Nothing one-dimensional about Bulls
5 Mar 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says the Bulls were a revelation in Bloemfontein but the Lions’ defeat on home ground was all too familiar in Super Rugby.
The Bulls, rebuilding after the departure and retirements of Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw, played with enterprise, maturity and conviction to score 50 points against the Cheetahs. It was a brilliant performance, given the relative inexperience of the side and the pre-match expectation that the Cheetahs would beat the Bulls for the first time in Super Rugby.
What made it even more remarkable was that the Bulls played with 14 men in the last 20 minutes. As with the stumble of the Lions against the Hurricanes, the humiliation of the Cheetahs emphasised just what a struggle the season will be for the boys from Bloem, whose squad boast a few stallions but too many donkeys.
Heinrich Brüssow remains one of the best loose forwards in the game and flyhalf Johan Goosen will become a Springbok, but two individuals will never be a match for a team playing with confidence, pace and intelligence.
A week ago the Bulls were accused of being one-dimensional in beating the Sharks, but the assessment was unfair based on how the Pretoria side have played in the last few seasons. They have, without fail, been SA’s most imposing and inventive side and the try-scoring statistics support this view.
The captaincy has improved Pierre Spies’s presence on the field as a player who can lead and do it the hard way. He is finally being true to his billing as one of the game’s most explosive athletes and one of the better No 8s. For so long the kid among hardened men, he is now the man leading talented kids, many of whom showed that good enough is old enough.
Bulls halfbacks Francois Hougaard and Morné Steyn gave contrasting master classes at scrumhalf and flyhalf respectively, and both have an appreciation of tempo and field position. They mixed it up wonderfully on attack and kicked with accuracy and intent.
They knew where they wanted the game to be played and they allowed the situation to dictate how they played.
There is nothing one-dimensional about this team. Better sides in the competition may force them into a more conservative approach, but when dominant, the mentality is there to trust their handling skills as much as their kicking game.
They can’t be praised enough. Don’t be shy with the compliments this morning and the generous acknowledgment has to be extended to coach Frans Ludeke, whose humility after the victory was consistent with his team’s respect for the ball and the basics of the game.
I like what I see in the Bulls. Then again I have always had a soft spot for the boys from Loftus Versfeld.
Not so the Lions because they should be getting better results. They should have clinically beaten the Hurricanes and the first-half naivety in approach and lack of intensity can’t be excused.
The Lions got lucky against the Cheetahs in the opening round, but at least they won and the country’s domestic champions needed to win again to make fools of those who refuse to believe they can be playoff contenders. These players, put on a pedestal for their achievements in last year’s Currie Cup, have to learn to play with the expectation of champions. There is no positive in the way they lost. There is no positive in losing at home.
John Mitchell has given the rugby franchise credibility again, but there was nothing credible about the defeat.
Where was the desire in that first 40?
Lions supporters must demand more of this side because they are good enough to win against anyone in this competition at home. I know Mitchell will never settle for two-point defeats. He can’t be the only one.
The Sharks in Cape Town should never have lost, but they did. Bismarck du Plessis was a one-man show in the pack, but he needs his passion, enthusiasm and excellence to be matched by a few more of his mates.
The match was typical of a South African derby and more physical than most international matches. However, physicality alone will make neither the Sharks nor the Stormers champions-in-waiting.
The quality of rugby was poor and the skill level was a betrayal of the talents of those on display. We know these guys can play rugby and do it better than most, which made it that much more disappointing for the 40 000 who were forced to cheer big hits and penalties instead of line breaks and tries.
85 Comments
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5 Mar 2012, 10:08 am
In the 2nd half Mark Lawrence blew 10 penalties to the Stormers and just a measly 1 to the Sharks.
Talk about a manufactured swing in momentum.
5 Mar 2012, 10:10 am
hate the fact that the bulls will play the late game. The ball is different then. If the game against the blues was at 15:00 I’d back the bulls to put another 50 up. Instead, it will be another close game.
The bulls are moving forward with serious tempo and intent, haven’t seen that since early 2010.
Still think they need to scrum better.
