Brittle Bulls edge Rebels
4 May 2012
RYAN VREDE watched a fine attacking performance from the Bulls undermined by a poor defensive one in their 41-35 victory over the Rebels.
From a Bulls perspective this match should be remembered less for the five tries they scored and more for the awful defensive display that allowed the lowly Rebels to run in five of their own. They are undoubtedly South Africa’s best attacking force but if their defensive struggles continue they won’t mount a serious title challenge. A better side would have scored more often and indeed beaten them on the strength of their defensive performance tonight.
They had secured a four-try bonus point by half-time but, tellingly, had allowed the Rebels to do the same. Their gainline fight was weak, allowing the Rebels to consistently run at an unset defensive line. They scored almost every time they entered the Bulls’ red zone and the ease with which they did so should be deeply concerning.
Only a Morne Steyn penalty separated the sides at half-time (31-28). The Springboks have recruited Bulls defence coach John McFarland, who has built a reputation for forging his sides into formidable defensive units. But he’ll have a significant amount of work to do in the weeks ahead. This was expected to be their easiest assignment defensively, with the Waratahs, Chiefs and Highlanders in wait.
They will, however, draw confidence from their potency on attack. Their primary strike runners brutally exposed the Rebels’ own defensive vulnerabilities, bossing the tackle fight, which allowed them to control the flow and tempo of the match when they were in possession.
There will also be renewed optimism about Morne Steyn’s match-winning potential as a goal-kicker. The Springbok flyhalf has been inconsistent with his kicking to date, but tonight his rhythm seemed to have returned, evident by him landing a clutch of touchline conversions.
The match settled down in the second half then exploded into life going into the final quarter. When JJ Engelbrecht touched down and Steyn banked his fifth conversion of the evening you thought the Bulls would close the game out. But just three minutes later the Rebels cut their line once more in a move that culminated in Cooper Vuna grabbing his second try of the match. Kurtley Beale had matched Steyn with the boot and kicked the extras to set up a tense final 10 minutes with the Rebels trailing by three.
Steyn sunk a penalty with eight to play and the Bulls did enough to hold but they will be acutely aware of fundamental flaws that need to be addressed.
411 Comments
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4 May 2012, 13:16 pm
@Loftus(Loftus)-148:
The refs a cheat? that will depend on whether the Bulls win or not.
4 May 2012, 13:16 pm
Rebels are not going to win this one unless they pull a moment of brilliance and converts a try. Bulls I think have won this match.
4 May 2012, 13:17 pm
@OUToftheBOKS(OUToftheBOKS)-149:
cool nic…
who do you support…?
4 May 2012, 13:18 pm
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-146:
Almost, but still a legend.
4 May 2012, 13:18 pm
@ufo(ufo)-144: Sias must just find the form of last year. That miss was horrible but it should never have come down to that kick. Some of the commitment from players on defence was shocking.
Stormers did well though. Massive respect for their performance last week.
4 May 2012, 13:21 pm
Sasuke – Sorry not Berrick Barnes, i meant Kurtley Beale, brilliant player
4 May 2012, 13:23 pm
Rebels kick any chance of a score away.
4 May 2012, 13:25 pm
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-155:
yeah… wasn’t sias’ fault… the whole team let in those three tries…
but he will step up… don’t worry about that…
4 May 2012, 13:25 pm
@Getafix(phil72)-150: But we score tries to win, with lots of bonus points to proof it. And your team?
4 May 2012, 13:26 pm
@ UFO. Thanks. 1. Boks. 2. Cheetahs. 3. Team with the most “ex Cheetahs” players (think currently the Sharks…but might be wrong. Bis, jdp, Paul Jordaan. Stormers: Liebenberg, Pietersen. Lions: CJ, Hollenbach. Bulls: Flip, Stegman, Venter, Morne Steyn, Bjorn (Griquas)….nah….there goes that theory…it has to be the sharks then!)
