Praise for Bulls’ aerial assault
26 Feb 2012
The Bulls’ tactical kicking in their victory over the Sharks was identified as the outstanding feature of their play.
The Bulls started poorly, playing uncharacteristically expansively in their territory. However, they settled into a familiar pattern in the second half, and suffocated the Sharks, whose attacks became increasingly desperate, which in turn benefited the Bulls.
Morne Steyn scored all of the Bulls’ 18 points off his boot, but his pin-point tactical kicking was also central to their success. The height, weight and placement of the punts gave his chasers every opportunity to put the Sharks’ receivers under pressure and often forced infringements at the subsequent breakdown or compromised return options (kicks or runs).
Even in light of a mass departure of senior players as well as director of rugby Heyneke Meyer, the Bulls looked organised, purposeful and efficient once they had settled. Sharks coach John Plumtree said his team’s response under pressure was poor but added that when the Bulls are that accurate in that pattern there isn’t much you can do to counter them.
Ludeke said: ‘Our tactical kicking was the standout aspect of our performance. The primary kickers did their job well and the chasers were excellent at contesting in the air or making a strong tackle on the receiver.’
Captain Pierre Spies said their tactical kicking allowed them to build pressure in a manner they weren’t able to with a ball-in-hand approach and pointed to their breakdown work after the ball had been received by the Sharks as being decisive to the outcome. ‘It was the most important facet of play in the match,’ Spies said. ‘We kept our focus, they lost their concentration and Morne could punish them.’
Sharks captain Keegan Daniel agreed. ‘That’s where the match was lost, yes,’ he said. ‘We lost focus and didn’t react to their pressure well. It was good to know we could get ourselves back into the game [with a late try] but those errors at the breakdown cost us.’
Plumtree, however, retained belief in his attacking approach despite its execution failing at Loftus. ‘We would have taken an ugly win rather than a beautiful defeat, but the way we played in those last couple of minutes is what makes us a formidable opponent and that’s how we want to play this season.’
139 Comments
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26 Feb 2012, 08:13 am
So this means the first name pencilled into the Boks teamsheet will be Morne Steyn.
Even Spies said the Bulls aren’t comfortable with the ball-in-hand approach.
I wasn’t expecting anything different?
Skop-en-jaag it is then.
26 Feb 2012, 08:21 am
Meet new bulls, same as old bulls.
26 Feb 2012, 08:28 am
So thats their plan? The rest of their game was flat and not indicative of a champion team.. Predict a very long season and very dissapointed fans..
26 Feb 2012, 08:35 am
I must say that Basson is fantastic in the air – just a pity his defense is suspect. A win is a win and they deserved it. As the season gets going they may have to change the skop and jaag and try and keep possession.
26 Feb 2012, 08:48 am
Why must it be an ugly win over a beautiful defeat?
Why can we not produce beautiful wins?
26 Feb 2012, 09:09 am
That kick and chase won’t work with Australasian teams. Why The Sharks fell to pieces is another oddity.
26 Feb 2012, 09:11 am
I think it is very pragmatic to go for a kick and chase approach when you have new combinations playing their first game of the season under new stricter applications of the breakdown laws which they still need to get used to.
In fact, I reckon Heyneke will do pretty much the same for his first test, given the small amount of preperation time.
That doesn’t mean that the Bulls – or Boks for that matter – won’t add more attacking strings to their bow as the season progresses.
26 Feb 2012, 09:21 am
I watched some of the game, but all I saw was the Bulls trying kick and chase. They gave away possession about 10 times. It was pathetic and should never be praised. I must have missed the single successful kick and chase. I am glad the Bulls think this is a successful gameplan. It makes it alot easier for other teams who’d they normally beat if they played rugby. Keep up the good work.
26 Feb 2012, 09:27 am
@garth(garth)-8:
Keep thinking that.
26 Feb 2012, 09:40 am
the bulls won… that is all that counts…
their ‘new’ game will develop through the season… and it’s great to have their traditional game to fall back on… if they have to to win tight games…
for me what’s important is getting three saffa sides into the play-offs…
as tac said the other day… the conference system is stacked against saffa sides, so getting the wins is all that is important to me…
sharks will be back and up in the top 6 before too long…
26 Feb 2012, 09:44 am
@ufo(ufo)-10:
Yes, the Sharks have a lot of quality to fall back on. And once Alberts is back they’ll be a different kettle of fish. Don’t rate Deysel that much, other than at lock, but Alberts is key to their campaig.