5 Mar 2012, 10:16 am
I like the energy of the youngsters. As good as our veterans undoubtedly were, they clearly lacked that energy and enthusiasm in last year’s campaign.
You get a sense that the likes of Francois Venter, Hougaard, CJ Stander, JJ Engelbrecht etc. will make tackles, jumpt to their feet and race to make the next tackle where an older guy might make the first tackle and then slowly get to his feet while watching play move on to the next phase in the distance.
That youthful vigour, but channeled in a structured environment, surrounded by some experienced heads in the form of Steyn, Spies, Stegman etc.
This Bulls team still has a lot of growing to do, and I would not be proclaiming victory against the Blues just yet. How they go against a Kiwi side will give us a lot more insight into how far they’ve come so far.
5 Mar 2012, 10:27 am
“I like what I see in the Bulls. Then again I have always had a soft spot for the boys from Loftus Versfeld.”
Trying to build some bridges?
5 Mar 2012, 10:50 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-1: you won’t admit that your players were infringing…you discipline undid you even at loftus. fix it and stop whingeing.
you can’t dispute it when herbst flops his 100kg + fat body all over a ruck or when skeate turns his body and leads with a shoulder when entering a ruck.
5 Mar 2012, 11:06 am
it’s not just the youngsters at the bulls….as mentioned chilli and spies are finding some form.
flip is starting to show the form and the ball carrying edge that got him capped in the first place. Kirchener is really playing with his head up, wynand slotted back in fine and ndguane is the most consistent and intelligent winger.
That young venter bloke will in all likelyhood oust DeVilliers by the end of the year as a bok12.
and Morne is a legend cracking 1000 superrugby points in what, really only full seasons of superrugby?
throw in the props, whom addmittedly don’t look the best scrummaging unit but by far and away the most mobile with a really hard edge at the rucks and there are the makings of a brilliant side. And I didn’t even mention the flankers.
By the way, am I the only one who thinks that Brussow is still surviving off of 2009 form? He was bloody nowhere again last weekend.Maybe he just needs some solid game time without injury for a change ?
5 Mar 2012, 11:23 am
After two weeks, my team of form players:
1. Dean Greyling
2. Adriaan Strauss (played his heart out whilst his team got knobbed)
3. Werner Kruger
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Juandré Kruger
6. Siya Kolisi
7. Marcell Coetzee
8. Nick Koster
9. Francois Hougaard
10. Elton Jantjies
11. Bjorn Basson
12. Alwyn Hollenbach (wins this by virtue of there being no-one else )
13. JPP
14. Lwazi Mvovo
15. Joe Pietersen, forget about his kicking display, the man oozes class to just pip Taute.
Most impressive coaching staff: the Bulls
5 Mar 2012, 11:32 am
Team of under acheivers:
1. Jannie du Plessis
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. CJ van der Linde (the two props were springboks last year, now not even starting)
4. Steven Sykes
5. Andries Bekker
6. Heinrich Brüssow
7. Duane Vermeulen
8. Pierre Spies (getting better, but still a bit invisible)
9. Frederic Michalak
10. Pat Lambie (not bad, but the hype suggest he should be better)
11. Bryan Habana
12. JDV
13. Marius Joubert
14. All playing quite well.
15. Riaan Viljoen – not bad, but expected more.
Sharks coaching squad
5 Mar 2012, 11:46 am
@UKSaffa(catchlightuk.com)-7: Adriaan Strauss was poor this past weekend. He was in the back line all the time killing all of the momentum of the Cheetahs. When he bashed it up he lost the ball and the Bulls scored. Scratch his name and add Chillyboy in there.
5 Mar 2012, 11:51 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-6:
in his case its a love that lasts… i just hope he gets his old game going soon though.
5 Mar 2012, 11:52 am
@HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-9:
Good point – I based this on week 1 and 2. I would like to see how Chilliboy performs when his team is getting dominated, but granted, on current form, should have been in the list.
5 Mar 2012, 11:58 am
Yep, the Bulls look like our conference winner this year. Their attacking play (as a team) was impressive. They seem to be attacking with a plan.
