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
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 » Show All
10 Mar 2012, 21:16 pm
Also Keo and gang, when you guys report the score, next to the kicks
Penalties:
Morne Steyn (2)
Please make it (2/5) to indicate how many was missed…maybe. Would be a nice summary.
10 Mar 2012, 21:16 pm
@Nils(Nils)-243: Met many Kiwis? Seen many Kiwi woman?
10 Mar 2012, 21:16 pm
The headline should be “k.a k Steyn loses it for the Bulls”
10 Mar 2012, 21:17 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-251:
*were missed
10 Mar 2012, 21:18 pm
I just saw on the highlights that Zane Kirchner could have dived for Asscomb en route to the tryline..
Seriously disappointed in Kirchner.
10 Mar 2012, 21:19 pm
It’s an old Bulls malaise.
Make them the favourites and they rock up in autopilot.
Write them off, and make the other team – say the Stormers – the favourites, and they come out like raging buffalos and knock the stuffing out of their opponents.
Very disappointing.
10 Mar 2012, 21:23 pm
@victoriabok(victoriabok)-249:
Ja is baie keer waar, maar ek dink die bestuur hoort die grootste verantwoordelikheid daarvoor te dra.
10 Mar 2012, 21:24 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-256: Really Tac? How about discussing your predictions for this game?
10 Mar 2012, 21:24 pm
I managed to check the last 10 minutes and saw the Bulls playing really well. Were they not playing that way the whole game? I bet if they had they’d have won it, no problem, even with a bung number 10..
10 Mar 2012, 21:25 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-256:
Actually auopilot would have been enough to beat these Blues
Sadly someone gave Morne Steyn the memo. I blame Wynie, he’s always pacing up and down making notes
10 Mar 2012, 21:26 pm
@wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading)-258:
The Bulls are gonna pynig the Stomers in pink, does that answer your question?
10 Mar 2012, 21:27 pm
@wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading)-258:
I was quite conservative going into this game, actually. In fact, I specifically said that if the Bulls weren’t switched on they could find themselves two tries down within 10 minutes against these Blues.
As it turned out, it was only 1 try and a penalty after 10 minutes, but the cause was the Bulls lacking attitude today.
Some hard yards ahead before the Stormers game, which will now be a cracker down in Cape Town.
10 Mar 2012, 21:28 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-261: Is “pynig” Afrikaans for “spoon”?
10 Mar 2012, 21:28 pm
So if I’m Heyneke Meyer my penciled squad looks something like this
Viljoen / Lambie
Aplon / Taute
Pietersen / Sadie
De Jongh / Venter
Engelbrecht / Basson / Mvovo
Goosen
Hougaard / Duvenhage
Spies / Vermeulen
Alberts / Coetsee / Elstadt
Kolisi / Stegmann
Bekker / Kruger
Etsebeth / Sykes
Malherbe / Oosthuizen
Bismark / Chili
Greyling / Kitschoff
10 Mar 2012, 21:30 pm
@garth(garth)-263:
Depends on how they use spoons from where you’re from….yep, that’s it, quite right
10 Mar 2012, 21:31 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-256:
The Bulls are spoiled by S African referees, it usually when the match is refereed by a non S African that things are crumbling.
Any Bulls supporter who thought they can make the playoffs with Ndungane, Kirchner, Basson and Chiliboi all in the line up needs some serious reality check.
10 Mar 2012, 21:32 pm
Just one of those days.
1. Steyn had his first really bad game with the boot in a couple of years.
2. The Bulls gave them a 10 point start.
You will not win many games in this competition when you play like this. Hopefully they will pick themselves up from this as they have a couple of difficult weeks ahead.
For the rest of the year I will back NZ teams in my predictions if they come up against any Aus or SA team. They are light years ahead of us this year.
Some good points. Stander (but he is not a fetcher), Spies and JJ.
Greyling, Venter, Steyn, Potgieter and Kirchner were poor.
10 Mar 2012, 21:33 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-266:
Strange, cause I recall that the penalty count was overwhelmingly in the Bulls favour today, with a Kiwi/Aussie ref.