I see Keo rates the SA teams’ chances, but I reckon that’s more a reflection of the deteriorating quality of especially the Aussie franchises. It’s all very well for us to get 3 teams in the play-offs, but that means little if the Aussie conference is so poor that the Reds end top of the log with ease.
Then all three our play off teams still have to travel for their play-off games, meaning nothing for SA as we lose all three.
Much better for only 1 SA team to make it, but that one getting a home semifinal.
26 Feb 2012, 09:57 am
yeah… tac…
i agree with what you say… and alberts is key to the sharks there’s no doubt…
i agree with you about the reds… they do have the easy route to the top… there’s going to be little we can do to stop that… but i reckon they will not be as good this season… (still very good though)
last year they caught everyone by surprise and everyone kept thinking they would eventually lose and fall off… which didn’t happen… this year everyone will take them a whole lot more seriously… expect cooper to come in for pressure tactics…
my thinking is getting three sides into the top six so that the reds have to play 2 saffa sides in the semis and final…
but a long hard season ahead and there are going to be many upsets and twists along the way…
26 Feb 2012, 10:42 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-11:
I agree with you 100%.
Wouldn’t it be great if the Stormers repeat the effort of last year and this time go on to clinch the deal.
26 Feb 2012, 11:15 am
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-13:
It’s good to have a dream.
Given that the Stormers got clobbered in their HOME playoff by the travelling Crusaders last year, and given that the Stormers are significantly WEAKER this year than last year, I’ll leave it to you to decide how realistic that dream is.
26 Feb 2012, 11:32 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-14: The Stormers are not weaker this year. We are stronger. We have more muscle in the forwards, more flyhalf options, springbok midfield, plenty of pace in the back three and a very reliable goal kicker. We miss Flo, but that is it.
26 Feb 2012, 11:34 am
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-15:
Are you having a larf?
26 Feb 2012, 11:34 am
Good to see this bulls confidence.Fair play to them,they played to their strength and won.Personally,i don’t think this is a good bulls team.The Sharks can only blame themselves for the defeat on Friday.They were absolutely poor playing the breakdown situations.They were slow to support their ball carriers at the breakdown collisions and allowed the bulls to dominate with ease.In my opinion, their breakdown commitment was cowardly at best , but I really don’t want to upset Shark supporters this morning.The Sharks will be better when their real warriors are back.
26 Feb 2012, 11:38 am
I see a lot of people moaning about the bulls kick and chase game,i watched the lions ans cheetahs game and lo and behold all i saw was a kick and chase game from both teams and nobody moans about them,as usual it looks as if the rest of sa rugby fans want the bulls to fail,but they have a saying in scotland “get it right up ye”,and i say that to all the non bulls fans on this website “get it right up ye”,GO BULLS.
26 Feb 2012, 11:40 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-14:
The Stormers will improve even after yesterday’s effort. But then, so again will the Bulls because they were far from convincing on Friday.
I was yanking your chain. The SA conference is wide open. And there’s still a long way to go. It’s far too early for anyone to start making predictions.
26 Feb 2012, 11:42 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-16: Far from it. How are we weaker this year/
26 Feb 2012, 11:46 am
After getting to our seats 30 minutes after the game had started due to entry gate chaos, having to fight for our seats with the ignoramuses who obviously couldn’t count beyond 10 and were unaware that the alphabet went beyond G, the rugby was the last thing on our minds. Like their team, the Loftus Management obviously hadn’t realised that Super Rugby had started. The non-existent cold drink vendors, together with the non-existent main screen, and the non-existent block numbers, with the non-existent row numbers (sorry, there was something on the floor that looked like it had been hand-painted by a 3 year old on a sugar high). My wife and kids and I had just survived 45 minutes of the most harrowing experience of our lives due to the malfunction of gates 8 and 9. Having been informed that we could only enter at gate 8 (FF Block East Stand), several thousand people arrived from opposite directions, surging from north and south in a pathway of +-5 metres fenced on each side and against gates 8 & 9 that weren’t working, literally trapping those in the middle . You could barely lift your arm from your side never mind trying to escape. And then came the drunks and the brainless, who thought that if you just pushed forward that was going to solve the problem.
