Bulls set to be stretched
23 May 2012
Pierre Spies predicts the Chiefs will replicate the Highlanders’ expansive attack but warned that the Hamilton franchise is better equipped to penetrate the wide channels.
The Highlanders’ method was predictable in so much as the statistics leading into the contest reflected them as kicking the least in the tournament and having the most players in the top 20 for ball carries.
The Bulls’ defence held firm and they conceded just one try. However, the Highlanders often stretched them and at times they looked decidedly vulnerable. Good scramble defence snuffed out potential scoring opportunities, but Spies warned of the Chiefs’ superior quality and greater clinical edge when compared to the Highlanders.
‘We were pleased with our defensive effort in Dunedin, but the Chiefs are a better attacking side than the Highlanders and better equipped to hurt us with their expansive approach,’ Spies told keo.co.za. ‘They pose so many threats and those are not only in the backline. [Prop] Sona Taumalolo is a very effective ball-carrier [he is among the leading players in the tournament for linebreaks] and while they don’t carry the ball nearly as much as the Highlanders, when they do they are so effective.’
Spies’ latter offering is supported by four of the Chiefs’ players being in the top 10 for linebreaks, while only one of those – Sonny Bill Williams – has carried for a notable number of times (92). Williams will again be central to the Chiefs’ ability to generate attacking momentum, his physicality at the gainline and ability to commit multiple defenders (and offload if not gang tackled) priceless in an environment where defences of elite teams are so good.
Head coach Frans Ludeke has bad memories of Williams, who was instrumental in the Crusaders’ 27-0 victory over his side in Timaru last year. Williams tormented the 10-12 axis of Morné Steyn and Wynand Olivier – his opponents this Friday once more – and caused havoc when mismatches were engineered for him. No Chiefs player has carried more or for more metres (839m), suggesting that the Bulls will see plenty of the midfielder in Hamilton.
‘He is a high quality player and we will have to do a better job on him than we did last year,’ Ludeke said. ‘But if we cut down his time and space we put ourselves in a stronger position defensively. That starts with dominating the gainline. But Sonny Bill isn’t occupying all our thoughts. They are blessed with a number of great attackers.’
Ludeke added that the Bulls would have to improve their composure and decision-making in their attacking play. They crafted a number of good scoring opportunities against the Highlanders but often lost patience and concentration at critical times in their build-up, which saw them make fundamental handling errors or become isolated and vulnerable to turnovers.
‘We couldn’t convert opportunities into points in the way we should have and that must change against the Chiefs. They give you so little on defence (they have conceded just 17 tries in 11 matches – second best record in the tournament) that if you are wasteful when you do have a sniff at the line it will be very costly.’
By Ryan Vrede
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51 Comments
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23 May 2012, 11:25 am
Will someone please call Frans and tell him it all starts with actually having a game plan – not just kick and hope like last week. Highlanders run the ball the most yet Bulls never kick out, even after stealing 6 lineouts of Highlanders ??? Did his brain get left behind in OZ ???
23 May 2012, 11:29 am
Pierre, if you ever visit Keo.co.za, 85% of the bloggers here believe you are an overhyped superbly physiched athlete, who is absolutely rubbish at playing rugby… How you have 47 test caps to your name is beyond most of us…. You dont feature on attack or defence for either franchise or country…. Your comments on the Chief s anticipated method of attack for Friday are noted though…
23 May 2012, 11:31 am
@line break(line break)-2:
hahahahahaha lol
23 May 2012, 11:35 am
WTF is this bloated princess talking about? The Chiefs won’t need to stretch anything but their imaginations…….They will be running straight over the Bulls defence (Meisie, Johan “I am so much stronger now’ Sadie etc), not stretching it.
23 May 2012, 11:39 am
@line break(line break)-2: No way in life I will be associated with a caracter like you , your 85 % maybe your opinion
23 May 2012, 11:41 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-4: If you can not put up a decent argument without climbing into some-ones caracter it says a lot about yourself.
23 May 2012, 11:44 am
come on bulls… you gotta sort the chiefs out this weekend…
take no prisoners…!!