So sorry, but you look like a bit of an arse with that statement.
10 Mar 2012, 21:33 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-264:
There’s still quite a lot of rugby before a relatively easy June tours.
But nice to see our young midfield respected.
10 Mar 2012, 21:34 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-264: Coenie is a loosehead. Where is Brussouw?
10 Mar 2012, 21:35 pm
@Clanerk(Clanerk)-252: I do not see any relevance here, to be honest.
10 Mar 2012, 21:35 pm
@Horings(Horings)-267:
Agreed. Vermaak was also poor. Took ages to clear the ruck, and his kicks were sub-standard.
10 Mar 2012, 21:35 pm
watch Stormers put these Bluesies away with ease next week to set the cat amongst the pigeons then all those who suggested Stormers didn’t stand a chance gonna have to wake up and dry the sleep from their eyes
watch Van Aswegen and Duvenhage have a blinder, just to put a little perspective into the half back ratings in the country.
10 Mar 2012, 21:36 pm
Loftus is certainly no “fortress”. More like a happy hunting ground for NZ teams.
10 Mar 2012, 21:36 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-264: Not a bad side Skop, my changes would be: swap Bissie and Chili. Duvenhage back to Vodacom cup, replaced with McLeod, Lambie ahead of Goosen for me. Pack is spot on and good to see some love for Spiiiiiiiees.
10 Mar 2012, 21:36 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-266:
Actually Chilliboy has been quite impressive so far this year. I always look out for a player’s attitude in contact, I must say, I like this Chilliboy, but a bit reserved, he couldve been playing this way earlier.
And this game was actually not really down to the ref as much as we’d want to make out it was.
10 Mar 2012, 21:37 pm
@Nils(Nils)-271: I’m trying to understand your love for all things Kiwi…
10 Mar 2012, 21:37 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-273:
I actually don’t discount that possibility at all. These Blues weren’t that impressive today. The Bulls were just poor.
10 Mar 2012, 21:39 pm
I play Coenie at 3 not 1 and I drop Jannie out the squad.. Brussow can come back if he shows he’s back to where he was in 2009, I also take a serious look at Frans Louw and Frans Steyn overseas, perhaps Schalk Brits.
10 Mar 2012, 21:40 pm
@Clanerk(Clanerk)-277: I would like to know what logic you have applied to come to that conclusion.
My support is limited strictly to rugby union. Anything else is your own add-ons.
10 Mar 2012, 21:40 pm
@Horings(Horings)-267:
Actually I thought in the role that the team required of CJ he was not good at all, but carried pretty well on occassion and didnt make any basic errors.
10 Mar 2012, 21:41 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-268:
My prediction was spot on, included the margin, does it make me a propfet?
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-274:
money talks
I thought the Bulls lost there last year to the Sharks at the do or die play-off spot..
Kudos to Walsh, isn’t he from Auckland originally?
10 Mar 2012, 21:42 pm
Has he played at 3 before?
10 Mar 2012, 21:42 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-281:
Stegman is a crucial cog in the Bulls team, no doubt. And it was demonstrated clearly today.
In Stegman’s absence, they should have played another fetcher, like Teckenburg or Okkie Kruger, and Stander should have come off the bench to replace Potgieter in the second half.
10 Mar 2012, 21:43 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-272:
Shame, a good opensider as the Bulls apply them certainly makes the scrummie’s job a lot easier, CJ di show his inexperience, but I’m not really disappointed in this loss. With Stegmann there Jano would have looked better. I think we can easily go forward from here and destroy our opponents.
10 Mar 2012, 21:45 pm
@Nils(Nils)-280: There’s always more to rugby than just rugby, weather, woman and supporters. Only asking Nils, just wondering why a neutral would choose to support the All Craps, “rugby union” is as good an answer as any!
10 Mar 2012, 21:47 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-273:
It all about the referees
The Sormers without their caring referees of Jonker/Joubert/Lawrence/ProLegota etc are pretty mediocre, just like the Bulls
And,
It was Grant who saved the day last week, not Van Aswegen!
