Kick-chase at root of Bulls’ potency
27 Mar 2012
Morné Steyn says the Bulls’ kick-chase approach has paved the way for them to score tries and stressed that they won’t veer from it against the Stormers.
The Bulls, with 17 tries, lead the tournament in trips across the whitewash. That tally has been boosted by multi-try demolitions of the Cheetahs and Reds, with Steyn asserting that their method of crafting those scoring opportunities is justification for their unwavering faith in their renowned kick-chase approach.
‘It’s our belief that defences in general play are too well organised to create regular scoring opportunities and not risk turnovers,’ the Bulls flyhalf told keo.co.za. ‘We have two of the best wingers in the game at catching the high ball – Akona [Ndungane] and Bjorn [Basson] – and Zane [Kirchner] is close behind them. We stand a high percentage chance of getting it back in opposition territory if the kick is accurate. If they catch it, our next attack is against an unset defensive line. People can be critical of the execution but not the tactic because it is what has brought us many tries so far.
‘When we punt deep [i.e not an up-and-under] we back our defensive line to put pressure on the returner if they run. If they kick we have a broken field opportunity. It’s not entertaining in the way some people would like it to be but we have faith in it. We don’t see any reason to change.’
In preparation for north-south derbies the Bulls had previously banked on the Stormers’ inability to suppress their cavalier instinct to aid their cause. But much has changed for the Cape franchise, who now employ a strategy that closely mirrors the Bulls’.
Indeed the Stormers’ primary kickers, Joe Pietersen (38) and Dewaldt Duvenhage (27) rank among the tournament’s top 10 in tactical punts (Steyn is sixth in that category with 33). One suspects that if the Stormers had retained the same flyhalf from the opening game he too would feature prominently.
‘They have definitely changed the way they play in the last three years or so and they are getting better and better at it,’ Steyn said. ‘They don’t get tired of a kicking war. They also have the defensive power and discipline to defend through a lot of phases and force penalties or turnovers that create scoring chances. Their attack has been criticised but if you look at the quality of players there you know they can click at any stage.’
The Blues exhibited uncharacteristic restraint in beating the Bulls early in the tournament, employing a territory-based approach and then taking the chances they created through pressure defence. The Stormers will have to be equally clinical at Newlands on Saturday if they hope to retain their unbeaten record.
By Ryan Vrede
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110 Comments
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27 Mar 2012, 12:09 pm
If it works, why change it?
27 Mar 2012, 12:16 pm
I hate to say it but if the tactic works – use it – as long as you’ve got a plan B and you can switch effortlessly to plan B. That is where experiance comes in to play!
27 Mar 2012, 12:23 pm
Morne! Giving away the tactics?? Prepare for plans A,B and C Stormers. Which will it be??
27 Mar 2012, 12:29 pm
@TruBlu(TruBlu)-3:
Well its not really a state secret.
27 Mar 2012, 12:37 pm
@TruBlu(TruBlu)-3: Not much a secret
27 Mar 2012, 12:38 pm
What I find interesting is the similarity in the styles of the Bulls at Super rugby and Currie cup level, and Tukkies in the Varsity Cup.
Tukkies may not have the squad depth and talent of the likes of Maties, but their style of rugby has clearly been influenced to a great degree by Heyneke Meyer’s involvement until his appointment as Bok coach.
Other than the fact that the game is slower, and the players less talented, Tukkies might as well be wearing Blue jerseys.
It’s maul from the line out, kick up and unders and pummel the opposition into submission until the gaps open up on the outside.
Tukkies may well lose to the more talented Maties, but their style of play makes them a good feeder for the Bulls senior team.
It’s nice to see a uniform style of play emerging from Pretoria.
27 Mar 2012, 12:39 pm
This game is going to be a humb dinger. However if the Bulls can absorb the stormers pressure for 60 minutes i see the bulls cutting loose in the last 20.