4 May 2012, 13:26 pm
Referee has had a great game, his assistants are of the usual IRB crappolla. Fair game rebels. Nice one Bulls, I’m a game closer to winning $17000
4 May 2012, 13:28 pm
Well done Bulls.
4 May 2012, 13:30 pm
well done bulls…
top of sa log…!!
@OUToftheBOKS(OUToftheBOKS)-160:
cool…
thanks
4 May 2012, 13:33 pm
I see Jessica Simpson in her pink boots singing
“these boots are made for walking
Walk all over you”
Top of the log boys, top of the log
4 May 2012, 13:34 pm
@OUToftheBOKS(OUToftheBOKS)-160:
Kirchner also griquas.
4 May 2012, 13:35 pm
M.Steyn is back!
4 May 2012, 13:38 pm
also well played to the rebels…
best game i’ve seen them play…
4 May 2012, 13:38 pm
And the Rebels had a great game.
Well done
4 May 2012, 13:42 pm
Does anyone think Spies didn’t have a terrible game? Another completely anonymous performance in a close game. Potgieter and Stander where in the trenches by themselves throughout.
4 May 2012, 13:42 pm
@Atlas(Atlas)-164: enjoy it….it will be short lived though.
4 May 2012, 13:44 pm
@ufo(ufo)-158: Sias is the least of my worries. The commitment and chatacter is what I am worried about. We also need a new coach next season. I know a lot of people do not agree but that’s my thoughts.
4 May 2012, 13:45 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-170: Top of the log maybe.
But not Simpson and I
4 May 2012, 13:48 pm
So Bullies held on for a win.
.
.
.
.
.
That’s a shame.
8)
4 May 2012, 13:49 pm
i dont know where to begin or what to say about this bulls squads year so far….
4 May 2012, 13:50 pm
@CSI:Rugby(CSI:Rugby)-161:
Good luck.
8)
4 May 2012, 13:54 pm
@cane(cane)-173:
They nearly lost their pink bits……..
4 May 2012, 13:55 pm
Job done.
Tahs game next week will make or break this tour for us.
4 May 2012, 13:55 pm
Well done Bulls. Don’t care who you play… winning overseas is never easy. Great start!
4 May 2012, 13:59 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-174: Well to be fair the Rebels played extremely well tonight (by their usual standards) and have a couple of very talented players. They controlled the game for large parts in terms of dominating territory and possession. Bulls stupidly again kick kick and kick away posession against a team which was fairly dangerous on counterattack and not giving the ball up easily. Think the centres played awfully. Wynand Olivier as one dimensional as ever, JJ Engelbrecht was k@k. Bad defensively and clueless on attack. Kirchener also not a great game and Spies was anonymous as usual. That guy has so much potential and does so little. Its time he gets his butt kicked out of the Springboks but with Heyneke Meyer at the helm I doubt thats going to happen.
Flip vd Merwe also proving he´s way down in the Bok lock pecking order.
But to be fair Bulls did fairly well with so little posession and territory to win that one.
4 May 2012, 13:59 pm
From a spectators point of view, this was a great game to watch. The Bullsdefence though, needs to get its act together. 6 and 7 are great going forward but the trio as a whole just aren’t doing their defensive jobs around the fringes or as backline cover.
4 May 2012, 13:59 pm
@cane(cane)-173:
true, they should never have needed to hold on for nuthin.
this should have been 60+ to zip.
4 May 2012, 14:01 pm
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-171:
i think they just took their foot off the pedal as the stormers and bulls have done before them… i don;t think there’s anything wrong with their commitment at all… just one of those things south african sports teams seem to do…
4 May 2012, 14:04 pm
Congrats Bulls – HG got a draw for this game I see. Five tries apiece…
4 May 2012, 14:05 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-179: Jeez, but the Bulls are kak! No wonder we are were we are on the log
4 May 2012, 14:06 pm
@Atlas(Atlas)-184: That is just bad
4 May 2012, 14:07 pm
Top of the log Bulls.