As for my team, Stormers. I am sorry, but they don’t attack with purpose. They seem to play stamp-kar rugby. Stop buying players, you can get them from Maties/Ikeys. Get an attacking specialist to help for the rest of the season.
5 Mar 2012, 11:58 am
#6brig van zyl I agree with you about brussow,he is not back to his best yet stegmann was way better than him and he outplayed him on saturday,if stegmann could only stop giving away the amount of penalties he would be the best number6 in SA rugby,i have said before i think he is the nearest in ability to the late great Reuben Kruger.I feel this young bulls team with the amount of really good youngsters coming through has the potential to go all the way,only time and injuries will tell.
5 Mar 2012, 12:05 pm
form players from this weekend
Viljoen/Pietersen
Aplon
Pietersen/de Jongh
Venter
Engelbrecht/Basson/Mvovo
Goosen / Jantjies / van Aswegen / Lambie / Steyn take your pick
Hougaard / Duvenhage
Koster/Spies
Coetsee/Kolisi
Stegmann
Kruger
Etsebeth
Malherbe
Chili/Bismark
Greyling/Kitchoff
5 Mar 2012, 12:22 pm
Bulls were never a one-dimensional side. The gameplan was always the same. The execusion of that gameplan is lacking from time to time. This weekend, it was their destructive tackling that got me sitting up straight in my chair. And all the Meisieking nay-sayers got put in their placed with some big hits, and deft touches… The boy is pure class, and is looking more conditioned than last year… Interresting times ahead for Bulls rugby…
5 Mar 2012, 12:31 pm
Damn….! Even the Kings would thrash this wanna be Super team from the Bloemplaas!
Why dont the Cheaters just appoint the Grey College coaches and fire the underperforming Kaka Drolske!
5 Mar 2012, 12:34 pm
@GriekwasStormer(GriekwasStormer)-12:
i thought it was a lot more helter skelter than it was stampkar, at times.
but basically it was kak and we agree on it.
5 Mar 2012, 12:35 pm
Meisiekind all class! bwahahahaha….wait till Ant Faiinga and Rene Ranger get hold of him!
5 Mar 2012, 12:38 pm
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-16:
i honestly don’t think the kings would beat the cheetahs easily, if at all…honeslty…
5 Mar 2012, 12:43 pm
As kak as the cheaters are they are still good for 50 against the kings.
5 Mar 2012, 12:54 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-20: really? yank the cheetahs out of super rugby for 6 years sans funds as sponsorship and THEN ask them to play the Rebels, they would get snorted by 50 too.
5 Mar 2012, 12:58 pm
Yadayada
Let’s see.
I think in three years time they will probably be playing instead of the kings again.
5 Mar 2012, 13:00 pm
The Bulls have been a revelation at the early stages… if they develop this moving into the latter stages of super-comp, they will be hard to beat.
The Sharks on the w/end should have humped the stormers, who are still the big pretenders (they have finally held onto, and brought through, some great junior talent – like Etzebeth). I’m a big Mark lawrence fan, but he did favour the Stormers in the 2nd half… to penalise an attacking team that much is ludicrous, even if guys like Skeate were having brainfarts that shouldn’t be excused!
I’ll also say, as a big fan of his, that Bismarck was average… way too upright in the tackle and he got hit back far too many times considering what a monster he has proved to be after the last few seasons. The standout forward was Marcel Coetzee – he is pure class.
The Lions imploded as is all too customary and the Cheetahs were disappointing, but not many would have kept pace witht the Bulls on the quality of the performance they put in.
R365 had the Bulls to finish last in the SA group this year – me thinks not. The Sharks and Stormers who should battle out next in line, both look way off the pace at the mo.
@UKSaffa(catchlightuk.com)-7: @UKSaffa(catchlightuk.com)-8: List 1 makes more sense than list 2, but it’s early days… very interested to see what Heyneke does on the selection front when he announces his 1st squad!
