Defensive deficiencies focus for Bulls

Defensive deficiencies focus for Bulls

8 May 2012

RYAN VREDE writes the Bulls’ defensive struggles are acute not chronic, but they will have to arrest a slide into mediocrity in this facet of play if they are to maintain their charge for a home play-off place.

In their pomp the Bulls were a formidable defensive force, and while they remain one of Super Rugby’s better defensive units their standards have undoubtedly declined in the past two seasons.

In the Bulls’ last two matches the Brumbies and Rebels both earned four-try bonus points in defeat, the latter being a particularly disappointing showing given the ease with which a vastly inferior opponent crossed their tryline. To date they have conceded 21 tries in nine matches, the most of the teams in a play-off position.

The Rebels were allowed to control the flow and tempo of their attacks with relative ease given the Bulls’ largely impotent gainline challenge. This must improve in the coming weeks where they’ll be pitted against better sides, including current leaders, the Chiefs.

There is no crisis as yet but statistics tell a tale of mediocrity that needs to be remedied urgently. The Bulls have missed an average of 15 tackles per match, which is the 12th highest in the tournament. Crucially, however, the majority of their misses have come high up the field (i.e between the opposition’s 22m and halfway).

Teams playing the Bulls are averaging 2.3 clean line breaks (ninth highest in the comp), which is in line with the tournament average of 2.4. Ominously the Waratahs, whom the Bulls face in Sydney on Friday, are among the tournament’s leaders in linebreaks and are tops for linebreaks in the opposition’s 22m. Furthermore, teams playing the Bulls are averaging 4.6 offloads a game, which is second lowest in the competition (average is 5.8 per game).

‘We can’t be satisfied with our defensive performances,’ coach Frans Ludeke told keo.co.za. ‘The root of the problem is our tackle fight but we have addressed those issues and even in the second half against the Rebels there was a marked improvement. That needs to be the standard we carry through for the remainder of the tournament.’

The Bulls will also have concerns about their discipline and how that undermines their cause. Only one team have conceded more penalties on average per match than they have and, worryingly, they have conceded many of those while in possession. No team has been pinned more at the set phases, a trend that would surely not go unnoticed by their future opponents.

Impressive attacking play has ensured that the impact of this ill-discipline and their defensive struggles hasn’t been terminal. No team in a play-off spot has scored more tries (33) and they are sure to expose any vulnerabilities in the Waratahs’ defensive structure.

‘Only the Crusaders have scored four tries against them so that speaks volumes about their strength on defence,’ Ludeke said. ‘It may be a case of building our innings through penalties then taking the few chances that will come our way. We’ve been very good at the gainline on attack in the last few games and that has set us up and we’ve also been clinical in broken field situations. This is a new game, however, and we’ll have to be as good to beat the Waratahs.’

Statistics supplied by ruckingoodstats.com

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93 Comments

Pages: « 1 [2] Show All

  • 51.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:10 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-31: @ufo(ufo)-32:

    I have signed Protea Cricket shirts from Imran, Herchelle, David and IPL shirts from Faf, David and and and and and…

    You see mine is better than yours…. :lol:

  • 52.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:10 pm

    @WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-50:

    no… just my spelling-moderator throwing out skop while i wasn’t looking…

  • 53.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:11 pm

    This name throwing is soooooo last year…. :lol:

  • 54.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:11 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-51:

    sheesh…

    only thing i got signed was a parking ticket…!!

    :lol:

  • 55.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:14 pm

    @ufo(ufo)-54:

    I can send you one or two mate! My cupboard is so full – Bwahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

  • 56.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:15 pm

    @PissAnt(PissAnt)-47: Sorry. Got it. Captain Morgan.

    Jeez I don’t know how I could have missed that one.

    Now if I could get a pic with me and John doing the “Captain pose” that would indeed be something.

  • 57.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:16 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-55:

    hahaha…

    :lol:

    actually don’t do the whole autograph thing…

    not knock people who do… really…

    but just not for me…

  • 58.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:16 pm

    My favourite one:

    Howzit China! It is smoking here in Jamaica….

    I guess you would never guess who that was from.

    Hehehe

  • 59.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:17 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-55:

    but thank you bill…

    very ‘generous’ of you…!! :lol:

  • 60.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:17 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-56:

    Slipping up mate. Disappointing…

  • 61.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:17 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-51: I know.

    I’m jealous.

    I can’t top that.

    The closest that I have ever come to that is a lipstick mark on a shirt from a certain (in)famous fashion model many years ago.

    But that’s another story altogether,

  • 62.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:18 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-60: Ja. Hectic bru.

    I need to get my mind into the game.

  • 63.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:18 pm

    @ufo(ufo)-57:

    I do! Don’t assist them if I don’t get a signed something…

  • 64.Taahirah: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:19 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-56: Challenge excepted!

  • 65.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:19 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-56:

    just keep practicing the pose…

    so it’ll be perfect when the opportunity arrives… :wink:

  • 66.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:19 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-62:

    Did you party last night?

  • 67.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:20 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-61:

    LOL – Ms Storm???

  • 68.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:21 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-58:

    never would guess… :wink:

    but you can’t keep her in her shell…!!