23 May 2012, 11:54 am
@line break(line break)-2: Spies outclassed Schalk at the world cup bud in metres per carry and tackles. tie to get your head out of your arse. spies is definitely underrated but there are loads of overrated players like schalk, jean, bissie, lambie, fourie, jpp who dont get called out.
key to stopping the chiefs attack is to hit them hard inside and slow down their ball. the brumbies charged up quickly and the chiefs just couldnt get the wide game going at all they were frikin luckt to win that game considering the try opportunities the brumbies had. the chiefs cant play a tactical game and are pretty one dimensional. keep them in their half and stuff ythem up inside. Sadie will be a big issue coz he never does anything fingers crossed he doesnt make too many stuff ups.
23 May 2012, 12:00 pm
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-8: and when’s the last time Britney hit someone hard?
Hell, every time I give the TV a klap on the side he falls over.
23 May 2012, 12:00 pm
Bulls by 7
Since 2003 the Bulls have won 7 lost 2 and 1 draw.
So they have the Chiefs number recently.
23 May 2012, 12:05 pm
@trupisero(trupisero)-9: the very last game i saw him play. could ask the sae question bout schalk.
23 May 2012, 12:05 pm
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-8: I watched the Landers game again and I was very impressed by his captaincy, all the refs calls were going against them yet the team remained calm and tried to get on with their job, no backchat etc.. I really did not think he would be as good a captain as he has turned out to be. I must admit I thought his time was over but I have second thought about it.
23 May 2012, 12:14 pm
@Airwell(Airwell)-10: This is not the chiefs side of old but NZ table topping the conference,Sonny-Bill will be licking his lips at the prospect of another go at Morne and the meisiekind.
23 May 2012, 12:34 pm
@capebull(capebull)-6: Well,Sadie did say he was fitter,stronger and sexier since joining up with meisiekind and the bulls.
23 May 2012, 12:50 pm
Bulls are a good team.
But they have more prima donna’s in their team than the Stormers of ’99.
23 May 2012, 13:01 pm
@skyewalker(skyewalker)-13: Like he was gainst Whitehead and then he could not catch a ball. Alot of Rugby is played between the ears and that is where the Chiefs problem is with the Bulls. I am confident regarding this game and as long as Morne does not have an off day the Bulls will win.
23 May 2012, 13:03 pm
@ali(ali)-15: No team had more prima donna’s then that team. But at least they won a Currie cup unlike the current crop.
23 May 2012, 13:19 pm
@capebull(capebull)-6: amen
23 May 2012, 13:30 pm
Its strange that people are so upset when Sadie says he is fitter and stronger as a result of his conditioning at the bulls.
Only brokeback supporters could be quite so emo.
23 May 2012, 13:37 pm
All not lost: yet Mark Lawrence will even the field for the Bulls
23 May 2012, 13:37 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-19: Nope, it’s not upsetting, it’s amusing. He injured himself about 72 hours after proclaiming his new-found strength and supreme athlete status. (And be honest……at this stage he must be the most expensive ‘fitter and stronger’ flop in Superugby)
23 May 2012, 13:47 pm
The easy way to beat the Bulls is by using a tactical kicking from the halfway line after recycle the ball 4-5 times
So far only two FHs demonstrated they can do it, namely Carter and Cooper, so it makes some sense that the Bulls should not be overly concern, although Kirchner as the ‘last line of defence’ is a stale joke already.
23 May 2012, 13:48 pm
@skyewalker(skyewalker)-13:
fyi
this is not the bulls side of old either.
they will be leaking their lips just hard.
23 May 2012, 13:53 pm
He injured himself?
How did he do that?
Slicing some biltong?
I missed the interview where he called himself the supreme athlete.
You seem to handle break ups quite badly.
Speaking of amusing.
23 May 2012, 13:53 pm
@Airwell(Airwell)-10:
I am looking for an upset this weekend and that might be the one
Chiefs are overrated IMO while their halfbacks combo are young and inconsistent, with Wepener comes on early the Bulls should bag it.
Add Mark Lawrence to the mix, it makes it a pretty reasonable risk to take
23 May 2012, 14:41 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-4: Jy praat mos nou lekker kak.
23 May 2012, 14:42 pm
@capebull(capebull)-6: His head is where is nic suggests……
23 May 2012, 14:59 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-27: Some guy that justifies his existance by slating others.
