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, 15:22 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-32:
Another good post.
26 Feb 2012, 15:53 pm
The moment the Sharks started pushing the ball past 10, and brought in a real scrumhalf to add fluidity, the Bools were in trouble. For all the praise of the Bools’ aerial game, they scored no tries and were hanging on for the win.
It’s disappointing. If ever SA rugby is going to become less predictable, this is the year after the RWC and the Bools are the team, to do it. The Stormers and Sharks already play a broader game, but given the Bools’ influence in matters Bok, they have to come to the party.
It’s obvious we are in for another four years of skop en donder.
26 Feb 2012, 15:56 pm
Terrible story re Loftus. Not nice to have your family caught up in such a situation.
26 Feb 2012, 15:59 pm
Well I see I wasn’t the only one to complain about the frequency of the referees’ whistles. We can make some excuses for it being the beginning of the seasons but truth be told the only match even beginning to be worth watching was the Blues/Crusader match – and, if my memory is correct, that was 1 of only 2 matches which was not refereed by an SA ref (the other was by Bryce baby so that doesn’t count).
Pre-season we were told that the breakdowns and scrums were going to be very closely scrutinised. Well done refs – you didn’t let any one down there. Pity about giving us a game of rugby to watch though.
Can’t we go back to basics somewhere with this refereeing ****? A try is worth 5 points – a penalty is worth 3 – and there ends the question of there being any justice. If it takes magnificent effort and skill to get a try then surely to give 3 points for an action not even beginning to have anywhere near that type of effect on a game is totally iniquitous. Either full arm penalties should be given for only the most heinous of offences (and let the rugby players sort out those lying on the ball, bits of jersey tugging etc) or else down grade the value of a penalty to 1 point. The way we are going at the moment is going to end any spectator enjoyment in the game at all. It will be as bad as watching two grunting, groaning and shrieking women playing a tennis final – which is why I’ve given up even looking at those lovely bods as a spectator sport.
Give us a break – and give us back a game that men play and men can enjoy watching.
26 Feb 2012, 16:04 pm
Plum throws in the towel – he knows that his limited guppies (limited by his coaching and his selection for team captain) stand no chance of reaching the play-offs.
Cape Town – Sharks coach John Plumtree believes there are too many derby games on the current Super Rugby schedule.
“We’re playing way too often against the other top South African teams,” Plumtree told the Rapport newspaper after his side went down 18-13 to the Bulls in their season-opener at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
“It wears the players down to play against each other so often. For SANZAR it’s obviously fantastic because it boosts revenue.
“Just look at the crowd that was here tonight,” he said, referring to the 46 000-strong Loftus crowd.
“You’ll never achieve that with the derby games in Australia and New Zealand. The standard of their derbies isn’t nearly as intense as ours here in South Africa.”
Plumtree feels the South African players play each other into the ground during all these derby games, and by the time the international season starts, the players are either injured or burnt out.
26 Feb 2012, 16:42 pm
The call for an even contest on the ground, is driving all these penalties. And it’s misplaced. In league you have continuity of possession. If we make rugby possession a 50/50 thing in the tackle…..there is NO incentive to play running rugby. Kick the ball 60 metres into the opponents 22, and try for a turnover…..makes more sense.
26 Feb 2012, 16:42 pm
@ RL why do you dislike the sharks so much?!
26 Feb 2012, 17:08 pm
Good grief Scotland scores.
26 Feb 2012, 17:08 pm
w00p
26 Feb 2012, 17:13 pm
There’s a feeling amongst my pals that someone is going to be on the wrong end of a Scotland drubbing.
Young Hogg talked about big time too.
Good start, though the ball looked like it was made of lead going through those phases…
26 Feb 2012, 17:23 pm
I will not babble. I will not babble. I am not nervous. I am not nervous.
26 Feb 2012, 17:32 pm
Oooooh, that’s a sore one…
26 Feb 2012, 17:39 pm
Lol. Our pal RL has a bit of a thing for the Sharks. It’s to make up for the massive chip on his shoulder.
But aaaaaanyway, the Sharks have a very good record against all the SA teams, so we know it is not that.
