Bulls fire, then fade
25 May 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on a 28-22 victory for the Chiefs over the Bulls that leaves the three-time champions with little breathing room if they are to secure a home play-off.
The Bulls were acutely aware of the importance of victory in the context of their conference challenge, but they failed to negotiate a determined second half effort from the Chiefs, after being dominant for the opening half. They will hope the Sharks beat the Stormers in Durban tomorrow and also bank on teams close to them on the overall log dropping points. There is no panic just yet – they’ve finished strongly in recent years after coming off tour – but they cannot afford to drop many more points.
When their execution of their game plan is on point (which it was in the first half) few sides in the tournament could live with the Bulls. However, their inability to sustain their effort through 80 minutes cost them, as did numerous spurned opportunities early in the match.
There are still questions about Francois Hougaard’s kicking game, but tonight it was adequate. His shortcomings in this regard were made up for by Morné Steyn and Zane Kirchner’s competency in this facet of play. Their high kicks and a committed chase had the Chiefs’ back three looking like they were fielding grenades. This is an area the Hamilton franchise must address urgently if they are to be serious title contenders.
Once in the Chiefs’ 22m the Bulls were a mix of efficient and disappointing. Steyn banked two penalties and a drop goal and a try from Bjorn Basson, who profited from poor defence from Lelia Masaga, gave the Bulls a deserved 16-8 lead at the break.
On defence, such was the power and accuracy of their gainline challenge that the Chiefs were made to look toothless. Their primary strike runners – Sonny Bill Williams included – seldom posed a threat. Indeed the Bulls would have been disappointed at the margin of their lead at that point, the Chiefs’ only try coming courtesy of an Akona Ndungane error and their aforementioned wastefulness in good positions lending further weight to this assertion.
Steyn and Aaron Cruden traded penalties after the break, but the Chiefs, galvanised by the injection of quality impact players, gradually found the momentum and synergy they lacked in the first 40. The Bulls remained resolute but their resistance waned going into the final quarter when Cruden found wing Asaeli Tikoirotuma with an inside ball that left him with a clear route to goal. Cruden added the extras for a lead that was short-lived, Steyn edging his side ahead with his fourth penalty of the match.
Then the turning point, and this time another Bulls error inside the Chiefs’ 22m cost them dearly. The hosts turned over possession and ran the ball 70m before earning a lineout. A quick feed caught the Bulls’ defensive line unset, and Williams exploited this, surging through a gap then offloading to put Same Cane clean through. Cruden sunk the conversion and the Bulls just never looked like they had the capacity for a telling rebuttal thereafter.
752 Comments
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25 May 2012, 21:23 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-647:
Hey, skop is that you?
Thought so.
Guess who HM really rates at 10?
25 May 2012, 21:26 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-651:
25 May 2012, 21:29 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-651:
Who.. Peter Grant?
Pity he’s come along 4 years too late
25 May 2012, 21:30 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-648:
This is the kind of thing about Bok coaches that bother me. They all, when taking up the job, declare that they will select poeple on merit and not out of position. Then, just a few weeks/months into their term, they look for reasons to select a specific player, whetehr it’s out of position or not. They want that player in their team.
I wonder what Tacs reaction will be if Hougaard is indeed selected at 13. I mean, he ain’t that much different from Ebersohn and JdJ in terms of weight, is he? He’s been going on about your 13 being a near 100kg speciman ala Jaques Fourie and okes like that.
Bet he’ll find a reason why a choice like that is the right one.
25 May 2012, 21:31 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-653:
Who is your favourite FH? And don’t give me the Peter Grant kak. Who do you rate highly?
25 May 2012, 21:32 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-655:
Goosen.. but he’s injured so too bitty bad.
25 May 2012, 21:34 pm
Ek sien daai dom drol Xkreni-WP het nog nie sy verskyning gemaak nie.
Wat ‘n moerse verrassing.
25 May 2012, 21:36 pm
@nama1(nama1)-654:
HM was just saw it as a possibilty. His 2 scrummies will be Houghie and Ruan by the sounds of it. He mentioned Ruan a few times. But he was thinking of Houghie’s utility value on the field.
But you’re right. All coaches will surprise. Just as HM did when rating Kirchner as FB and saying he won’t necessarily go in with a specialised fetcher. He’ll look to the hooker to do the job.
25 May 2012, 21:36 pm
Trying to watch Catresvs Montpellier, but just can’t get into the game.
Probably the unknown factor.
