Steyn boots Bulls to victory
24 Feb 2012
RYAN VREDE watched Morne Steyn score all the Bulls’ points in their 18-13 victory over the Sharks in a compelling match at Loftus.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer is a firm believer in Steyn’s match-winning ability with the boot and tonight he displayed his value in tight contests, his five penalties and a drop-goal starting the Bulls’ new era in the best possible manner.
The Bulls started poorly then morphed into their archetypically efficient self, with Steyn’s tactical kicking and goal kicking central to their success. The method is well known and predictable, but when it is executed with the efficiency it was in the second half the Bulls are nearly impossible to beat.
The Sharks, starved of possession, grew increasingly desperate, and that desperation manifested in their attacks becoming progressively more cavalier. One such move late in the piece dragged them back into the match, but the Bulls were resolute in defence under enormous pressure. The nature of this victory will be an important part of this young Bulls side’s education. For the 40 minutes when it counted they conjured the tactical intelligence and granitic spirit of the championship sides that have preceded them.
There was also an interesting sub-plot to emerge. The performances of youngsters Juandre Kruger, Francois Hougaard, Francois Venter, CJ Stander, JJ Engelbrecht, Pat Lambie, Marcell Coetzee and Anton Bresler suggested that South African rugby has a bright future.
The first half was a forgettable affair. There was always going to be energy, physicality and intensity but neither team managed to channel those things to their advantage on attack. A scoreless first half bore testament to this, with a string of fundamental handling errors (the majority committed by the Bulls) and ill-discipline robbing the contest of any flow.
Both sides struggled to control possession through multiple phases. Certainly some brutal defence contributed to their struggles in this regard, but that alone cannot mitigate this shortcoming given the calibre of players on show. They often went wide without earning the right to do so through purposeful phase play. A measure of pragmatism was lacking, with little appreciation shown for playing in the opposition’s territory and backing pressure defence to force errors.
This all changed for the Bulls in the second half and they systematically built a lead after forcing errors from the Sharks in kickable positions. The Sharks will lament three missed penalties, two of which you would have backed Lambie to bank. But overall they were outsmarted by a superior side on the night, with Steyn securing yet another famous Bulls win at Loftus.
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337 Comments
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24 Feb 2012, 22:17 pm
Never done this bru thing!
24 Feb 2012, 22:21 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-251:
Dawn, it is a bit like having a bet on a horserace.
Makes it a bit more interesting, yet does not cost a penny!
I will send you details, not too late!
24 Feb 2012, 22:23 pm
Hey Carol. So are the taffs going to slaughter the poms tomorrow?
24 Feb 2012, 22:24 pm
Teen chow time!
24 Feb 2012, 22:26 pm
I don’t play that bru game.. I tried it one year and realized its a total waste of intellectual energy but I got my calls right so far with Crusaders, Brumbies and Bulls. See how tomorrow goes, I reckon it goes Chiefs, Stormers, Lions – though Cheetahs will put in a big effort for an upset if Lions get caught napping, and Goosen can swing a game on his own.. much like Steyn did tonight with some help from Juandre Kruger.
24 Feb 2012, 22:28 pm
Chiefs, Reds, Stormers, Lions
24 Feb 2012, 22:30 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-255: Damn well hope Goosen can swing the game. Could be a huge result come end of season if relegation becomes a factor.
24 Feb 2012, 22:31 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-248:
Good review, Skop.
I would move Hougaard to 13 if Sadie is out. He could be a Toieava type of centre.
24 Feb 2012, 22:37 pm
I could`nt wait for the game to start and i could`nt wait for the game to end.The bulls got through in the end and on their 2nd half performance they deserved their win.Morne scored all our points and i am glad he did as tries were hard to come by,even the commentators said how did kaplan or the touch judge miss that forward pass for the guppies try,it was forward by at least 2metres.Awin is a win and it is a pity they got a bonus point as that took the shine of the win,but i will take it any day bye bye guppies,bragging rights for the bulls this week.I said before juandre kruger left to go to england i thought he was the man to replace VM and my opinion has not changed i still think he IS the man to replace victor.It is a pity that sadie got injured,but that is rugby,and sharkies hehehehhehehehehehe.GO BULLS.