I have not read a single media report on this, however we should be grateful that we were not front page news. The potential for disaster was there, and believe me the thought of crushes at soccer matches or the recent UJ stampede crossed our minds as we battled to breathe.
Goodbye Loftus – never again.
26 Feb 2012, 11:53 am
All I can say is that if this is the type of rubbish that is going to be served up – made even worse by the now constant shrieking of the refs’ whistles, I am afraid this Super 15 is going to be a turn off for many, many spectators.
You might want to go and see who can score most penalties – go ahead but I reckon the fans will raise a few concerns over this lot.
The only thing of promise I saw over the weekend was a couple of decent youngsters at lock for the Bulls and Stormers and JP Pietersen putting on a credible performance at centre – definitely worth another look at there. Same can’t be said for Habana who, as usual for the past two years, should have the courtesy to remove himself from proceedings and let some youngster with ability take his place.
26 Feb 2012, 11:56 am
So the Bulls have abandoned their plan to play expansive running rugby – this goes against what Heineken wanted. He is not there to teach bonehead Ludeke how to transform his team and like a little lost dog Ludeke is reverting to what knows, what Heineken taught him …… kick and chase.
Well teams are shaking off the early season rust and will have taken note of this Bulls approach. The Bulls may achieve success with kick and chase against limited attacking team like the Sharks or the Stormers but when they come up against teams that have no problem playing with width, taking the ball up through many phases their kick and chase will be exposed for what it is …. Ineffective under the current law interpretations.
Next week we will see how they go – the Cheetahs played well and with one tough match under their belts they will be ready for the Bull. We will see how an attacking team rips their skop game to pieces.
26 Feb 2012, 11:56 am
@Rad1(Rad1)-21: jeez that’s terrible. There was someone else who mentioned that there was at one stage a very real prospect of a stampede/crush. SA has one of the world’s worst records when it comes to stadium deaths/mismanagement in football – you would think that stadium management for all sports codes would be very much ‘alive’ to this issue.
26 Feb 2012, 11:57 am
Sharks should start with Jordaan from now on. This guy looks like he takes responsibility for creating things and is hungry to be in the action. Let him play his natural game and the Sharks may have a decent centre at last.
26 Feb 2012, 11:57 am
I heard the commentators saying ,after nearly 20 minutes,that people were still streaming into the stadium. Hopefully the new stadium legislation will sort out these rogue operators in due time.
26 Feb 2012, 11:58 am
@grunk(grunk)-22: I agree – the first round was completely dominated by the refs’ whistles. This is NOT what we want to see, can’t they (IRB) work that out? The break down are and the scrums are a complete happy go lucky farce.
26 Feb 2012, 12:00 pm
@Rad1(Rad1)-21: Well said man – FYI did you know that the guppy tank is a potential death trap every time a match is hosted there? Yes it is true. Do some research and you will realise the danger of that place. FIFA calls it a death trap and soon the IRB will too.
26 Feb 2012, 12:02 pm
Look, it’s clear that the Bulls must spend a lot of time working on those up and unders for Basson, etc to chase. However if I was a Bulls fan I would be worried by this:
“Captain Pierre Spies said their tactical kicking allowed them to build pressure in a manner they weren’t able to with a ball-in-hand approach…”
A one trick pony is very easy to work out.
26 Feb 2012, 12:05 pm
@RL(RL)-28: LOL! I have been to Kins Park many times and have never noticed or felt threatened by the potential for any crush. What nonsense.
I have not been to Loftus. I have been to stadiums around the world to watch rugby – NZ, Paris, Twickers, Millenium, etc. But the only place I felt was dangerous was Ellis when everybody rushes for the buses after the game. Bodies being crushed, big dutchm*n shouting and swearing, families getting separated… I won’t visit Ellis Park in a hurry again.
26 Feb 2012, 12:10 pm
If the Sharks showed more balls at the breakdown they might just have prevented Bulls bombs raining down from the Pretoria sky.
