderpuffs now.
what price for the bulls getting a decent win this weekend?
11 Apr 2011, 09:40 am
@Pick the team in August not March(stormersboy)-39: Hiyas M , yup great stuff by Charl, glad i stayed up for it too
@justrugby(justrugby)-42: hiyas JR sorry about the loss boet , get Grant to stop giving up so easy
Stormers and Sharks still well in it, no white flag hoisting please 
11 Apr 2011, 09:41 am
the reds passing was so crisp on the weekend. no sa teams pass the ball like that
devilliers was badly missed.
dejong offered little. couldn’t break the line and passing was poor.
11 Apr 2011, 09:43 am
Country
Masters
U.S. Open
The Open
PGA
Total
United States
56
80
42
79
257
Scotland
1
12
41
0
54
England
3
6
21
0
30
South Africa
4
5
9
2
20
Australia
0
2
9
4
15
Jersey
0
2
7
0
9
Spain
4
0
3
0
7
Argentina
1
1
1
0
3
Fiji
1
0
0
2
3
Germany
2
0
0
1
3
Ireland
0
0
2
1
3
Zimbabwe
0
0
1
2
3
New Zealand
0
1
1
0
2
Northern Ireland
0
1
1
0
2
Canada
1
0
0
0
1
France
0
0
1
0
1
South Korea
0
0
0
1
1
Wales
1
0
0
0
1
11 Apr 2011, 09:45 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-46:
LOL……. we will never surrender !!!
11 Apr 2011, 09:51 am
And only 3 guys alive to have taken all 4 majors:
Tiger Woods
Jack Nicklaus
Gary Player
Not bad for a small country.
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