10 Mar 2012, 21:48 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-279:
Yeah I wouldnt leave out Frans Steyn just yet, and I really am missing Francois Louw, strangely.
He would’ve really helped the Stormers’ cause and I really enjoyed the contest when Louw was there, ever since 2009 when Louw started to show what he can do, also there was some beautiful play between flanks Burger and Louw in 2010 (remember Habana’s try of the season, just a silly example), but Louw really enabled Schalk to play looser, especially on defence.
10 Mar 2012, 21:48 pm
Os switched Coenie to 3 more than once and suggested his future could be there.. we got enough LH’s but relatively few strong TH’s.. young Chadwick don’t look half bad but I reckon Malherbe and Kitschoff could go places as the next generation of props
10 Mar 2012, 21:48 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-281: I agree, but he was better than Potgieter. Potgieter had one good game and two terrible games. I will rather take Dewald’s consistency. I think Dewald is Stegmann’s backup and the only player we had that could possibly step up was Marnus Schoeman. The U19 openside is also very good. I don’t rate Tecklenberg to be a Super 15 fetcher.
10 Mar 2012, 21:50 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-289: I don’t think Coenie is strong enough to play well as tighthead.
The forum is going to be interesting come monday.
10 Mar 2012, 21:53 pm
Can someone on Keo please check the rules and come back to us if Walsh had been correct today? Bulls would probably not have scored, but I am gatvol that the Aus and NZ refs (and Jonker) don’t know the rules. I know rules change each day, but I thought the Bulls should have had a penalty after the conversion.
And another thing: What should we do about the scrums?
10 Mar 2012, 21:55 pm
@Horings(Horings)-290:
Ja, a pity that we couldnt bring Marnus through yet, I feel it’s a similar situation to Johan van Deventer, but we need a serious, hard-nosed bedonnerde fighter to take over from Steggies when he is injured- there aren’t too many of those that display all the qualities he and Brussow does.
10 Mar 2012, 21:56 pm
Without his boot, does Steyn offer anything? Meyer can’t risk this from him in a test match situation.
10 Mar 2012, 21:58 pm
@Clanerk(Clanerk)-286: I’m afraid I did not fully understand you what makes you wonder why some (many, in fact) people support particular foreign team and it has nothing to do with that particular country, men, women etc.
For example, okes here usually imply Kiwi women are ugly, I do not give a **** about it, never met them and do not need to. (For the record, IMHO, the best women are in my part of the globe, but then again – it’s just my opinion, anyone else is free to disagree.)
It’s my free choice to support whatever I want to. As it is yours. When it comes to rugby, my choice is Kiwi teams. It does not mean I love everything else Kiwi’s, in fact, I do not care. Simply and honestly.
10 Mar 2012, 21:58 pm
I know what happened last week when Grant saved the game.. I’m talking next week when Van Aswegen and Duvenhage throw a spanner in the works to show there are some other contenders for 9 and 10 in the country
So far my 10 remains Goosen and 9 Hougaard by a whisker… as far as back up goes Duvenhage at 9 ahead of Mcleod or any of the others.. and Janties, Lambie, Van Aswegen all gotta still show they can definitely cut it there… Morne Steyn is just too predictable and don’t have any X factor..
Can imagine
Hougaard
Goosen
Engelbrecht
F. Steyn
Pietersen
Aplon
Lambie / Viljoen
Duvenhage, De Jongh / Sadie / Taute / Viljoen / Lambie
as back line options
10 Mar 2012, 22:01 pm
@DAS(DAS)-294:
I honestly think that Morne Steyn cops a lot of criticism from SA rugby fans just because he looks like a volstruis vetkop vaalseun.
10 Mar 2012, 22:03 pm
Lobotomized boneheads find boring bashathon nullified at home
beautiful
10 Mar 2012, 22:12 pm
The SA teams dont look too good so far…. Pretty poor rugby this weekend from all of them. Although the reds vs rebels game was a shocker too
10 Mar 2012, 22:14 pm
I was hoping the bulls would step up another notch this weekend, but I cant see one of our teams being the favourite to be title contenders this year. Still early days though
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.