Great stuff!
4 May 2012, 14:08 pm
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-178:
Never a truer word said C27.
Take any away win you get, bank the points and be glad.
Come Semi-Finals, it will not be how………………………………………….it will be how many.
4 May 2012, 14:09 pm
@Atlas(Atlas)-184: Dont be a dikhed man – at no point did I say the Bulls were kak. Theyve been playing great rugby this super 14 but there are a number of things they didnt execute well today that they wil need to tighten up. I picked out the underperfformers in the squad. Grow up.
4 May 2012, 14:10 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-181:
I had the Bulls to win by 13 plus.
4 May 2012, 14:10 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-179:
true, agreed on just about all of what you said.
it somehow just does not feel right when a five pointer by your team has such a sour taste in the mouth.
i’m even inclined to think they could have lost this if o’conner played.
@David(David)-180:
from a supporters point of view…. frustrating…very frustrating…. hierdie is nie n blou masjien nie…where’s the juggernaut of old..?…
4 May 2012, 14:11 pm
This website is so slow it is just like the bulls defence is anyone else having trouble with it being slow or is it just me.What are the positives from that game for the bulls they won with a bonus point and scored five tries,our two loosies potties and stander get better with every game the bulls do not miss steggman at the moment as stander is playing superbly and he does not give away penalties like steggman does,we scrummed reasonably well and our discipline was the best it has been for a while,apart from flip`s yellow card.He is nowhere near the form he showed when he got capped for the boks anybody got any ideas what the problem is.A win is a win but their defence will have to improve a lot to win more games.
4 May 2012, 14:11 pm
A win is a win – the bonus point just that. Any team will take that any day and any game.
4 May 2012, 14:12 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-188: I’m sorry, read your comment again. No way did you say we were kak. My bad
4 May 2012, 14:12 pm
@blueboy(blueboy)-191:
Very slow! Took me about ten minutes just to log on.
4 May 2012, 14:14 pm
@ufo(ufo)-182: The way guys were falling off tackles I’m not sure. The way Willie le Roux fell off the tackle for that last try was disgusting. And I see people putting him in their Bok team on this blog. I wonder if Ashley Johnson knows how the inside of a ruck looks? I watch the way the Stormers played last week and I wish Cheetahs would have that character. Injuries to senior players, very bad weather, last week of a long tour and they put in a performance like they did. Not a great performance but the youngsters stood up and won the game.
But enough of last week. Time to look forward. I get really bleak when I think of last week. Must win this week. Stormers have a bye so will get their 4 points. Then next week is the big one!!! lol
4 May 2012, 14:14 pm
@Atlas(Atlas)-193:
Don’t be so sensitive mate! 5 points is
for the Bulls.
So my team is down to fourth. Eish!
4 May 2012, 14:14 pm
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-176:
I see you are a Blues man Rangi.
I feel for Pat, as I believe he is a good Coach.
A Very good coach actually.
Just some of his Team not functioning as they should.
I hope Pat gets another year.
4 May 2012, 14:14 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-190: My main gripe is for every try they scored they coneded one in the next 5 minutes. Thats inexcusable.
You cant demoralise a team when you let them catch up all the time.
4 May 2012, 14:15 pm
With what the Bulls have to offer on attack they should never look back and try hold on to games. How difficult can it be to just put some effort into the defense? Oh yes, every other team’s #8 can defend. That’s the difference. Steyn having to do cover tackles. Where was Spies? Potties and CJ playing out of their skins. Carrying that entire forward pack on their own. Juandre I think needs a rest. Chili ditto. Major defensive organizational problems in the midfield. Olivier and JJ not gelling nicely as a combo on defense. Way too many holes there. Yes Beale is a great player, but surely…
4 May 2012, 14:15 pm
@blueboy(blueboy)-191: @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-194:
I thought it was laptop.
But no so it seems.
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