25 May 2012, 21:37 pm
These players I would NEVER play in a Bok context.. EVER
Kirchner, Olivier, Spies
occasionally depending on circumstance,.,
FdP, M. Steyn, Habana
Now how many of those 6 players are going to start in June tests?
25 May 2012, 21:37 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-656:
So it is you.
You and HM think the same.
25 May 2012, 21:40 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-658:
WOW. Does that mean that Brussow is not an automatic choice?
That’s a surprise if he goes that route.
Means Schalk position is secured at 6 when he plays again.
Where is G10 to see this.
25 May 2012, 21:41 pm
@nama1(nama1)-654:
Why can the Kiwi’s and Aussies backs play out of position successfully and not the Boks.
Kiwi’s: Dagg, Kahui, Carter.
Aussie’s: Drew Mitchell, Adam Ashley Cooper, Berrick Barnes
#justasking
25 May 2012, 21:42 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-661:
almost .. not quite..
I would NEVER select Kirchner or Spies
I would NEVER make Burger my captain
I would seriously consider Hougaard ahead of Van Zyl if Hougaard is going to try emulate FdP and stuff our chances to hell like he did to the Bulls today.
And I would NOT bring FdP back from the dead.
and I doubt highly I would EVER consider Hougaard for 13.. but I’d play him as utility bench option easily if I got a better distributing 9 to start.
25 May 2012, 21:42 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-660:
Kirchner got a mention at FB. Meisiekind didn’t get a mention. And HM said Spies has to raise his game.
He’d like FdP back but he’s ruled himself out. So M Steyn will start. Only thing said about Habana was that he’s not an up and coming youngster. The wing position is wide open. And he did say that Taute will be a Bok. In which test and in which position, he didn’t say.
25 May 2012, 21:43 pm
@Windhoek.Lager(Windhoek.Lager)-657:
After tomorrow evening, we’ll try to miss HG as well.
Hell probably only return by Wednesday as a foolblooded Bull supporter.
25 May 2012, 21:46 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-665:
Spies has been having to ‘raise his game’ since he baled out of WC 2007 with a mysterious blood clot ailment.. so when if EVER does ANYBODY still think he’s going to EVER raise his game?
25 May 2012, 21:49 pm
@nama1(nama1)-666: either that or there will be a defening silence from you and ur partners in crime as breezers??
25 May 2012, 21:51 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-667:
Read below. I’m repeating one of my earlier posts.
Spies he does not rate. He needs to up his game.
When Ian Macintosh, the MC asked about the loosies, the first name out of Heyneke’s mouth was Duane. He said his injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. Others he rated are Jacque Potgieter, Deysel, Marcel Coetzee. Alberts he likes as an 8 and I’ve said this here before. But the Sharks play him at 7. And don’t expect Brussow to be an automatic selection. He has analysed his play and looks at the penalties he concedes. Same with Minnie. Deon Steggman didn’t get a mention.
He’s still uncertain of his captain but he mentioned a few names.
25 May 2012, 21:53 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-668:
The breesies have been tjoep still all week. All the noise has been coming out of that smelly fishing village with all its idiots on the KZN coast.
25 May 2012, 21:55 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-668:
The Stormers can afford to lose, but if the Sharks lose the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train.
25 May 2012, 21:56 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-669:
So when he gonna be sure of his captain.. ?
He got 3 choices
JdV, Spies or Daniel unless he’s still praying for FdP to come around.
Duanne Vermeulen must be the most unlucky rugby player in SA.. he been head and shoulders best No.8 in the country for about 5 years but Jake the Fake used a lock and PdV was waiting for Spies and Kanko to ‘raise their games’..
Meanwhile Vermeulen has almost died and gone to heaven already..
Same with Bismark / Smit..
Smit shoulda fck’d off and Bismark would have been a WC winner as he deserved to be. Instead of Smit trying to become a SA tinsel god incarnate invincible.
25 May 2012, 21:58 pm
Sharks lose tomorrow it gonna be BLACK Saturday on keo.co.za
I kinda simply can’t wait..
they gonna die a death they ain’t died since bullies stole their show in 2007
25 May 2012, 22:02 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-672:
Read post #612.
25 May 2012, 22:05 pm
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-663:
Good question.
Probably because the Kiwis concentrate so much on skills at a young age where we try to coach players into a set pattern.
Can’t really say.
On the other hand, Cullen did not do too well when he was shifted to centre from fullback. Nor did Mills.