24 Feb 2012, 22:37 pm
Goosen is my pick for Boks No.10.. I’m sticking my neck out that far already.. I punt Goosen for Bok’s No.10 from day one already..
Hougaard gonna have to sort out his stupid FdP pranks of hanging about at base of scrum waiting for Godot to arrive… Mcleod looked much sharper than him on the hop plus he looked better than Michalak too. Sharks looked dangerous once Mcleod and Bosman took control of first phase channel. That’s also when suddenly Whitehead and Jordaan came into effect when the ball started hopping out the back of the first and second phases quickly, Whitehead setup the Botes try even though I think was Jordaan who collected a forward pass from broken play.
24 Feb 2012, 22:38 pm
Dearth of ambulances and paramedics at spring break carnage, it seems.
24 Feb 2012, 22:43 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-260:
Come now Skop. Don’t spoil your good initial review with these ill considered additional comments.
Of course Mcleod and co would look good – they came on with only a quarter of the game left to play. By that time Hougaard’s tongue was dragging on the ground, and the starting players were struggling to walk from ruck to ruck.
Fresh legs would look wonderful in contrast.
Imagine Hougaard if he came on with 20 minutes to go. An impact player with turbo boosters on.
24 Feb 2012, 22:46 pm
I still punt Hougaard to stay at 9 and sharpen his service, he played 9 throughout his school years so surely he knows what a good scrumhalf gotta do.. Otherwise perhaps that might be an option is send him out to 2nd center if Sadie is injured, better to have Hougaard there than bring Kirchner into center. Vermaak might have a better thinking brain on him than Hougaard but he got nowhere near the explosive athletic game breaking ability.
Hougaard must get told to clear the scrum base fast and not hang around waiting for defenses to organize in the opposition first.. bad scrum half play that, today momentum and timing is vital.. slowing attack ball down is a big NO NO..!
24 Feb 2012, 22:50 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-206:
Ja, we said it, Juandre could become a springbok very soon…back in 2008 before he left. I rate him highly.
And what’s this “Lwazi Mvovu pace”? Juandre shut him out over 40m pretty much, I though it was one of our centres.
Chilli I noticed was really doing great work in the friendlies, pity about his blow to the head. I would like to see that fire continue.
Spies was ok, Stegmann was absolutely everywhere, wrestling everything that moved, no wonder his tongue was hanging on the ground by minute 70.
He is a luxury that allows some leeway as a platform for slight ineptitudes in our attack. Great especially for the youngster that he is there.
I feel Kaplan should have awarded that t/o to him at the end.
Bismarck was huge for the Sharks, really slowed us down all over the field.
And I’m sad to say, but I was really disappointed with Akona tonight, and it seems to be a simple lack of committment, JJ much better just for sheer effort.
24 Feb 2012, 22:53 pm
Goosen will be Bok 10 at some stage. Just want to see how he does in Super rugby this season first. He is not going to be playing behind the strongest pack so it should be interesting to see how he does.
24 Feb 2012, 22:56 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-264:
Was it not Venter who shut him out?
Steggies was ok- but not nearly as good as Juandre, Venter, hougaardt and that flippin bearded prop who looks like an ET (not the blogger) stormtrooper- he was excellent.
Pity that Sadie got injured- he would have made it much more difficult for JPP at centre..
24 Feb 2012, 22:58 pm
Akona did pretty good and collected couple high kicks that no one else could or would, he even beat Lambie to a couple floaters…
Venter had a big game but Bulls half back channels still look stagnant sorry to say.. if its not a kick and chase platform then 9-10 channel still looks too static to be truly effective on the world stage.. We can’t always expect the high kick pressure game to bring home the bacon.. some direct running through first and second channels will have to be organized or antipodean teams can punish there.
Once Mcleod – Bosman started varying the attacking lines then Whitehead and Jordaan looked decidedly dangerous.., and Sharks started prizing open some gaps in Bulls defenses which they couldn’t do with Michalak – Lambie.., and that wasn’t entirely down to Bulls fatigue it was down to a varying game pattern that started working.
24 Feb 2012, 22:59 pm
This bulls team will take a bit of time to settle down but when they do just watch them go,a place in the play-offs is not out of the question and i will be pleased with that,and a good CC run maybe even a final.