26 Feb 2012, 12:12 pm
Lions beat Cheetahs by slotting 9 (NINE) from 11 (ELEVEN) kickable penalties served up on a plate by the so called ‘new’ IRB breakdown law or scrum infringement directives… rugby is not getting any prettier.. if anything its getting a damn sight more ugly by the year and by the game…
Now how come in NH fixtures the teams plus the ref’s manage to put on some vestige of a continuous ball in hand type show where ball in hand patient build up continuity rugby gets rewarded, and where momentum and continuity often extends well into multiple ball carry phases.., whereas here its ref shrieking whistle after ref shrieking whistle where the conductor in the middle is the main feature of the orchestra and his personal stamp on proceedings makes or breaks any teams opportunities or chances?
Bulls and Sharks came out with all six shooters blazing chucking the kitchen sink at each other and intending to run each other ragged with a flat out expansive speed merchant game, by half time it was obvious that Sharks had the better control through the phase play and were dominating exchanges in midfield and through maintaining better possession, so Bulls reverted to ‘traditional’ SA folklore rugby, play without the ball, defense wins games, power pressure up and under kick and chase rugby, force the opposition mistakes and play the percentages.
It worked for Bulls same way as it worked for Jake White and PdV under John Smit through 2007-2009, but it didn’t work for Boks through 2010-2011
Its got to be a case of knowing when to go the aerial bombardment route and when to keep ball in hand, the successful teams will know not to get stuck in either rut and mix it up appropriately and according to conditions and proceedings.
26 Feb 2012, 12:13 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-30: believe what you will. Fact is Mr Price park is not safe enough to host any FIFA sactioned match – the Den is. Fact is if the IRB get their act together Kings Park and Newlands will never host an international rugby match again.
26 Feb 2012, 12:18 pm
@stormerforlife(stormerforlife)-31: the Sharks loose trio is not right. Kanko is a no no, Daniel isn’t even assured of his place (let alone being captaincy material) and Marcel Coetzee is the best of them. Not a fetcher in sight. Botes looked ok when he came on but he is not viewed as a starter any more. The breakdowns were a big problemo for the Sharks last year – doesn’t look like they have learned…
26 Feb 2012, 12:21 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-32: you are right – bizarrely NH rugby is looking more attractive than ours. Far too many penalties in our rugby at the moment.
26 Feb 2012, 12:24 pm
#21 Rad I am sorry that you and your family had a bad experience at loftus and i hope something like this NEVER happens again at loftus,i hope the bulls management apologize to the public for this unacceptable behaviour,this must have spoiled the game for you and your family all i can write is SORRY.
26 Feb 2012, 12:29 pm
Those Cheetahs were lucky to only concede 11 kickable penalties – this filthy schmuck should have been given a red card. He deliberately dropped the birthday boy on his head. Their plan was obvious – playing obstruction all night – off the ball kak – preventing Lions from clearing the ruck. It cost them two penalties but they should have gotten more yellow cards for their negative play.
Two week ban for Cheetahs centre
Cheetahs centre Andries Strauss has been handed a two week suspension for dangerous play in the Super Rugby match between the Lions and the Cheetahs in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Strauss was shown both a yellow card and a white card for a tip-tackle on Lions forward Wikus van Heerden in the 12th minute of the match by referee Mark Lawrence.
A white card is part of an experimental system being used by SANZAR this season, and puts a player ‘on report’ for suspected foul play to be referred to a citing commissioner for another look.
The 27-year-old broke law 10.4 (j) by lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground.
Van Heerden was lifted past the horizontal and driven into the ground head first during the incident.
SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Mike Heron accepted a guilty plea to the citing from Strauss, and confirmed that he had no previous disciplinary matters and was very remorseful.
Heron stated that: “The player had been in contact with the Lions player (Van Heerden) and stated that he had apologised to him. Strauss’ understood from Van Heerden directly he had suffered a concussion.
“I determined that the tackle was in breach of 10.4(j) but that it was not executed intentionally – it appeared to me that the player did not intend to drive van Heerden into the ground, rather having tipped him, he failed to get him to the ground safely.