27 Mar 2012, 12:39 pm
Last year the Kick ‘an Chase was being singled out as our (Boks) weak point as we had no counter or adequate follow up or the needed resulting defence. The Bulls looked good and the score even better, but the Reds just had no plan to deal with the Bulls game, they were useless on the night. I think you’ll see a different picture at Newlands, the Stormers will not be strangers to Kick ‘an Chase Rugby.
27 Mar 2012, 12:47 pm
I’m a huge fan of the kick & chase. Often I go down to Cavendish Square on a Saturday morning and kick the first random guy I see in the kidneys. I then let him chase me through the centre until he tires. Once you’ve tried kick & chase you’ll never go back.
27 Mar 2012, 12:47 pm
The kick and chase only works if your kicker is acurate and your backs quick enough. Boks tended to kick into the opposing 25 and a simple mark screws it up. Still think Morne too one dimensional but then no ones kicking game is on song at the moment
27 Mar 2012, 12:50 pm
I would say that with any of Frans Ludeke, Naka Drodske, John Mitchell, Allistair Coetzee or John Plumtree as Bok coach, we could have used exactly the game plan we did and we would have been facing NZ in the final.
It was just our misfortune that we had a coaching staff who was worse than the worst of our 5 Super Rugby coaching teams.
27 Mar 2012, 12:53 pm
I think we need to define kick-chase first, before we start a debate about its merits.
Do we mean kicking garryowens only? Does it occur from any phase? Field position?
People forget – the NZ and Aussie franchises (and their national teams) kick more than their SA counterparts.
27 Mar 2012, 12:58 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-11: Huh?
They would have had say over the seeding?
Coz we would have faced NZ in the semi-final.
27 Mar 2012, 13:06 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-13:
Fiddlesticks.
That’s like picking out a spelling error in someones post, instead of looking at the point that’s being made.
What I meant is that we would have made it to the clash with NZ, after which the result would have been a lottery in any case.
27 Mar 2012, 13:08 pm
@willievz(willievz)-12:
i’d say a hefty up and under onto one of the opposing wingers when we have a scrum half way line is a good time.
A return take in the air from one of “our” chasers would immediately put you into the opposing 22 with a very real chance of scoring off the next phase against the unset defence or at least being awarded a penalty for “them” all being offside.
27 Mar 2012, 13:09 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-11: don’t blame the coach if it was the players who decided the strategy. failed execution on the players part was the biggest cause for their downfall.
27 Mar 2012, 13:15 pm
Walked past Morne in Menlyn on Sunday… Seems a geniune nice guy… Had no attitude whatsoever!
27 Mar 2012, 13:17 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-16: oh please pompies, you are smarter than that.
if you can never get the ball back from a ruck, certainly not at any pace….how can you execute anything? and then when bryce doesn’t award you a penalty……
the very same ozzies got blown off the park a few days later against your mob who enjoyed significately less territory and possession than the boks did.
27 Mar 2012, 13:17 pm
@THE MAULER(THE MAULER)-17: If you’re in Pretoria, go down to Trademarx just before their practice sessions start. They usually have something to eat there. Nice guys, all of them. Most genuine of the lot probably being Dewald Potgieter and Werner Kruger.
27 Mar 2012, 13:18 pm
@willievz(willievz)-12: My observations thus far have been that the 1st option is to kick the ball, regardless of the type of kick. The makes me think that the kick approach has been psychologically prioritized in the players mind. Obviously the secondary aspect of kicking will deal with your positioning on the field, the type of kick you will execute and perhaps the opponent you are targeting. The problem comes in when the execution is not up to scratch. My biggest concern is that peripheral vision and communication between players is compromised in that this specific tactic can be implemented with non-verbal communication.
I’ve attended 3 of the stormers home games this year so far and have counted at least 3 try scoring opportunities in each game which were squandered because of unnecessary kicking. All it would have taken is for some communication from the outside backs. The biggest culprits have been Duvenhage and Pietersen. Just this past week, the stormers continually conceded posession because of poor execution of tactical kicking.
