Saders sink brainless Lions
31 Mar 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on the Crusaders’ 23-13 victory over a tactically naive Lions at Ellis Park.
Yet another loss where the Lions played what they deem beautiful rugby. Their supporters will settle for an ugly, deformed or downright hideous win right now.
The excuse about injuries doesn’t wash. Every team has injuries. Their problems are rooted in coach John Mitchell’s refusal to relinquish a misplaced belief in a fundamentally flawed game plan. The Lions continue to play a brand of rugby too heavily weighted to the expansive. It lacks the balance needed to make them a consistently threatening side.
The Saders were uncharacteristically porous on defence in the first half (missed 10 tackles and lacked the physicality at the gainline that has traditionally been the bedrock of their success). Yet for all their possession and territory the Lions led by just three points (13-10) at the break. They will point to missed opportunities that could have extended their lead, but those sorts of errors have become chronic.
The Saders scored with one of their first opportunities in the half, Dan Carter expertly picking out Zac Guilford’s run on his inside shoulder. It was an ominous warning for the hosts, who despite scoring a converted try just before the break, had exhibited little to inspire.
The Saders started brilliantly after the break, Sean Maitland collecting the most sublime grubber from Israel Dagg to score. Tom Taylor converted and kicked two penalties thereafter to give his side a 10-point lead.
Still the Lions had the ascendancy in the territory and possession stakes and were forcing the visitors into a plethora of tackles. But there was a marked sense of composure on defence from the seven-time champs, who committed few to the breakdown and around the ruck fringe, safe in the knowledge that the Lions would not seek to punch up close through phases.
The Lions became increasingly cavalier as their desperation grew and this suited the Saders, who isolated runners and kept their breakdown turnover count ticking over. The Lions never looked like winning. They simply didn’t have the tactical capacity for it.
Expect Mitchell to point once more to his injury list and speak of this loss as a lesson. Bullshit. He needs to be accountable for what promises to be yet another disastrous Super Rugby campaign under his watch.
369 Comments
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31 Mar 2012, 20:50 pm
Stormers coaches are dumb fck idiots
Taking off the enforcer No.7 and the better scrum half better just f’ng close this debacle out from here
31 Mar 2012, 20:52 pm
helluva game, bulls played better 2nd half, stomers the better side in 1st half.
31 Mar 2012, 20:53 pm
Craig Joubert take a bow.
31 Mar 2012, 20:55 pm
lucky scrape home in spite of the coaches idiocy
If they bring Schalk back as captain then we’re fckd for good
31 Mar 2012, 20:55 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-251:
He was out on his feet when he went off skoppy
close shave for us, phew.
31 Mar 2012, 20:56 pm
Well done stormers. 5 from 5.
31 Mar 2012, 20:57 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-253:
Probably the first time you have ever said that without sarcasm
31 Mar 2012, 20:57 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-253:
The 17% got to him.
31 Mar 2012, 20:58 pm
Joubert has become a ref who likes to be noticed. To stamp his mark. Same as Mark Lawrence. Pity, as they both used to just let the game flow and go largely unnoticed.
31 Mar 2012, 20:59 pm
The Stormer’s thread is broken every weekend. What’s happening Keo?
31 Mar 2012, 21:00 pm
It’s games like these that makes ME THINK THAT THE REF IS BRIBED, was ok when we were 14 men cos he was lenient, and then back to slanted reffing.
And what about the hightackles against us ref?
Thayt last penalty was kak.
FIX THE SRUM REFFING.
31 Mar 2012, 21:01 pm
@garth(garth)-260:
He’s a bitter Bull.
31 Mar 2012, 21:01 pm
IRB should investigate the basteraud.
Touchie too.
What happened to fuckadilly’s 20 point victory?
31 Mar 2012, 21:02 pm
Pierre Spies wished the Stormers good luck on their overseas tour but his face told a different story.
Why not rather be honest and say ” I hope you lose all your games overseas” lol
31 Mar 2012, 21:04 pm
so,the ode to eugene terreblanche has been put on ice i guess.
well done stormers.
31 Mar 2012, 21:04 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-261:
Tough luck.
When i heard Steggies was not going to play I knew we were in trouble
31 Mar 2012, 21:04 pm
sheesh.
My poor heart.
STOOOOOOORRRMEEEERRRRS!!!!!!!
31 Mar 2012, 21:05 pm
Bulls fans complaining about Craig Joubert? Weird, next thing you know the Bulls will be playing in pink or something equally stupid.
Oh, wait…..
31 Mar 2012, 21:06 pm
Robzim
That’s because they had just lost a game they should have won.
Did Donkey wish the Bulls luck?
Silly boy.
31 Mar 2012, 21:07 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-266:
True, we lost at least 9 points with him out
31 Mar 2012, 21:07 pm
the bulls deserved to lose….wearing a kuk outfit like that.
31 Mar 2012, 21:09 pm
Jockstrap
Your buddies were moaning about him before the game started.
They must feel a bit silly now?
31 Mar 2012, 21:09 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-269:
Shoulda woulda coulda
31 Mar 2012, 21:10 pm
deon greyling is a time-bomb on steriods and will cost the bulls quite a few games going forward.
31 Mar 2012, 21:10 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-269:
No he did not.
At least he was honest.
That was my whole point.
Why call Jean Donkey now that u have lost?
Leave it to HG rather.
31 Mar 2012, 21:10 pm
Based on that second half performance the Bulls deserved more. The last penalty should have been to the Bulls as Malherbe popped himself out of the scrum and then got a counter shove on against greylingp- poor decision from Joubert in my opinion. If you think about how long this Bulls side has been playing together at this level compared to the Stormers I think they can be satisfied away from home and losing to a dubious penalty (again in my opinion)
31 Mar 2012, 21:11 pm
So much for joubert being biased against the stormers, I think if he didn’t blow today tge bulls might have won, for one thing the try hougaard scored was incorectly disallowed by joubert – the try was valid.