5 Mar 2012, 13:07 pm
I was quite impressed at how the bulls played against the cheetahs, but I wouldn’t get to far ahead just yet. I will wait and see how they play against better teams such as the Blues, Crusaders and Reds who will challenge them and will be able to wear down their big forwards. I also believe the cheetahs didn’t pitch up on the day. I believe they are feeling the loss of Sarel Pretorius, Juan Smith, Coenie Oosthuizen, Riaan Viljoen and Andries Strauss.
5 Mar 2012, 13:12 pm
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-17: You are right, ‘stampkar’ was not the best word to use. Our attack was just so bad that I don’t know what else to call it.
5 Mar 2012, 13:37 pm
@GriekwasStormer(GriekwasStormer)-12: Stampkar rugby in the close channels can be effective if you want to build phases.
But you need to ensure that you have passing options on both shoulders to keep the defensive line guessing.
The Stormers, however, need to ensure that they protect the ball better at the ruck to ensure quicker recycles. This is their main problem.
5 Mar 2012, 13:38 pm
There were really only two performances that I think stood out from the Bok perspective this is that that new boy Potgieter is definitely going to take over the hard man title in the future but Goosen has dropped behind Jantjies in the front-runner slot for the fly-half berth if anything happens to Morne.
I think Cheetahs have got to get out of the mindset that all their play has to be centred around Goosen kicking them out of trouble and get their minds back to the strategy that has made them so good in the past – that they generally play above their weight if they play as a team.
5 Mar 2012, 13:40 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-14: I will pick Viljoen as Bok 15. I said before that Taute needs exposure in the Bok systems, but he is still making too many basic errors.
Imagine a backline where you have Goosen, F.Steyn and Viljoen. You will only play rugby in the opponents half!
Jantjies offers you a left boot, should you want to consider him.
5 Mar 2012, 13:42 pm
@Blue Label(Blue Label)-15: Timotei is an excellent Super player. He is not a Test standard player.
5 Mar 2012, 13:47 pm
In terms of locks this is all the Boks need
4. Flip, Etzebeth, Elstadt
5. Bekker, Juandre Kruger
No need to call up Bakkies.
5 Mar 2012, 13:50 pm
@willievz(willievz)-28: That will be awesome…the opposition wouldnt dare give away penalties on the half way mark and on our 10m line!
Jantjies at 10 and Steyn at 12 will offer nice variation in terms of left foot/right foot kicking.
5 Mar 2012, 13:55 pm
Ok….get a grip on this Bulls loving!!
What I will give the Bulls is their approach and coaching staff ability!
They could easily have just gone through the season claiming they lost too much star players ( what Stormers would feed us supporters) but they came out to prove a point.
Going on about Meisiekind and Kirchners Star quality is a bit premature as they have shown us what happens if they don’t have the “nice” momentum to play from. This includes some forwards that gets bok jerseys (read stegman) all of a sudden!
Wait until teams play them just as hard as they do and the true characters will come out. Spies will fade away again and Meisiekind will hold on to every ball and get smashed in the tackle.
What the Bulls coaching team is doing well is giving the team a clear plan and executing it well. Most players will look good when the team is playing for each other. Unlike Habana who is craving a try for himself instead of a try for the team.
5 Mar 2012, 14:00 pm
@Hoops(Hoops)-32: What was Habana trying to do by cutting in on Saturday?
5 Mar 2012, 14:06 pm
@Hoops(Hoops)-32: “Wait until teams play them just as hard as they do”
What’s stopping them? Why the wait?
5 Mar 2012, 14:16 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-34:
Well…..the Sharks did not bring that type of game….nor did the Cheetahs have the players to do so.
Last year the Stormers were given no chance in the forwards and we went out and man handled the whole pack including Bakkies who reverted to taking on the smallest guy on the field!
My point is teams like the Saders and Highlanders take the bulls on where they are strong….and then their season goes down like the past two years.
What the Bulls are doing now is getting the press to write them up on such a pedestal that all media and refs will believe they are the best and deserve the win regarding of their form on the day!
I predicted this preseason. If they win two games in a row they will be written up as best in SA and be quite unstoppable ( refs helping et al)….if they lose two in a row they will lose momentum and confidence and Loftus will have just the occasional pink trui lover in the seats.