27 Mar 2012, 13:21 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-18: the ref story, while valid, is really old now. besides, were speaking of a prevailing tactic throughout PDV’s tenure. yes, sometimes a different approach was tried, but this never lasted, for whatever reason.
who’s my mob?
27 Mar 2012, 13:23 pm
Taahirah been living here for over 2 years now and its the first time I saw a Bulls player! Lol! The Titans players I have seen plenty!
27 Mar 2012, 13:25 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-6:
Some of those Tukkies boys appear to be more talented than some of our boys in blue! With the same level of coaching, conditioning and qaulity players around them, i think a few of the Varsity lads can be better than our established “stars”.
27 Mar 2012, 13:26 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-15: you’d seriously need to hedge your bets on such an approach I don’t know if they collected stats on kick receiving, but i imgane it’s a 50\50 gamble at the best of times. That might be slightly higher in players like Corey Jane, Basson and Rob Kearney, because they are that good. Otherwise it’s a hit and hope.
27 Mar 2012, 13:27 pm
@THE MAULER(THE MAULER)-22: Lived in Pretoria for 2 years myself, recently moved back down to Cape Town. Worked in Brooklyn so Id often pop down to Trademarx for lunch to have a chat with the players.
Ive seen Werner Kruger help a delivery guy carry stock when noticing the guy is tired. The guy didnt seem to have a clue who he (or any of the other players) is but sure appreciated the help.
27 Mar 2012, 13:34 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-21:
i would say though in that semi that if ever there was an example of a player being told not to play his natural game it is Morne. Under normal cicumstances he would’ve got dead bored camped on the ozzie 22 with no points to show and just started to slot them…but such was the insistance on the day to hold onto the ball vs the ozzies…
…the cruel irony of it all and there you can blame the coaches as well. After 50 minutes the supposedly cool heads in the coaching box should’ve got the message down to the field…”fck this, drop kick everything”. I would exclude the players in this for the reason that when you are caught up in the action it is all to easy to loose track of the time and concentrate on the “plan”…particularly when you are dominating all over the field except on the scoreboard.
27 Mar 2012, 13:38 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-24:
yeah, that tactic is definately not for everyone. I’d imagine the bulls kick/return ratio is closer to 60/40. And then you’d need to evaluate how that ratio translates to actual points and with the bulls I’d say it is close to 80-90%.
And it’s not like they do it all game long anyway, their play has great variety at the minute.
27 Mar 2012, 13:44 pm
It didnt seem like the kick and chase was overused or even happened that oftern. It was a well balanced game plan. When they needed to run, they did.
27 Mar 2012, 13:45 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-27: i reckon that’s the tactic for this weekend. The stormers back three are all short, so in midfield wynand or the loosies could challenge against Joe P and the wings will challenge each other. the stormers would be silly to do the same and should focus on attacking channel 2 or three to build momentum, but more importantly, split the defense and then attack the side where the tight forwards are. It would be even more effective to play to the side of Aplon to hopefully get a 1-on-1 with a tight forward. Alternately, they could employ the switch play.
27 Mar 2012, 13:50 pm
Taahirah some guys are nice guys no matter what team they play for and some guys are just Pr!cks like Rory Kocket!! Lol!
27 Mar 2012, 13:51 pm
@willievz(willievz)-12: did you know that the garryown was named after an Irish rugby club and not a person as is the normal misconception?
27 Mar 2012, 13:51 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-29:
…if they get any ball.
I was very impressed with how the bulls forward kept holding the ball carrier off the ground with ht e ref then blowing for a turnover. Another tactic that is becoming increasingly popular. As I’ve mentioned before, lineouts could be interesting, if bekker loses a couple he gets all flakey and blames liebenberg who generally starts kakking himself out. all very bizzarre.
i’m kakking it for the bulls scrum…some saterdays the scrum like women and others like spartans.
27 Mar 2012, 13:57 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-29: That is if they ever spread the ball that wide…
27 Mar 2012, 14:04 pm
Word on the street is the Stormers are planning on spreading the ball wide this weekend to bring Peter Grant into the game.
