Excellent Anscombe buries Bulls
10 Mar 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on the match where Gareth Anscombe scored all the Blues’ points in a 29-23 victory over the Bulls at Loftus.
Where has this kid been? The Blues have kept faith with the mediocre Michael Hobbs (unavailable tonight) but the 20-year-old Anscombe has surely ousted him through this accomplished, all-round performance. His goalkicking was particularly impressive, outshining Morne Steyn, whose two from six return – the majority of those easy shots – was out of character.
The Bulls just never settled into a distinctive pattern despite bossing possession, territory and the set phases. Credit to the Blues, who, after building a 12-point lead at half-time, played intelligently and forced the Bulls into expansive attacks. The Blues held firm in defence, waiting for runners to isolate themselves then stifling the recycle or forcing infringements at the breakdown.
The Bulls started in the worst possible fashion, conceding a try three minutes into the contest when Anscombe snatched a loose ball and sprinted 50m to score and convert.
However, the Bulls rebounded well, profiting from a man advantage after Ali Williams had been binned with Pierre Spies rounding off a slick blindside move. The Bulls built immense pressure thereafter but butchered a number of scoring opportunities in the Blues’ red zone. They will lament this period when they review the match.
Steyn had missed the earlier conversion attempt then sent an easy shot wide to further compound the Bulls’ struggles. He traded penalties with Anscombe thereafter, but the latter was over the whitewash again just before the break, after a Bulls move broke down well upfield. Anscombe kicked the conversion to give the Blues a commanding 20-8 lead at the break.
Steyn banked three but Anscombe kicked a beauty from the touchline to keep the Blues’ tally ticking over. And the Blues got better as the match progressed, exhibiting none of the tactical naivety that had marked their previous defeats. They punched up through phases and Anscombe continued his kicking masterclass, adding his fourth penalty of the evening to take his side 15 points ahead.
With seven minutes to go the Bulls set up a tense finish, Bjorn Basson scoring. But Steyn pushed his effort wide and despite a late try from Basson the Bulls never threatened to steal the points.
Their limitations when asked to chase a game were brutally exposed tonight. Their impotence is concerning but there is time to remedy their shortcomings in this regard.
482 Comments
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11 Mar 2012, 21:41 pm
Anscombe finally delivered on his promise.He was poor in ITM Cup last year having played well at age group level. Good for him and Blues.
11 Mar 2012, 21:44 pm
@BWA(Dusktill)-407:
Well that tour in the 80s actually split the country.
It was a mess, yet you think the flour bombs were only aimed at the Bok players, actually they didnt care who they hit that day, ABs were not the flavour of the year for a lot of people.
Shame you dont realise what we had to do to play the Boks.
I dont know why you think that behaviour is fine, a supporter throwing bottles and you think its revenge from the 80s.
11 Mar 2012, 21:49 pm
@Clanerk(Clanerk)-447:
Well i dont care who you are, i dont care who you support.
What i find pathetic on here is the people that get annoyed due to a person from another country supporting the ABs.
I know one or two people in NZ that support the Boks, they not even South African, but i dont question them about it or bag a country that they dont even live in.
11 Mar 2012, 21:51 pm
@Clanerk(Clanerk)-450:
its banter, but i am sure you must be sick of hearing all South Africans are racist, full of Cr@p, murdering, theiving numbskulls with no spines at all…… of course this is only banter right?
11 Mar 2012, 22:04 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-454: c’mon Hurricane, have you decided to pick up the mantel from Poopa and BlackPanty with that “just banter” stuff? You are normally so normal…
11 Mar 2012, 22:04 pm
mantle
11 Mar 2012, 22:18 pm
Oh, another local brawl in the bar. Easy boys.
@Clanerk(Clanerk)-447: No probs with ragging. My “adopted” team won, so I can take it relaxed.
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-453: Cheers mate.
12 Mar 2012, 00:28 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-453: No guy, you’re pathetic, bringing your family into a perceived slight on a rugby forum, making thinly veiled threats about absolute garbage, “you’d make me look dumb”?
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-454: That’s the same as joking about Kiwi women not being attractive? Really?
Grow up man.
12 Mar 2012, 00:29 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-454: And that’s it from me you precious little petal, don’t bother responding because I sure won’t.
12 Mar 2012, 01:04 am
Now,as most of you Safwits have had a bad weekened,losing the majority of your rugby games and being thwarted by NZs predictable weather in the cricket(by the way ,you won’t win the test series because we don’t get 5 dry days in a row over here) I thought I’d give you a little joke to cheer you miserable biltong munchers up.
How many Saffies does it take to change a lightbulb………None,you don’t get electricity in mud huts.
Made that up myself,genius
12 Mar 2012, 01:21 am
@Clanerk(Clanerk)-459:
“don’t bother responding because I sure won’t.”
that was your 3rd consecutive reply you lobotomized whinging Yappie.