5 Mar 2012, 14:17 pm
Stormers will get a lot better. Both opponents so far have had to resort to infringing to keep the Stormers out. I’m not happy with Duvenhage. He does not pose any threat around the fringes whatsoever. Hougaardt is always dangerous and looks for opportunity (brilliant player). Grant should help straighten the line & create a bit of space. I’m not ready to write the Stormers off just yet.
5 Mar 2012, 14:45 pm
@willievz(willievz)-26: I agree with you. However, it seems as if they do it without plan.
When they attack those channels around the ruck it should be done with support (not 1 player against 4 – 5 defenders). The ball should then be recycled quickly for a second attack. The stormers go with 1 against 5 and then struggle to get the ball back.
I am just a little frustrated that not enough was done since last year when we already had this problem.
5 Mar 2012, 15:04 pm
Add to that this one:
“Bulls halfbacks Francois Hougaard and Morné Steyn gave contrasting master classes at scrumhalf and flyhalf respectively, and both have an appreciation of tempo and field position. They mixed it up wonderfully on attack and kicked with accuracy and intent.”
Remember how useless Morne was supposed to have been last year?
5 Mar 2012, 15:08 pm
@WTF?!?(bofh)-4:
Something went wrong. My post (no 38) was in reply to WTF’s post (no 4).
5 Mar 2012, 15:18 pm
I’m a massive stormers fan, but I have to pay respect to the bulls in the way they stick to their structures and how well they execute it. The stormers backline has become very one dimensional and rely to heavy on turn over ball and game breaks such as Gio Aplon. Better teams will not cough up the ball so easily. Habana still remains a weakness in my eyes. I just wish he would go back to when a first burst onto the scene and back his pace. He has it in his mind that a winger has to work hard to have an impact on a game, but i don’t know if he knows what it means. Why keep hanging around the fringes when he should trust his team to create the space for him and back his own pace. I think when the stormers get rid of using props and forwards as first receivers and start creating space and quick ball for their backs, they can be unstoppable. They have the forwards, just need to be more discipline around the breakdown and stop being so clumsy when hitting the rucks.
5 Mar 2012, 15:26 pm
Yes the bulls looked good and won 2 games in a row BUT its against teams that lost 2 games in a row – so bulls dont go polioshing the trophy just yet. I think Chili is the cement in that team and not Spies plus the 2 locks are adding the grunt. Cheetahs just couldnt asnwer in the physical dept and I have never seen a team defend this bad. Will be good to see BullsvsBlues this weekend!
The Stormers are their own worst enemy – AC still think he can win without a fetcher and cant see that Van Aswegen is not a topclass flyhalf. Fleck has not given any direction to the backline the last 3 years and i think we need to find better backloine coach. Stormers are not out yet but their form needs to change fast otherwise the Blues and Bulls are going to break their season.
BTW i am a Stomers supporter
5 Mar 2012, 15:34 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-22: quite right, “yadayada” there’s no logic in comparing the Kings to any of the current super rugby teams…there’s no “merit” in the comparison
5 Mar 2012, 16:09 pm
@oranjewurm(oranjewurm)-41:
Are you including the pre Super games?
If so, you are a moron.
If not, you are a moron anyway.
5 Mar 2012, 16:32 pm
Bismarck needs to be worried, Chiliboy is playing brilliant rugby in the Uli Schmidt mould. Jacques Potgieter looks like the real deal. Werner and Dean have humiliated their opponents two weeks in a row. At this stage I think it is not to unreasonable to look at a Bulls frontrow against England. Wynand Olivier’s role as the crutial link in the back can also not be under-estimated. Again, thanks WP for sending JJ Engelbrecht up north. What a talented young man.
5 Mar 2012, 16:33 pm
Keo, one swallow doesn’t make a summer… Three of their tries were pretty lucky, especially the first one (poor TV umpire wanted to be able to say there was a triple movement – why can’t he just tell the ref that?!!!). Yes they played well, but please wait for at least the half way point before you write this kind of gushing article….
5 Mar 2012, 17:43 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-31: I am just worried about Jantjies’ distribution – his passing accuracy on mature phases in particular.