27 Mar 2012, 14:08 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-32: I hate the tactic of trying to hold the opposition up to force the turn over. I think that is one of the biggest weaknesses in our (SA) rugby. It is one of the main reason our teams often get off second best at the breakdown. The only problem is that once in a blue moon it works and then our teams think they can do it in every contact situation.
27 Mar 2012, 14:10 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-34:
Hehehe.
27 Mar 2012, 14:15 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-36:
9 man rugby
that will be a classic
27 Mar 2012, 14:27 pm
It can’t all be Dewalts fault, true, his kicking has been off and some of his decision making poor, but for me they just don’t get it. Looking for and creating space has to be one of the main focuses in every game. The backline never straightens AND offloads to a runner. It’s drift towards the touchline, take the tackle, committing the remaining back line players to the ruck, thus setting up second phase in the opposite direction with a disjointed backline made up of forwards. Same from the scrum or ruck, no game plan to look for a half gap and let the ball do the work, it’s crash bang into the opposition’s losies. And heaven forbid the player finds a gap, it’s such a surprise that he isolates himself from the rest of the players and gives away a penalty for holding on. stormers by 5, best i can for them
27 Mar 2012, 14:30 pm
The question is, will the Stormers suddenly come out and display a dazzling array of attacking skills on Saturday?
Is Allistair the type to throw caution to the wind and just tell his guys to go out there with wild abandon and let their creativity guide them?
Yes, I can see it now.
27 Mar 2012, 14:31 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-34: i am gonna hunt you down in Cavendish this weekend and Keyser Soze your ***!
27 Mar 2012, 14:34 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-39: To me it’s simple. Someone clearly told Brock to stay away from the flyhalf channel, and since then their backline moves have dried up completely. Grant would kill for his X-factor.
27 Mar 2012, 14:35 pm
skop & jag is back in vogue in Pretoria
sure sign that Heyneke Meyer is gone & the bonehead is on his own
27 Mar 2012, 14:35 pm
I like the tactic of tackling the supporting players at the ruck, forcing them to the ground and thus eliminating their right to put their hands on the ball.
It’s so much easier than contesting with them. Just tackle them whether they have the ball or not.
It’s called cleaning out the ruck, but in reality it’s just tackling a guy without the ball.
Hey, it works for us now as well, so why should we not do what the Kiwis have been doing for some time now.
27 Mar 2012, 14:36 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-39: no, it’s going to be a tight game and i think they are going to adopt the game plan the bulls used against the blues, hang on a minute….
27 Mar 2012, 14:38 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-42:
That is the most moronic post of the day.
In fact, your whole anti-Ludeke crusade has made you bit of a laughing stock this season, what with the Bulls being top try scorers in the competition yet again.
Someday you will get your head out your arse and admit that Ludeke has found his niche at the Bulls. Not for some time yet, cause it will be a difficult admission for you.
But someday you will have the maturity to do so.
27 Mar 2012, 14:46 pm
All the rich people shop at Cavendish
27 Mar 2012, 14:47 pm
I see them there while I’m sweeping the floors, kicking and chasing each other.
27 Mar 2012, 14:50 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-42:
Do you know who was the flyhalf that kicked the most in last years S15?
No it wasnt Morne.
It was none other than Quade Cooper. the guys who apperently never kicks anything.
This year Morne 5th on the kicking stats log behind Johan Goosen, Joe Pietersen, James Stannard, Baueden Barrett and Patrick Lambie.
I do think that the Bulls will have to keep dominating the collisions like they did on saturday and am not sure they can sustain that intensity against some of the bigger packs out there but your incesant chirping about this is not a good look for you.
27 Mar 2012, 14:54 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-45: This should be interesting i’m backing Transie on this. Please don’t do your houdini act like you normally do when you gravitas eludes you. It is your time to gloat. well done thus far bulls.
27 Mar 2012, 14:55 pm
“Pretty In Pink” is Tac’s newest favourite movie.
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