“As has been stated in previous seasons, these tackles are unacceptable and dangerous. The player, by his admission, immediately accepted that. Taking into account all the circumstances, I am satisfied that the appropriate entry point is lower end, meaning a starting point of three weeks suspension. The injury to Van Heerden and the need for deterrent takes the penalty higher by a week. Then applying the full discount for the immediate plea of guilty (25%) and a further week discount for the remorse shown and exemplary character outlined to me.
“That results in a penalty of two weeks. The player is therefore suspended from all forms of the game for two weeks, to and including 11 March 2012.”
26 Feb 2012, 12:32 pm
#28RL I have never been to the Kings Park in durban can you tell me why is is so dangerous to go there,.On tv the seating arrangements look ok,are the problems in the bowels of the stadium.
26 Feb 2012, 12:33 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-34: wakey wakey somebody took off his black-white dynamite blinkers.. I been telling you this for how long already..?
go tell it to the rest of your guppie yuppie Kanko cantankerous kryptonite worshipers
You cant have 2 prancing show ponies and only one grafting carthorse busting the opposition door down
Marcel Coetsee is your best loosie by some distance… so Alberts will have to go to 8, Coetsee at 7 and then Daniel might be valuable at 6 though he’s not a to the ball player and likes to play the same roving roaming renegade game that Kanko molds his game around and disappears into obsolescence, that’s why it don’t work, Daniel and Kankowski are one too many split peas in a full pied pod, one too many show ponies to make any dainty dish in any bodies recipe…..
26 Feb 2012, 12:42 pm
@blueboy(blueboy)-38: The stadium has to comply with a whole host of safety requirements – currrently it does not. The east and west grand stands are also too steep and is an evacuation nightmare – a death trap according to FIFA. It was one of the reason Moses was built. The full report iis somewhere on the FIFA website.
26 Feb 2012, 12:48 pm
#40RL Does loftus measure up to FIFA`S rules and standards.
26 Feb 2012, 12:53 pm
@blueboy(blueboy)-41:It was upgraded for the world cup to meet FIFA standards. They need to fix their gates!
26 Feb 2012, 13:00 pm
Yes i agree with you this problem must never happen again the public`s safety is paramount,and the good name of the bulls could get damaged by this bad publicity,i am just glad there were no injuries or fatalities.
26 Feb 2012, 13:58 pm
I’ve always been nervous at Loftus games. The narrow stair cases from the upper levels (as opposed to the big spiral ramps at most stadiums) seem genuinely dangerous. Plus the I experienced the exact same crush mentioned here at the Lions-Boks game in 09, it was genuinely scary.
I hope to hear some official comment from the bulls soon…
26 Feb 2012, 14:08 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-7:
As I thought, JP was not cited, although it seemed much more brutal and off the ball than the one which Strauss put on Wicus, should make one thinking?
ad@Rad1(Rad1)-21:
Perhaps the Bulls have down graded Loftus to meet soccer standards?
26 Feb 2012, 14:19 pm
@Tartan(Tartan)-2:
I can live with that.
Do you think perhaps that means that this team will also win 3 Super Rugby titles within 4 years?
26 Feb 2012, 14:20 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-45: The man had a genuine fear for his family’s safety.Witty or stupid remarks, simply not on mate.
26 Feb 2012, 14:28 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-32:
Kicking possession away at test level is punished, both Farrell and Priestland(?) when kicked yesterday, it was usually aimed at touch or at the corners.
I watched Gloucester vs Harlequins too, Nick Evans gave a devastating demonstration of gaining territory by kicking, what a boot!
Should have made you thinking: if Henry summoned the hapless Donald for the RWC final and ignored Nick Evans, it surely was because ‘Sir’ potz had no concerns regarding the outcome. In other words, if the RWC Final’s result was in any doubt, the NZRU would have bent the rule, simply too much money and national pride was at stake!
26 Feb 2012, 14:33 pm
@stormerforlife(stormerforlife)-47:
I went many time to Loftus, never experienced such a chaos, and I do believe the man.
And what makes you thinking that the safety and order standards at Loftus were NOT purposely degraded by the Bulls management to save money?
26 Feb 2012, 15:21 pm
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