What I can positively tell you is that even I am sick and tired of all the extra derby games that we now have in addition to the Currie Cup – all the boring bof-bash direct rugby – that I am in complete agreement with Plumtree.
Less is more. Familiarity breeds contempt. The mystique and sense of occasion of playing the Bulls and WP is being eroded, so much so that it’s now “just another game.” I much preferred it when it was just one game against the local foes, it was one chance and that was it until next year. There was so much more interest in those games as a result.
The Currie Cup is all local is lekker. But the whole point of Super rugby from the start was to test yourself against the foreign teams… and now you don’t even play them all!
I am with Plumtree on this one. We need to bin the boring derbies.
Oh and the Blues/Crusaders – the 2 best NZ teams – played to a half empty stadium, the Reds/Waratahs – the 2 best Aus teams – had a half empty stadium… Lions/Cheetahs was about a third full… crowds for all but the Bulls/Sharks/Stormers games are down in Super rugby… seems I’m not the only one suffering from Super rugby fatigue.
26 Feb 2012, 17:40 pm
This is me, not babbling.
26 Feb 2012, 17:43 pm
Nothing nicer than slo mo scot no 8
26 Feb 2012, 17:45 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-65:
^ that’s babbling
26 Feb 2012, 17:47 pm
come on les bleus
26 Feb 2012, 17:47 pm
I will not waffle nor babble I am not nervous when scotland play.
26 Feb 2012, 17:49 pm
Trans don’t be a killjoy man
26 Feb 2012, 17:57 pm
Ag Transie, now you’ve ruined the friendship….
26 Feb 2012, 17:57 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-46:
I doubt it, the talent pool is quite different, and the rule changes brought in over the last few years make the situation on the field different too.
Anyway, reverting to type shouldn’t be that surprising in week one when plan A plainly isn’t working. For all I’m going to mock, the Bulls did win.
26 Feb 2012, 17:58 pm
Trans having us on.
Scot also wear bleu.
Babbling
26 Feb 2012, 18:32 pm
scotland giving the french a good workout here.
While cardiff have stunned the merseysiders over @ wembley
26 Feb 2012, 18:35 pm
Afternoon
I see this is the Six Nations Thread..
Scotland 17 France 23 Rats…come on Scotland
26 Feb 2012, 18:36 pm
Scotland will not survive the full clout of the tricolor turnaround
France toying with the prospect of whether to let rip and apply full scale intensity or just take the Jocks on in their middle of the road mediocre stride.
Check the difference between Barnes reffing and our saffa ref clowns Jonker and Lawrence yesterday. This game allowed to flow into multi phase momentum time and again without the frustrating interruptions of the shrill over purposed whistle, SH ref’s should take some lessons in showing how to provide the audience a decent flowing game of rugby unlike the paucity punctuated stop start refereeing fiasco’s we been witness to here in recent games.
26 Feb 2012, 18:44 pm
Jeebus, where’s my razor blades?
26 Feb 2012, 18:49 pm
Ag they still cute, even when they lose.
Bonny!
26 Feb 2012, 18:50 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-76:
Hi Jock
That was rather anoying…… Hate the French to get a win.
I saw you boys get ravished by the Welsh a couple of weeks ago, it was a painful 2nd half to watch!
The Scottish fans in Cardiff were great as normal. Dawn would have been in heaven at the high kilt count! Knobbly knees and chunky socks everywhere!
26 Feb 2012, 18:51 pm
This is me post-match.
“You bunch of kilt-wearing slackers!!”
26 Feb 2012, 18:55 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-79:
‘You sporran swinging softies’
26 Feb 2012, 19:01 pm
Well done Scotland, another glorious defeat.
When oh when is this try-line malaise going to be cured? It’s coming on near 10 years now…
26 Feb 2012, 19:02 pm
“I oughtta string youse up by your hairy balls!”
26 Feb 2012, 19:03 pm
Hey Carol, yeah Dawn said you were at the game. Not a bad performance from the Jocks then as well and although we’re not winning, everyone is having to work for their wins. Just got no depth to make the next level I think, but Wales are sure looking good for the title this year. Scotland have to win the last two games now. Don’t see why not really.
