Belligerent Bulls bash Reds
24 Mar 2012
GARETH DUNCAN watched the Bulls score seven tries in the second half for a 61-8 victory over the Reds in Pretoria.
It was a convincing performance from the Bulls as they dominated the defending champions, who would’ve relived memories of their 92-3 drubbing in 2007. While they will lament missed try-scoring opportunities in the opening 40, the hosts went on to convert their 16-3 half-time lead into a 53-point thrashing with a burly attacking showing. Most of the tries came from patient and well-worked build-up play, while they also showed an expansive side to their game when the match loosened up. Morne Steyn played his part with the boot, slotting all of his eight attempts at goal – a much needed confidence booster for the Springbok following a poor kicking display in the 29-23 Blues defeat a fortnight ago.
The Reds were always going to be underdogs as they arrived to Loftus with an injury-ravaged backline. They had to start the match with their fourth-choice flyhalf Dallan Murphy as the likes of Mike Harris and Ben Lucas were sidelined. Powerful winger Digby Ioane was also missing because of his five-week suspension.
They were clearly an unsettled side as the Bulls’ dangerous backs exposed the former’s defensive frailties after some early momentum. However, poor handling and finishing in the visitors’ red zone saw the home side fall short on several occasions. They still scored with their early ascendancy as the Reds’ ill-discipline was punished by Steyn, who converted three penalties. Jono Lance kicked the Reds’ only points of the half when he found the target once from the kicking tee.
The Bulls managed to cross the chalk once before the break when Zane Kirchner powered through from close range.
The Pretoria franchise returned a more clinical team after half-time as they ran rampant. The Reds, who suffered more injuries and looked a fatigued outfit, struggled to restrict the Bulls, who achieved their four-try bonus-point shortly before the final quarter as Wynand Olivier, Flip van der Merwe and Jacques Potgieter dotted down. The Reds claimed a consolation five-pointer via Dom Shipperley, but Jano Vermaak, CJ Stander, JJ Engelbrecht and Bjorn Basson all scored tries to seal the compelling win.
This is a great result for Frans Ludeke’s charges, who face a tough fortnight ahead as they tackle the Stormers in Cape Town and the Crusaders at home. They’ll need to build on to this victory in their following fixtures if they want a good chance of securing a play-off place.
231 Comments
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24 Mar 2012, 18:55 pm
2 very strange tactical kicks in the death by saffa sides today, what was Flip thinking there?
24 Mar 2012, 18:55 pm
Zim is cross with me!
24 Mar 2012, 18:56 pm
Well done Bulls. Enjoy the win Bully supporters for the next week.
Don’t expect the same kindness next weekend.
24 Mar 2012, 18:56 pm
@Papoose(papaown)-201: It came off his boot wrongly. He wanted to try something fancy for a kick-through.
24 Mar 2012, 18:56 pm
@nikoli(nikoli)-200: OH the Voice! did he just come up with that in the spot?
24 Mar 2012, 18:56 pm
@saru1983(saru1983)-199:
Strangely I am a bit nervous about tonight’s game.
Wounded Lions and that stuff, you know….
But let’s see.
24 Mar 2012, 18:56 pm
A Bulls high tonight and a low on the horizon next week
24 Mar 2012, 18:56 pm
Stormers next! YEESSSS
24 Mar 2012, 18:57 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-202:
Never.
24 Mar 2012, 18:58 pm
Sometimes the Bulls pitch up to a game with a certain mindset ….and the opposition can do NOTHING about it! What a scoreline!
who still says Bulls play kicking, 10 man rugby??
24 Mar 2012, 18:59 pm
MOM Spies IMO Lead by example
24 Mar 2012, 18:59 pm
Well desrved MOM for Spies.
24 Mar 2012, 19:00 pm
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-211:
Yip,he is the poor man’s Koster
24 Mar 2012, 19:00 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-190: dont know why but pieter rossouw was always underrated as a player and a coach by sa fans
24 Mar 2012, 19:01 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-195: thank you for that Dawn. Always great to watch and blog with the Keo group, especially you #blushing
24 Mar 2012, 19:02 pm
@saru1983(saru1983)-214: I was and am a huge fan of Pieter.