12 Mar 2012, 01:27 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-455:
Wooden, my apologies brother.
Rough few weeks to say least.
I am as normal as the next kiwi
12 Mar 2012, 01:29 am
@Clanerk(Clanerk)-458:
Yep its all Banter isnt it?
When does Banter draw the line?
Everyones line is placed differently. So just when you think its banter, someone else who it is aimed may not take it that way.
12 Mar 2012, 01:32 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-461:
lol
I know, he can reply to me 3 times yet i can only once. Is that fair banter?
I am sure in the book of banter i didnt see how many times i can reply to a person or post.
Damn this guy makes the rules up as he goes along and calls me a precious little petal?
12 Mar 2012, 02:58 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-464:
being patronized by a whinging Yappie is like being told “you dont listen to me” by a child.
The PrickBoks couldnt score 1 try in 80mins vs the Wallabies despite offside play and gouging. So they send death threats to the ref. Doesnt make bottle throwing seem so bad I suppose.
12 Mar 2012, 04:26 am
Poops and his buddies have escaped from the asylum.
Yip Yap.
12 Mar 2012, 04:36 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-466:
funny man, you appear to be operating 2 fingers short of a gouge. So far you have been “sure” Im 1. a whinging Yappie, like yourself 2. an Aussie 3. a, clearly, distinguished gentleman named Poop.
I am none of these.
It must be a frustrating living in a cuntry where everyone is pigeonholed according to what shade of grey they are or where an ancestor landed from centuries ago. So you’ll just have to deal with it.
12 Mar 2012, 04:47 am
ho hum, the arrsehole society in full swing…………..
It’s just below your noses in case you too stupid to find it !
12 Mar 2012, 04:51 am
Actualy it’s the bitterandtwisted society and the arrsehole society. They have joint meetings…………the bitterandtwisted society are those dingbats that are real pisssed and angry cause saffa shagged their missus…………
12 Mar 2012, 05:01 am
It looks like the prefrontal cortex has escaped from the jar.
Did you know that other side effects of a lobotomy include ‘distractibility, childishness, facetiousness and post-operative incontinence’.
Someone should post the jar to Saudi so he can live in peace with all the other nappyheads.
12 Mar 2012, 05:09 am
according to the whinging Yappie who steers this ship, Jerome Kaino is out of the SuperRugby season “with a knee injury”.
As long as the ‘knee’ is what joins the arm to the neck, then I suppose he’s almost half right.
Seriously, is this guy Keo the best youve got ?
12 Mar 2012, 05:14 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-471:
what a doos!
12 Mar 2012, 05:40 am
@The boys call my sister Redro(PrickBoks going South)-470:
> It looks like the prefrontal cortex has escaped from the jar.
> Did you know that other side effects of a lobotomy include ‘distractibility, childishness, facetiousness and post-operative incontinence’.
Sure sounds a lot like like the idiot from Philly, hey ET missing home again?
12 Mar 2012, 05:57 am
@victoriabok(victoriabok)-473:
youre talking out your pigeonhole, again.
Im not Poop, Panty, ET, Langers or any of the other displaced whinging Yappies. I know not of any other nation whose offspring is so desperate to distance themselves such as yours.
Neither do I know whose sister Redro is but thats rich from a bloke who calls himself Victoria.
12 Mar 2012, 06:01 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-474:
Maybe, but your misus likes Saffa beef…………….thats a given
12 Mar 2012, 06:13 am
they say the ones that talk about it the most are the ones that get it the least. But if Yappie beef is your thing, then be sure to have it with hollandaids.
12 Mar 2012, 08:30 am
The Bulls missed Stegmann and Hougaard in this game.
12 Mar 2012, 09:41 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-418:
“Hurling a few verbals…” is okay you say? Is this what is known as an ‘inconvenient truth’.
The fielders are isolated from the play and in earshot of the spectators. No unsavoury behaviour from the crowd should be condoned as nothing more than “a few verbals”. It’s just not cricket what what.
12 Mar 2012, 09:43 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-471:
“..youve” is actually spelt you’ve. How’s the home schooling coming along?
12 Mar 2012, 09:47 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-476:
…hollandaids”????? Do you mean The Holland Aids Foundation?
13 Mar 2012, 01:37 am
@Shark(Predawn)-479:
so
you
are
reduced to grammatical errors on a blog ?
and
@Shark(Predawn)-480:
a brain the size of a pee ?
no
not ‘pea’
I meant
‘pee’
just like I meant hollandaids, you dumb whinging Yappie.
13 Mar 2012, 08:25 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-481:
Aw that was a weeeeeeak retort. What’s all this about pees? Getting emotional is making you all flustered. Poor doodums. ‘Hollandaids’ was a spelling mistake and now you feel silly. Admit it, come on.
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