The stormers are the better team IMO but they still have not learnt to play for 80 and absorb the pressure like the bulls – winning games like this will however change that just as it did to make to develop tge bulls championship winning mentality.
31 Mar 2012, 21:11 pm
Indeed Jocky.
Don’t expect him to smile about it though.
31 Mar 2012, 21:12 pm
Almost had a heart attack. Stormers!!! Pinkies go fark yourselves
31 Mar 2012, 21:12 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-272:
Don’t know why Grunts. He’s in the bulls back pocket, just can’t make it so obvious at Newlands. I guess his neutrality today kinda sticks in the throat but don’t stress boet, he’ll even things up back at Loftus.
31 Mar 2012, 21:13 pm
What a fantastic game of rugby! Stormers beginning to show the character that we have been waiting for for years.
31 Mar 2012, 21:14 pm
The Bulls came out in the first half with all aggression and no control, particularly in the forwards. They deservedly paid the price.
This isn’t a bar fight.
Although they would have lost that too, with Eben and Rynard on form.
Nice.
Now for Loftus.
That’s 5 from 5
31 Mar 2012, 21:14 pm
what’s happened to this site?
anyway, well played stormers.
hope this puts the ref issue to rest – once and for all
31 Mar 2012, 21:15 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-275:
Just popped back to check the score.
Well done to your Stompies, they beat the ‘Pinkies’…..
Champagne flowing here…..All good in Oxfordshire!
See Ya
31 Mar 2012, 21:16 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-278:
Ag listen bud. I hate the Bulls more than cabbage bredie, but fairs fair, it was a cracking game and a draw would’ve been a fair result. But whoever lost was entitled to be piszed off and the Bulls should be happy that Pierre’s moody look worked with that pink shirt.
31 Mar 2012, 21:17 pm
And we may air punch.
But we don’t.
Drink.
Pink.
Drinks.
Well played Bulls, as we thought it would be close, but a win is a win.
31 Mar 2012, 21:19 pm
One thing I must say about the Stormers is tha they have introduced a form of aggression into their play that is beautiful to behold. At times it gets a bit frantic and I guess you need ice in the head. That said, I felt they were pretty ordinary in the 2nd but still managed the win – that is what should be the take-away
31 Mar 2012, 21:20 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-276:
Both sides have been forced to depend on their youngsters this year. Things are looking good for the Boks.
31 Mar 2012, 21:21 pm
Craig’s win/matches reffed ratio for the Stormers is now 2/7 (29%)
Before this match it was 1/6= 17%
Average for all refs is 60%
He still has a lot of catching up to do.
31 Mar 2012, 21:21 pm
Well played Stormers. You gave us a hard game.
Sad that you had to win it thanks to a blatantly incorrect call by the ref.
Rob Kempson himself saying that hat tshould have been a clear penalty to the Bulls at the last scrum. Not a nice way to win a game.
But if Morne Steyn had his kicking boots on, we would have taken it regardless. That’s two games he has cost us now.
31 Mar 2012, 21:22 pm
@carol(carol)-284:
Mwahahh ***
31 Mar 2012, 21:22 pm
@cab(cab)-277:
It’s a familiar story with these games. The Bulls always seem to be able to dig deep and step up a gear in attack when the chips are down, whereas the Stormers don’t seem to be able to turn the defence into attack and always hang on by their finger nails.
Most times the Stormers don’t get away with it, today they did. At Loftus though, it’s a different story. Bulls will stroll it.
31 Mar 2012, 21:24 pm
A big compliment to Pierre Spies who became the unlikely Bulls skipper; I thought he has addressed a few technical deficiencies in his game and leads from the front. I have also followed his post match interviews and he has been superb!
31 Mar 2012, 21:24 pm
Watsup.
31 Mar 2012, 21:28 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-290:
I wont take much notice of what Robbie said- he is not highly rated as an “expert” in the rules of the game.
But it could have gone either way— Bulls played well, specially as it was away from home for them. Tough luck on the day, but that is how it goes.
31 Mar 2012, 21:28 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-290: Thanks Tac. That’s the way it goes sometimes.
We missed a couple too, but you would expect more from Morne.
I’d be curious to compare his accuracy away and at home.
Not sure of there would be a large difference. Like to know.
31 Mar 2012, 21:29 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-290:
“Sad that you had to win it thanks to a blatantly incorrect call by the ref.”
Lol. Congratulations…BUT….
Don’t be a twatt Tac, it doesn’t suit you.
31 Mar 2012, 21:31 pm
Tac stop being a gentleman
Moer hulle
31 Mar 2012, 21:33 pm
Where’s Keohane with his f’ng turncoat Bulls arsecreeping that Bulls were gonna blitz Stormers off the park… where all the Bully boy f’ng chicken arsed supporters.. Tacitus, Exkrenie, CapeBull, wienogookal… where they all hiding out tonight.. only Bully breker supporters brave enough to come show their face are Titty bang bang and that other little arsecreep pseud the little two face moron Gunthergwathole deluxe.. all the Sharkievarkie supporters were right up Bully brkers arseholes till the final whistle.. and where the rest of the 314 Bully brekers who were so convinced their team were gonna thump Stormers tonight?
Keo Poll
Who will win the big north-south clash at Newlands on Saturday?
Bulls
314
Stormers
237
Total Votes: 551
31 Mar 2012, 21:36 pm
I knew it would be woes!
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