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, 13:03 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-361:
Reminds me of the Kiwi crowd hurling abuse at the Proteas fielders during the first T20 game vs New Zealand. We all know how that turned out for the fans….
11 Mar 2012, 13:03 pm
What happened to the mighty Morney Steyn last night. Well, I guess every player is allowed a night off, but what I didn’t like is the fact that Meyer didn’t have the guts to pull player from the field. The bulls should also have changed their tacticts in the second half and tried to run the ball more, they seem to be more effective with ball in hand rather than kicking for territory. Their usual tactic of smashing the ball up back fired and they should have exploited they wide channels more. Bjorn Basson, Ndugane and co was on fire when they go the ball in hand. JJ Engelbrecht is definately a player to watch.
11 Mar 2012, 13:05 pm
@BWA(Dusktill)-395:
“nama1 one would think that you are used to this behaviour! i mean in the club rugby you support so dearly, there is a messteek en a broken bottle fight in every game … and thats just the players … the spectators are even worse …”
Ai tog!!!
@willievz(willievz)-399:
My mistake. For a moment there it looked like old Wynie. Apparently it wasn’t him.
Apologies from my side.
11 Mar 2012, 13:07 pm
Its when things like this happen that I am ashamed to be a Bok supporter.
Apologies Kevin Mealamu. There is no place in rugby for pikey thuggery like that.
To all the Saffer’s and foreigners playing *** for tat about who has done what and who has the worst supporters blah blah…GROW UP. The whole thing is absolute b*** s***, and the sooner that we as supporters take a stance against this k*k, the better.
Disgusted. Even the English RFU supporters behave better than this.
11 Mar 2012, 13:08 pm
Nama looking like a bit of a doos there.
No harm done old boy.
11 Mar 2012, 13:13 pm
@kingcorn(kingcorn)-402: “…but what I didn’t like is the fact that Meyer didn’t have the guts to pull player from the field.”
Do you mean Ludeke?
11 Mar 2012, 13:15 pm
just a bit of revenge for the flour bombs in the 80′s! its just sad Keven wasn’ hurt *evil f*cken grin* !!!!
11 Mar 2012, 13:18 pm
@BWA(Dusktill)-395:
Why not just come out and say what you really mean?
11 Mar 2012, 13:23 pm
look Keven isn’t the best looking oke around … he has a bulldog kinda face …. maybe the oke thought is was a dog running on the field … honest mistake after a beer or 2!
11 Mar 2012, 13:25 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-405:
@David(David)-408:
He is not even worth it.
Probably Quota_Sux in another disguise.
11 Mar 2012, 13:34 pm
@nama1(nama1)-410:
Sorry I didn’t respond to your comment about dewald last night. I reckon he reminds you of those others you mentioned because of their blonde hair. Seriously, though, I reckon WP should give serious thought to signing him as an alternative 6 to Schalk, especially as he seems to be slipping down the pecking order at the Bulls. He has all the attributes of a tearaway flanker and I was surprised the Bulls didn’t use him there last year.
11 Mar 2012, 13:36 pm
@BWA(Dusktill)-407: I guess he still have time to tear his abdomen muscles when remembering that old feisty **** running at him.
11 Mar 2012, 13:38 pm
c-ock, I mean.
P.S. It would be really nice if Keo makes available complete list of censored words here. It seems that bloggers cannot use even some natural animal names due to some perverse politcorrectness.
11 Mar 2012, 13:43 pm
@David(David)-411:
I agree 100%.
I believe his best position to be at 6.
11 Mar 2012, 15:42 pm
Ag ufo lighten up it far too hot to be persnickety.
I am sure both ladies have enough of a sense of humour to forgive my error of protocol.
11 Mar 2012, 16:30 pm
Hence the wink dawn…
Guess the heat has melted your sense of humour…
11 Mar 2012, 16:33 pm
Indeed.
Magtag.
11 Mar 2012, 16:57 pm
@Shark(Predawn)-401: Hurling a few verbals is a lot different than throwing a bottle, pilgrim.
11 Mar 2012, 17:04 pm
A plastic bottle.