24 Feb 2012, 22:59 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-266:
It was Juandre Kruger, yes
And sorry Rob, but Stegmann and Bismarck did more work out there tonight than all their peers.
I feel that there is no player in the country that can protect possession like Stegmann can.
24 Feb 2012, 23:01 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-267:
At that point Sadie was off AND Venter was limping and even temporarily off to get blood taken care of.
Heck in some of those moves toward the end Venter was hobbling along trying to keep up with the defensive line.
The Bulls backline was severely disrupted by Sadie’s early injury.
And they were a combination playing together for the first time in Super Rugby to start with. Give them time and they’ll become an attacking force of note.
24 Feb 2012, 23:02 pm
Personally I got more excitement out of watching my chilli’s grow than this piece of garbage called a rugby game….
Enter Heyneke….. please!!
24 Feb 2012, 23:02 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-270:
True.
24 Feb 2012, 23:03 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-269:
I thought Bismark was one of the Bulls greatest assets tonight.
He gifted us about 3 or 4 crucial penalties with his headlocks, hands in the ruck and offside play.
24 Feb 2012, 23:05 pm
@Bod(bod)-271:
Ja I was a bit dissappointed too, at the end of the 1st half I got up and made myself a swiss chard and greenbean smoothie
24 Feb 2012, 23:07 pm
Bods picking chillis now?
Ai the life of an itinerant labourer.
24 Feb 2012, 23:07 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-273:
He forced 2 penalties on us too.
And disrupted us on numerous occasions, not to mention part of a tight unit that gave us difficulties in the scrum, and the unsettling effect of his intimidation tactics.
Still, he worked so hard, you need these donkey-work players in your team.
24 Feb 2012, 23:09 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-253:
Tomorow at Twickenham will be the turn of the English
By 5 !!
WRS says England by 3 (He is a Welsh Supporter)!!
24 Feb 2012, 23:11 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-255:
If you were using intellectual energy on superBru you were playing the game wrongly!!
24 Feb 2012, 23:11 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-276:
I counted once where he forced a penalty, when Stegman was isolated on the ground after the ruck didn’t form properly, and the support arrived too late.
In truth, I’m starting to think that Bismark’s hype was partly exxaggerated by Smit’s lardiness, and partly by him always coming on in the second half with fresh legs when everyone else was tired.
He is a strong *******, but his discipline is up to sh*t, and his “I want to headbutt you” facial expression is starting to irritate me.
24 Feb 2012, 23:12 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-274:
Thats a tad disappointing….. personally I was on my 35th glass of wine
24 Feb 2012, 23:12 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-266:
Hello partner..
Got that bike sorted out?
24 Feb 2012, 23:15 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-275:
Not picking them twat,…… watching them grow
Thank God there is a decent team playing tomorrow…. and no Katjie, it aint that stupid team of yours
24 Feb 2012, 23:16 pm
Louis Fouche is not that far behind Goosen as a decent first 5/8ths so perhaps Bulls can use him at first center and move Venter out one place to 13 and start Engelbrecht and Basson out at wing. But something will have to be tweaked in that first phase channel if Bulls want to get some real attack momentum going, still looks too static to be totally effective, and NZ teams will exploit it.
Otherwise they might consider bringing Kirchner into 13 and play Fouche at 15 which can also work, but I would leave Hougaard at 9 and get him to concentrate on quick efficient delivery rather than waiting for defenses to organize before clearing ball to the line.
24 Feb 2012, 23:18 pm
Afer kakkest start it looks like it was a good game after all, shame, could not watch the 2nd half.
Congratulations, Bulls, well done.
24 Feb 2012, 23:19 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-283:
Jurgen Visser is a decent fullback, but I don’t think the Bulls can just drop Ndungane and Kirchner without picking up some political flak.
24 Feb 2012, 23:20 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-279:
I dont like his attitude, but I also know that you need your young lads to face these monsters at home.
I didn’t mind when Bismarck was mik-mikking the BIL everying 5 minutes.
He definitely is the best, and very fit and dedicated. Let’s see what Heyneke can get out of him.