That might be down to the alignment of the players on his outside. This is, to some extent only, Jantjies’ responsibility to communicate and organise.
The apparent confusion in the Lions’ backline is primarily due to the poor alignment, perhaps in part due to a lack of communication and understanding of each other’s role in the next phase.
Having said all that, Jantjies has impressed me with his awareness and vision at first receiver. In fact, bar Barrett from the Hurricanes, he is unrivalled in these departments out of all the Super flyhalves on display so far.
And, as you say, that left-right boot combination of Jantjies and F.Steyn will be a massive boon for any backline.
5 Mar 2012, 18:00 pm
KEO
Only just read your piece, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
But to challenge you – the Bulls were one-dimensional against the Sharks. They probably had to be, for two reasons – (i) to make sure they win the game, and (ii) not to reveal all their plays they’ve been working on to complement their status quo gameplan, or Plan A.
They showed that they have a Plan B. Two examples – (a) Hougaard positioning himself for a garryowen from the base of the ruck, only to break blindside, and (b) Hougaard involved again, receiving a ball from a lineout won at the tail as the other forwards were organising themselves for a driving maul.
And, as Tacitus said earlier, the injection of youth in this team around the more established faces has done wonders for restoring the crucial balance of youth and experience.
They look energetic and ready to rumble at each phase, which speeds up the ruck ball. The younger forwards will also be more difficult to shift around the park by opposing teams (NZ ones in particular) who aim to shift a traditionally heavy SA pack from one sideline to the next.
Discipline still a concern, they need to polish this if they want to take on the likes of the Saders and the Reds.
5 Mar 2012, 18:56 pm
Flip & Juandre looking like an awesome lock combo – who needs Vic & Bakkies?
5 Mar 2012, 19:21 pm
ugggh, people overreact so much.
It was just 2 games. The Bulls played the Cheetah’s who made as many basic errors as I have seen any side make in a long time. The Stormers played against the Sharks side that went down narrowly to the Bulls last week.
Both sides scored the same amount of tries against a good Sharks defence: 0. But now suddenly the Bulls are sliced toast and the stormers sh it.
Now nobody is saying the Stormers is the the ultimate team, or that they played great rugby on the weekend. But they sure aren’t terrible. The amount of exaggeration on this site is incredible. There can only be one title-winning side in a year, and that doesn’t mean all the others are terrible.
Now of course something was wrong in the Stormers attack. But at the Sharks played really well, especially their fast loosies, and placed a lot of pressure on the Stormers ball. Also they managed to retain the ball themselves for long periods in the first half.
Hopefully the pack will play better, giving some more space to the backline on attack, and hopefully the backs will get some momentum. Maybe Peter Grant can give some go forward ball.
But all the doom and gloom prophets can get of their soap boxes, it is still verrrrryyy early to be proclaiming the Bulls champions and the Stormers no hopes.
The most worrying part of the Stormers game was the fist time tackling. The scrambling was great, but a few too many misses for my liking.
5 Mar 2012, 19:45 pm
@Hoops(Hoops)-32: @wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading)-49:
ah, sour grapes make you sound like a whiney *****. The Bulls have been THE team for the better part of a decade. like they say, form is temporary, class is permanent. The bulls have class unlike the great pretenders that is the Briesies. WO has his 2010 form back and really made some so-called experts here look extremely silly…..
Bulls would have wiped the floor with the Briesies on Sat. As it is, they played a quarter of the game with 14 men. It could easily have surpassed that famous 74 they scored against the mountain goats.
”Hopefully the pack will play better, giving some more space to the backline on attack, and hopefully the backs will get some momentum. Maybe Peter Grant can give some go forward ball.
But all the doom and gloom prophets can get of their soap boxes, it is still verrrrryyy early to be proclaiming the Bulls champions and the Stormers no hopes”
That is it:
Stormers live in hope, Bulls know what to do and get it done.
It is a stormer thing to proclaim every year their year, been happening for 12 years.
No bulls supporter proclaims the Bulls champs, but we live in the knowledge that the team can and has done it.
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