11 Mar 2012, 17:08 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-404:
Well said Bullet! I too am tired of the holier than though attitudes…
11 Mar 2012, 17:11 pm
Well done Sharks!
11 Mar 2012, 17:12 pm
What time is it in Underworld
Why is tackler still awake
11 Mar 2012, 17:15 pm
Weird.
No crowd noise in this 6 nations game
11 Mar 2012, 17:18 pm
I heard a little cheer and an announcer!!!
11 Mar 2012, 17:19 pm
Good try!
11 Mar 2012, 17:22 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-404: “Disgusted. Even the English RFU supporters behave better than this.”
I think you are confused with the English football supporters?
Overall, English rugby fans are some of the politest in the world. Watching rugby at Twickenham is a real polite experience. The crowd keeps quiet for the opposing kicker. When I was watching the Boks play there the last time, some drunk young English lads were booing the Boks and the English peopkle around them to shut up and “this is not football.” They duly shut up.
Football fans, now that is a different story…
I am embarrassed at the behaviour of tanked up South African rugby fans. When we have minute’s silence there is always invariably some dufus who shouts something. We have ref beaters. We have plastic bottle throwers. We boo the opposition kickers. Nah, you have it wrong, South African rugby fans are more like English football fans than English rugby fans.
11 Mar 2012, 17:23 pm
S like playing in a church
11 Mar 2012, 17:26 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-427:
Depends which church! I’ve been to a few very hip and funky churches. A few dances and hand clapping etc.
Quite fun I must say.
11 Mar 2012, 17:26 pm
Can’t be my new wall-shattering TV
11 Mar 2012, 17:29 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-429:
Have you turned off the mute button?
11 Mar 2012, 17:31 pm
Yes I have.
Not blonde.
11 Mar 2012, 17:34 pm
11 Mar 2012, 18:02 pm
This silent game is creepy
11 Mar 2012, 18:04 pm
If this game was 2 minutes longer the Bulls would have won.
11 Mar 2012, 18:10 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-433: moerse twist but my before the reveal my spidey sense was tingling. That jaw is far too square.
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-434: Lol, the Bulls never looked like winning it in all 80 minutes but another 2 minutes would have been all that was needed?
11 Mar 2012, 18:14 pm
cmon France!
11 Mar 2012, 18:16 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-435: Yes they had the momentum in the last few minutes and the Blues would of been 14 men. And they had the penalty after they scored that try.
11 Mar 2012, 18:35 pm
Whse jaw is square?
11 Mar 2012, 18:37 pm
i don’t know why i don’t like chilliboy, but something about him puts me off! Bissie should be bok hooker … he had a awesome game last night
11 Mar 2012, 18:42 pm
I can tell you why you don’t like him.
11 Mar 2012, 18:43 pm
But then I’d have to kill you.
11 Mar 2012, 18:47 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-438: Duh, I was thinking of “The Crying Game”!
11 Mar 2012, 18:50 pm
why do u think prawn?
11 Mar 2012, 18:55 pm
Sorry spooner. Heat has fried my brain.
11 Mar 2012, 19:07 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-444: don’t worry – it was my mistake – you said The Sleeping Game, I thought The Crying Game.
The latter has quite a twist in it, if you’ve seen it.
11 Mar 2012, 19:11 pm
Have seen it indeed.
And the game with no crowd noise was creepy not sleepy.
I think my brain is OK
11 Mar 2012, 19:17 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-355: Firstly, those comments were made during the game not afterwards so it’s hardly being a sore loser, secondly i don’t support the Bulls.
I was just ragging your adopted supporter Nils, it’s laughable that you would take that type of banter personally, don’t be precious.
11 Mar 2012, 19:22 pm
@Clanerk(Clanerk)-447:
I think Saffa women and Kiwi women are equally beutifull however i think we play our rugby slightly better than you guys
11 Mar 2012, 19:23 pm
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-448:
Sorry Better than Kiwis
11 Mar 2012, 19:34 pm
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-448: Of course they are but it get’s the Kiwis so riled up I can’t resist. Strange thing is this is the first time one of them has taken it to mean I personally don’t think his wife/daughter/mother might be attractive, he’s raised precious levels to DEFCON 1.
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