23 May 2012, 15:18 pm
“Bulls set to be stretched
Pierre Spies predicts the Chiefs will replicate the Highlanders’ expansive attack but warned that the Hamilton franchise is better equipped to penetrate the wide channels.”
now that s repressed homosexuality in 3 lines.
23 May 2012, 15:36 pm
Spies playing well recently.
23 May 2012, 15:45 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-29: You see what you want to see, Bud.
23 May 2012, 15:52 pm
Hello UFO.
Good to see a SAFFER(Stormer) supporting a SAFFER team
Go Sharks.
Regards.
23 May 2012, 15:54 pm
The team referred to is the Bulls.Dementia.
23 May 2012, 16:40 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-29: Not just stretched,but bracing themselves against complete chiefs,for maximum penetration I guess?
23 May 2012, 18:47 pm
@ryecatcher(ryecatcher)-30:
Yeah! Very well below international standards. But we understand the obsession…
23 May 2012, 19:08 pm
Unless the Sharks can pull off a miracle this week end, they will probably be out of the division race, same goes for the Bulls next weekend.
23 May 2012, 20:24 pm
@capebull(capebull)-28: How does that statement even make sense? “Justify his existence” … I mean geeze…
Btw… how are you doing anything different? Aren’t you just slating him now?
And I agree, Spies is terrible. Always has been, ‘cept back before his mysterious health problems before 2007 WC.
23 May 2012, 23:32 pm
Bill Reyts @ 35
Just an opinion.But hell,not being the Oracle of all Knowledge,Wisdom
and Understanding,what would I know.
Perhaps the next time you watch him play,do it with an unjaundiced eye.
23 May 2012, 23:41 pm
Oracle = fount.
24 May 2012, 07:56 am
now we will see what a good captain spies is.
24 May 2012, 08:12 am
Fern @ 40.Good a.m and have a good day.
GO SHARKS
24 May 2012, 08:17 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-40:
Who was the captain last week?
24 May 2012, 08:24 am
@ryecatcher(ryecatcher)-32:
Hey Rye… How you doing bud…?
Yeah, always do support the Saffa teams over foreign teams…
A Bulls win tomorrow will help the chances of a Saffa side topping the whole comp. Them, the Stormers or even the Sharks who have the best schedule rub into the semis….
BIg weekend… Bulls/Chiefs… Stormers/Sharks…
Will be a lot more clarity afterwards…
24 May 2012, 08:31 am
@lepel(lepel)-37: Funny when it comes to certain players some always tend to go to the archives for ‘supposed’ dirt if a proper argument cannot be made…..pathetic.
24 May 2012, 08:37 am
One day some Doctor somebody should do a study on the linear relationship of shortness and those who become obsessed with two or three players out of, say 500 players.
24 May 2012, 08:50 am
@lepel(lepel)-37: The point is we will always differ on opinions on players depending who you support , thats ok.
What irritates me is that when I differ from you ….. then I am an idiot or if you don’t like a player ( Spies) then he’s an idiot…
Who are we to judge the character of players and people , and what make me/you an athourity on character or rugby ?
Its ok to differ, its ok to prefer certain players above other, but to say the player is an idiot cause I don’t like his style of play … to me thta sound like an idiot.
Lets agree not to be idiots…..
24 May 2012, 09:09 am
The sum of my obsession with Spies is 5 words on post no.30
With apologies to Shakespeare might I suggest that “obsession should be made
of sterner stuff.”
Just by the way I am +-6’1
HELLO UFO @43.All well here thanks.Not as freezing as earlier this week.
Sharks/Stormers will be brutal.Only hope that no serious injuries occur.
Always nice talking to you.
Will end with my usual benediction.GO SHARKS
24 May 2012, 09:13 am
@ryecatcher(ryecatcher)-47: Interesting cenario, we hope Sharkies beat Strompies , and Sharkies hope Chiefs beat Bulls.
24 May 2012, 09:15 am
Interesting that Stormers made a massive effort to beaf up their pack lately, I am not so sure they can say the same of their backs. Back three 29 plus , JdV , his last season , who follows ?
24 May 2012, 09:23 am
@ryecatcher(ryecatcher)-47:
yeah… for the sake of both franchises and the boks… let’s hope for no injuries…
the tension for this game is gonna be crazy…
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