24 Mar 2012, 19:02 pm
Wow now this is the style of play the Boks should play
24 Mar 2012, 19:02 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-213: OH the irony !
24 Mar 2012, 19:03 pm
wanna watch traditional bulls rugby.Watch the stormers kick and chase gameplan tonite
24 Mar 2012, 19:06 pm
@Papoose(papaown)-218:
It’s just something between me and ex Bishops surfer called Coach Pete.
Pierre was very good tonight.
24 Mar 2012, 19:09 pm
Bulls made mieliepap of the Reds. Eina!
24 Mar 2012, 19:47 pm
I see the bulls played their usual kicking game and scored 7 good tries no luck about any of them,the whole team as a unit were outstanding,which makes me think how did we ever lose to the blues.The the front 3 are starting to play as a unit i thought greyling is starting to look like a bok lock and they played that youngster kirsten at tighthead as a sub for kruger and i think he is a better than kruger.The two locks are combining well and juandre is a cracker he should make the bok team.The loose trio look good spies is starting to play like we know he can and at the moment is the BEST No8 in SA rugby,and that jacque potgeiter gets better every time i watch him and stander is right there with him.Steyn and hougaard what can i say bok combination class act,and our backline is scoring a lot of tries ag what the heck MAAK ALMAAL BULLE BOKKE.
24 Mar 2012, 20:04 pm
As a true Bulls fan, we should not read to much in tonight’s win, the Reds just not pitched up, BUT the confidence the young guns got from the game is the big bonus point for us going forward.
24 Mar 2012, 20:35 pm
@Papoose(papaown)-210: The Bulls have been the most well rounded South African franchise for many years. This kicking nonsense is carried forth by fools that bleat about the Bok’s 2009 kicking game whereby FOURIE DU PREEZ kicked everything in sight. So apparantly it was Morne, and therefore apparantly the Bulls only kick. Even in the Shark’s game Morne had an even spread between kicking and passing. It’s an ignorant and stale perception that they only kick. The Stompies and Guppies on the other hand pass the most but do bugger all of note. The most stale sides of our bunch for sure. But it’s what the media portray that really sticks in people’s mind; stuff the facts and stats et al when [insert name] of such and such site says otherwise.
24 Mar 2012, 20:40 pm
@crowbar(crowbar)-223: I agree, but it was still a great win. Hope they can continue the good work next week
24 Mar 2012, 21:00 pm
@crowbar(crowbar)-223: This win, put into perspective of last week is significant. The Sharks could not break a side so brutally that had Genia at 10 for a large portion of that second half! The Bull’s are very much lethal. Another example being how ruthlessly they destroyed the Cheetahs. Something no other side has been able to do as of yet. The Bulls are doing very well. There is still much time for the wheels to come off, and there may be hard lessons to learn on the road but what they have already achieved is astounding. Look at the Saders without Carter and McCaw.. yet the Bulls lose three legendary players and two other world class players and still keep going! Astounding!
24 Mar 2012, 22:41 pm
@Alucard(Alucard)-226: Compared to last season the Crusaders have been without Carter, McCaw, SBW, Thorn. Give it a month or two for the cream to rise
25 Mar 2012, 08:29 am
@blueboy(blueboy)-222:
kirsten at tighthead is better scrumtime then Kruger IMO too.
Great win – Now We must beat Crusaders to have pyschological edge heading to the final.
25 Mar 2012, 11:08 am
Switched off after the incredibly corrupt of stupid (take your pick) TMO call that setup the 2nd try.
25 Mar 2012, 15:16 pm
I just love how when ever you come to keo and read an article like this they always mention how many injuries there are for the Australasian sides but not one mention that the Bulls had an exodus of players which should have put the Reds(on paper) on level pegging, all this shows me is that the reds have no depth.
25 Mar 2012, 17:56 pm
@chch(chch)-229:
I quitted for the same reason
The TMO is a quota referee name Shaun Veldsman
The Reds deserved being shafted though, last year the Tahs were shafted at Loftus by another quota referee, a SARU messenger name Pro Legota, McKenzie supposedly knew about it but did nothing in this regards.
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