@Bod(bod)-280:
I don’t drink alcohol, some 109yo chinese dude claimed that he lived so long cos he never hit the booze, vegetables smoothies are also the only way I can stand to eat raw spinache, which is apparently the only thing that delays detrioration of the iris…yes, I’m getting old.
24 Feb 2012, 23:22 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-286:
Agree that Bismark is the no.1 in SA. But maybe not by the margin that we all thought he was. The reason is that we were comparing him to Smit, who was himself barely the 4th best hooker in SA.
24 Feb 2012, 23:23 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-285:
Make Chilliboy captain, that’s gotta count for the magic 4 votes.
24 Feb 2012, 23:25 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-287:
Well we are always capable of comparing players wherever they are, even though rugby in that an individualistic sport. Well, I was impressed with Bismarck tonight. I also appreciated it when he came offside and Stegmann promptly planted his face in the turf. Should’ve been bloodbinned I feel.
24 Feb 2012, 23:26 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-289:
*is not
whoooo, and I’ve not even hit 35 glasses of wine yet.
24 Feb 2012, 23:28 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-286:
No sweat bud…… But I know if I had a choice between a vegetable smoothie and a glass of the Capes finest, there would only be one winner…
24 Feb 2012, 23:33 pm
Aaaag manne en manninne, ek gaan soos n sleg clipper op n tip skuins gaan le, goodnight, have a good evening everyone.
Blou/Pienk Bulle bo, this is just the beginning, the Bulls have a solid foundation and their team spirit and committment is unrivaled.
I thought the new jersies looked as though they had cooking aprons on in the player’s profile cards.
24 Feb 2012, 23:34 pm
@carol(carol)-278: Its a stupid game where you gotta weigh up too many ifs and buts and on top of it you gotta pick against your team when its called for which is a totally irreverent decision to take.. so who wants to waste a good portion of their thought processes working out if a team going to win or lose based on history or home advantage or which ref has the whistle on a given day, then I find I start losing enjoyment in the outcome.. wishing a particular team to lose because I intellectually picked for the other team to win… though my heart prefers it the other way around..
Like today I would have been happy if Brumbies lost because I don’t particularly like their coach and I think he deserves to get another 49-0 hiding.. but if I were playing superbru I’d likely have picked Brumbies to win through using common sense reasoning.. even though I’m rooting for Force.. so its a stupid game.. why pick against your emotional preference using rational judgment.. thats just stupid..? So I rather not pick against Stormers or my favored teams when I want them to win.. even though in a game like superbru its called on to do so .. hence its a stupid game where you got to take emotional investment out of the equation and apply pure cold hearted reasoning.
24 Feb 2012, 23:34 pm
@Bod(bod)-291:
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, there are no winners in a fight :p night
24 Feb 2012, 23:34 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-287: Finally there is sense.
I have said it all along, Bismark aint the real deal…. in fact Sarel Burden does it more for me than any other hooker we have on show at the moment
24 Feb 2012, 23:38 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-286: you sound like you got half your head screwed on straight .. swiss chard and green bean smoothies should set you up for a good 100 plus innings depending what else you consuming in between..
24 Feb 2012, 23:38 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-260: Yep, so do I.
Goosen is my 10 for the Boks, from this year on.
24 Feb 2012, 23:39 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-294:
As they say in Spain…. tranquilo amigo!
Wine does not always equate to anger and brawling….. unless I am thinking of Gunther! that is!
24 Feb 2012, 23:40 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-294: good lad.. keep the keel upright and don’t let your sails down for a minute.. even in your dietary intake .. you can apply such good wholesome reasoning there too.
24 Feb 2012, 23:50 pm
@willievz(willievz)-297: what I saw of Goosen in his first stint at Cheetahs last year gave me enough confidence to chuck him straight into the deep end like Wilkinson, Larkham, Carter, O’Connor, Cooper had to do.. Goosen can be better than all of those he got every facet of top flight fly half play covered from big boot through great hand eye coordination and a clear running game brain with a big and strong enough physique to handle the rough stuff if the right confidence and mentor-ship is invested in him…
Since he got concussed when he ran headlong into Taute in the CC he lost a little of his running game confidence.. I hope it comes back in full momentum and he don’t revert back into the usual saffa syndrome of kick first and ask questions later…
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