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-63:

    i’m obviously in the wrong job then..

    :loL

  • 69.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:22 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-56:

    All good, now give yourself a face-palm.

  • 70.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:23 pm

    @PissAnt(PissAnt)-69:

    hehehe

    he does deserve it..!!

    :lol:

  • 71.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:24 pm

    @ufo(ufo)-68:

    Yeah professional souvenier hunting is a great profession, but stealing jerseys at gunpoint is better.

    Crime doesn’t pay but the hours are good… ;)

  • 72.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:25 pm

    @PissAnt(PissAnt)-69:

    :lol:

  • 73.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:26 pm

    @PissAnt(PissAnt)-69:

    . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . ,.-‘”. . . . . . . . . .“~.,
    . . . . . . . .. . . . . .,.-”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“-.,
    . . . . .. . . . . . ..,/. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ”:,
    . . . . . . . .. .,?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\,
    . . . . . . . . . /. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,}
    . . . . . . . . ./. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,:`^`.}
    . . . . . . . ./. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,:”. . . ./
    . . . . . . .?. . . __. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :`. . . ./
    . . . . . . . /__.(. . .“~-,_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,:`. . . .. ./
    . . . . . . /(_. . ”~,_. . . ..“~,_. . . . . . . . . .,:`. . . . _/
    . . . .. .{.._$;_. . .”=,_. . . .“-,_. . . ,.-~-,}, .~”; /. .. .}
    . . .. . .((. . .*~_. . . .”=-._. . .“;,,./`. . /” . . . ./. .. ../
    . . . .. . .\`~,. . ..“~.,. . . . . . . . . ..`. . .}. . . . . . ../
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    ,,_. . . . . }.>-._\. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . ..`=~-,
    . .. `=~-,_\_. . . `\,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
    . . . . . . . . . .`=~-,,.\,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
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    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .`=-,. . . . . . . . . .,%`>–

  • 74.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:26 pm

    As we speak……

    :D

  • 75.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:27 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-71:

    hahaha…

    and i bet you wear them all with proud…!! :wink:

    :lol:

  • 76.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:27 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-73:

    Brilliant… Give yourself a Bells mate….

  • 77.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:28 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-73:

    sheesh bud…

    gonna have to change your nic to

    the artist formerly known as stormersboy

  • 78.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:28 pm

    @ufo(ufo)-75:

    The only one that fits is the one from Richie Kashula. If you don’t know him go and google to see why… ;)

  • 79.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:30 pm

    @ufo(ufo)-77: hahaha

    a picture says a thousand words.

  • 80.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:30 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-78:

    i do… but no need…

    just googled ‘gumboots’… :wink:

  • 81.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:31 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-79:

    seriously brilliant…

    have tried to post several ‘pics’ in the past and the keo formatting seems to jumble them up…

    good stuff there…!!

  • 82.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:34 pm

    @ufo(ufo)-81: Ja that one’s a keeper.

    It will come in handy many times on this site.

  • 83.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:35 pm

    @ufo(ufo)-77:

    Pretty good comment too…

  • 84.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:35 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-82:

    Lessons on Sunday then.

  • 85.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:41 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-83:

    :wink:

    hadn’t seen a pic of richie in yonks… was a skinny guy if i remember when he was an active spinner… so googled him… but didn’t find a photo…

    but did find him mentioned under an article called…

    http://m.blogs.sport24.co.za/Unicorn007/cricket-for-the-fuller-figure

    i kid you not…!!

    :lol:

  • 86.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:43 pm

    okay… see the silliness has run its course…

    got a 3 o’clock…

    cheers all

    lots fun…!!

    :lol:

  • 87.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:45 pm

    @ufo(ufo)-85:

    Richie Kaschula
    Perhaps there’s something about left-arm spinners? Samit Patel and Ian Blackwell could have made this list, too, but Kaschula makes them seem waif-like by comparison. Weighing considerably more than 20 stone – some say as much as 33 – Kaschula nevertheless bowled with excellent control and subtle variation and was one of his country’s leading bowlers until the early 80s. He was also an outstandingly good slip fielder; Heath Streak rated him as good a slip as anyone he played with. Legend has it that, following his retirement, there was a score board at Harare had a column which kept a tally of the number of beers Kaschula consumed during the day’s play. On at least one occasion, he passed 50 before tea. He later became a national selector.

    Cheers mate…

  • 88.Mr Black: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:45 pm

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-73:

    You’ve got a hole in your head!!!!

  • 89.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:52 pm

    @Mr Black(Mr Black)-88: :)

  • 90.trupisero: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:55 pm

    @Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-53: ja, Richard Branson told me the same thing.

  • 91.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    8 May 2012, 14:58 pm

    @trupisero(trupisero)-90:

    :lol:

  • 92.stormer in a teacup: Reply to this comment
    9 May 2012, 05:32 am

    I was given a ball signed by all players from both the Boks and British Lions who played in the Newlands test in 1968. Sadly it was later stolen. My grandfather won it after the game.

  • 93.stormer in a teacup: Reply to this comment
    9 May 2012, 05:35 am

    Kaschula was a great spinner.

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