Still, not a bad weekend, Stormers won and England lost so 2 out of 3 ain’t bad
26 Feb 2012, 19:08 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-83:
Jock, I hate to say it, but I think it’s more likely to be another false dawn. Scotland somehow always of late dig up an expansive and aggressive gameplan against France and it works, playing them close and really forcing them to win, rather than Scotland lose.
But it never carries over to any of the other games.
26 Feb 2012, 19:08 pm
Scotland try gamely game after game after game, just that losing’s become such a monotonous habit by now that they forgot what winning feels like anymore and they simply lost any belief they can somehow miraculously ever possibly win
26 Feb 2012, 19:11 pm
Lol my third insult “comment publication failed”!
26 Feb 2012, 19:11 pm
@Tartan(Tartan)-81:
Well two against the Frogs isn’t too bad, and for a change the backs played well and largely out did the forwards. Slot Ansboro into that starting line up in place of Morrison and it’s a decent looking attack, although I’d imagine Rory Lamont will be out for a while.
And that scrum was horrendous during the 2nd half. This Euan Murray not playing on a Sunday schit is blerry annoying.
26 Feb 2012, 19:12 pm
Never fear Tartan.
They scored a try today.
26 Feb 2012, 19:19 pm
@Tartan(Tartan)-84:
Sure, I gotcha. And as Skop says, Scotland have forgotten how to win. If they had the attitude and mental strength starting with the england game that they should have won, then the belief might carry them through these type of games.
But as I said earlier, the depth is not really there and although we can field a good starting 15 that would give anyone a game, the replacement don’t always have the same quality as seen with that scum collapse in the 2nd half.
Still, again, some positives to come out of the game (lol ffs) although if we don’t beat Ireland and Italy, it’s going to be a miserable outlook and yes, another false dawn.
26 Feb 2012, 19:20 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-87:
A bit like the Scottish olympic athlete Eric Lidell.
26 Feb 2012, 19:24 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-87:
Yeah, but Scotland ran them close in Paris last time out too, and the backs were on form for that game and that game only that 6N!
Ansboro is a fairly decent upgrade when he’s in yeah, I’m getting a little tired of seeing the Edinburgh Enigma Nick De Luca at test level though – he’s clearly suited to club rugby, but the step up seems to trip him.
And Euan Murray… eish, should be used to it now, but it does cripple the scrum.
@Dawn(Dawn)-88:
Two even! But as said, form against France never seems to translate, le froggies always are capable of letting their opposition play. It’s a bit like that patch of time where if Scotland-England was at Murrayfield in the rain you didn’t bet on England, no matter what the form of the teams.
26 Feb 2012, 19:32 pm
Bad luck Scots But again another loss Not able to finish close to the line again.
26 Feb 2012, 19:32 pm
@David(David)-90:
I worked with a guy from the Western Isles of Scotland where a lot of this stuff goes on. His upbringing was that Sunday was only for reading the bible, even hanging washing on your line meant scandal.
26 Feb 2012, 19:34 pm
But they did score so an improvement
26 Feb 2012, 19:34 pm
Morning Jock where are you these days?
26 Feb 2012, 19:41 pm
scots need independence to get some backbone.nothing but a bunch of poeftaboys.
26 Feb 2012, 19:44 pm
@Tartan(Tartan)-91:
I thought De Luca did okay today as well, but yeah, it’s pretty much the first time.
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-95:
Howzit Pete. Still in Chad for another couple of months I reckon. Struggling with the internet here big time, so I don’t post so much these days as it’s too frustrating.
Kinda like watching Scotland
26 Feb 2012, 19:46 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-93:
It was also prevelent in South Africa 30/40 years ago when sport on sundays was also banned.
There was also a rugby player, I think it was, who refused to play in Sunday matches on tour.
26 Feb 2012, 19:50 pm
@CAPECRUSADER(CAPECRUSADER)-96:
Lol, a Cape Crusader talking about backbone.
Fark me, I’ve heard it all now.
26 Feb 2012, 19:54 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-99:
Yep Like growing up in cape town supporting the the Crusaders gives you back bone
Hey he can support who he wants but Scots poeftas and no backbone?
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