25 May 2012, 22:08 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-674:
Out of those only 2 are prospects in my view
JdV and Josh Strauss..
In fact those the only 2 choices he has
Bismark has to start and Chili has to ride bench so Strauss is out
Burger is nowhere right now.
Spies is less than nowhere right now
so its between JdV who got the brains and the experience.. or Josh Strauss who would actually be quite an inspirational choice if push actually came to shove..
Far better choice in Josh Strauss than either of Adriaan Strauss, Pierre Spies or FdP.
25 May 2012, 22:09 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-668:
Njaa. You know us Stormers SL. We’ll be here giving you guys you congrats.
We’ve been through the mill time and time again. We know how to take it.
25 May 2012, 22:12 pm
@nama1(nama1)-675:
HM sees wing and 13 as being inter-changeable. I’m about picking guys in specialist positions and you have to be a specialist in one. But there is a point in being able to deputise in another position.
And I’m not talking about guys not knowing from one weekend to the next what their starting position is going to be. Think Ruan, Brent Russel and Frans Steyn. All Sharks. And all left. Surprise, surprise.
25 May 2012, 22:16 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-676:
I’m leaning towards JDV particularly as he rates Josh as there or thereabouts as a loose forward. His words exactly.
But I also have a feeling that JDV’s international career hasn’t got long to run. By the time the 4 Nations comes around, HM will be in a better space. Particularly as guys return from injury.
25 May 2012, 22:17 pm
wing / center you can interchange.. even wing / center and FB.. and often FH and FB
But scrummy / wing / center is pushing the envelope a little too far and that player will never amount to much if he always going to be a Mr. Utility type player.
Pity they tried to clone Hougaard into FdP… Big F’Up of a mistake.. now I dunno if Hougaard still remembers what its like being Francois Hougaard anymore.
The amount of dilly dally time he wastes behind the scrum and ruck ball is downright EXCRUCIATING ..!! .. that is obviously what he learned under FdP’s watch.
25 May 2012, 22:19 pm
@541
Dawn you are crazy
25 May 2012, 22:24 pm
Ok let the good times roll
Just imagine the absolute impossible.. imagine Stormers fck up Sharkies in the guppy tank tomorrow..
Black day of mourning in the last bastion of overrated arrogance .. what a sad day of desperation it’ll be…
25 May 2012, 22:29 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-682:
Skop, I’m off. Chat tom.
25 May 2012, 22:30 pm
yip me 3
ciao for now
25 May 2012, 22:34 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-679:
Well, I’m leaning towards JdV to captain the Boks against England as well. I mean, if he wanted to bring VM out of retirement to lead the Boks for the series against England, surely JdV’s age can’t count against him now!
Did Meyer said anything about his infatuation with Frans at 12?
25 May 2012, 22:43 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-680:
Much easier from centre to wing than the other way round.
Habana
Chester
Andre Snyman
Even Danie Gerber at the end of his career for WP.
Not so easy from wing to centre.
Habana and JPP this year being cases in point.
Carel Dup in the 80′s did not work so well in the few games he was tried at centre.
Fullback to wing also easier.
Aplon, Slaptjips, Dagg,
FB to FH
Only Larkham who really made the position his own.
Gysie Pienaar could not pull it off.
25 May 2012, 22:44 pm
Fu_ck it
Hondo you hate quota players but continue to follow the teams they play in
How sad
26 May 2012, 00:15 am
Why is senile skopshyte posting as “Fritz Ellenbogen”?
26 May 2012, 07:35 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-688: this is so
26 May 2012, 07:40 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-689: whats you gut feel on todays match??
26 May 2012, 07:44 am
SHARKS!
26 May 2012, 07:46 am
The doggies out early to play?
26 May 2012, 07:50 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-691: gm fernly, you well mate??
26 May 2012, 07:51 am
Sl chatting to himself?The old geezer must be nervous as hell.
26 May 2012, 08:00 am
# 688…because yours truly organised to have his diseased arse banned.
26 May 2012, 08:07 am
Your “bannings” don’t work cos he’s baaack.
26 May 2012, 08:13 am
Mother Theresa aka Killer White parading his virtue again?
26 May 2012, 08:13 am
I will organise soon enough the moment the foul language and hate speech escelates. This is not Jerry Springer, this is a rugby blog.
26 May 2012, 08:15 am
i am lekker sl
the time for reckoning has come
26 May 2012, 08:18 am
Does the fact that that the sharks rugby pedigree can be compressed into a can of dog food constitutes hate speech?
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