Saders surge into semis

Saders surge into semis

21 Jul 2012

RYAN VREDE reports on the Crusaders’ 28-13 victory over the Bulls in which they were never stretched by the bumbling and lethargic South Africans.

Hail the play-off kings. The 15-point margin of defeat flatters the Bulls. Not for a minute did the Crusaders look like their imposing record in the knock-out stages would be tarnished. They were dominant in every facet of play, supremely so.

Their method was pragmatic and if there was anything spectacular about this performance it was found in the unfailing accuracy with which they execute a simple game plan. Add a measure of individual flair and you had a cocktail that incapacitated the Bulls. This was a statement performance that should concern their semi-final opponents.

For the Bulls, there is no shame in losing to the Crusaders in Christchurch. Indeed those who believed they would break their drought in the city had no real base for that belief. This Bulls side is vastly inferior, lacking the calibre of players and experience to have harboured serious ambitions of an upset.

However, while the result was not surprising, the quality of their error-strewn performance certainly was. They fed Dan Carter with kickable opportunities and paid the ultimate price, the flyhalf racking up 18 points with his boot.

It would be remiss not to credit the Crusaders for the manner in which they blunted the Bulls’ attacking intent. Physical, often brutal, and consistently accurate in defence, they simply bullied their visitors into submission. They owned the gainline, and the Bulls were rarely able find the space or time they needed to roll out their game plan. Consequently they were made to look rudderless for large periods of the contest, with their struggles compounded by the injury-enforced replacement of Chiliboy Ralepelle (10th minute), Bjorn Basson (37th) and Akona Ndungane (43rd).

Conversely the Crusaders were able to control the game’s flow, tempo and territory, with their halfback pair of Dan Carter and Andy Ellis orchestrating matters. The Bulls were unable to quell the Crusaders’ heavies in close quarters and conceded a string of penalties, two of which Carter banked before he added a conversion after expertly putting Zac Guilford through a hole in the defensive line with a perfectly timed pass.

Carter sunk a right-footed drop goal shortly thereafter to give his side a comfortable lead, but the hosts would have been acutely aware of their failings in the red zone which meant the Bulls were still alive at 16-3 going down the tunnel.

Carter capitalised on ill-discipline which has been a depressing feature of the Bulls’ campaign, kicking six more points just after the restart. But the Bulls found some groove, scoring through Dewald Potgieter after a powerful rolling maul.

The Crusaders were content to revert to a holding pattern, punching up through their forwards or inviting the Bulls to attack from deep by kicking in behind their back three. There would be no telling rebuttal from the three-time champions outside of a late Wynand Olivier try that served only to add a dash of respectability to the scoreline.

Crusaders – Try: Zac Guilford. Conversion: Carter. Penalty: Dan Carter (6), Drop goal: Carter
Bulls – Try: Dewald Potgieter, Wynand Olivier. Penalty: Morne Steyn

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318 Comments

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  • 1.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:21 am

    Go the blue dragons!
    beat these filthy cheating keewees!

  • 2.TheTackler: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:21 am

    Bully beef for a Crusader’s dinner…

  • 3.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:22 am

    Check this out,hillarious.
    Unfortuanatly this is in Afrikaans and cannot be translated.
    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dr5J8c17-78

  • 4.Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:22 am

    Today history will be made. Everyone has written off the Bulls. These boys have a well documented track record of making it through from the back and they have done it before; today is no different.

  • 5.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:36 am

    GOOOOOOOOOO BULLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS :shock: damn that took a lot out of me, i am drained :lol:

    come bulls slaughter them saders and make SA proud

  • 6.bangkok-bok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:45 am

    GO BULLSSSS!!! Beat the Crusaders so we don’t have to face them in the semis! :)

  • 7.bangkok-bok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:47 am

    It’s actually a solid team- GREAT forwards minus Britney Spies- all other 7 solid players. 9 and 10 solid. Centers solid. I don’t rate the back 3- that is their biggest weakness.

  • 8.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:48 am

    @bangkok-bok-7:

    Oliver solid lol he’s hopeless

  • 9.Puma: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:52 am

    GO BULLS GO.

  • 10.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:54 am

    @Puma-9:

    hey Puma,the Bulls will be exiting the comp in a few hours, your Sharks have a decent chance though

  • 11.wpstormerbok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:57 am

    The head says Saders

    but heart says

    Gooi mielies BULLE!!!

  • 12.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:58 am

    @NZINCHINA-10: hiyas NZ both matches will be very tough, the BUlls yes we all think will prolly lose, but eish they know how to play playoff matches so never say never

    Saders also in good form, and we know how dangerous they can be so yeah one heck of a match comming up

  • 13.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 08:59 am

    @wpstormerbok-11: same here

  • 14.bangkok-bok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:00 am

    @NZINCHINA-8: Look- I am the 1st person to bay for his head- when he was picked for the Boks I nearly had a thrombosis! Reality is at S15 level and given the Bulls brand of rugby he isn’t their WEAKEST link. We don’t have a huge talent of 12s in SA- he has not let the team down this year.

  • 15.Puma: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:01 am

    @NZINCHINA-10: Hoping my Sharks and Bulls can. If not at least it spares our Boks the monster travel awaiting them. Especially the Sharks Boks. Truely a daft format this.

  • 16.Puma: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:02 am

    @wpstormerbok-11: :)

  • 17.wpstormerbok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:04 am

    @sharks_lover-13:

    I fear for their scrum but if the game somehow flows in a way that there aren’t too many happening and the Bulls dominate line-outs then the Bulls will be in it, I doubt that’ll be enough to win but it’ll give them something to work from.

  • 18.wpstormerbok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:06 am

    @Puma-16:

    Should they pull it off we’ll resume our rivalries as soon as the final whistle goes :)

  • 19.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:06 am

    @wpstormerbok-17: Bulls game is all about forward domination, unless that happems i see hard times for them, they cant afford to sit back and kick the ball away all the time, this is where i see problems for them

  • 20.RDOT: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:09 am

    Crikey…I am feeling like a test match is about to take place…heart says Bulls but head gives the heart a sinking feeling…don’t think they will pull it through…here’s hoping they do…go bulls…!!!!

  • 21.wpstormerbok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:15 am

    @sharks_lover-19:

    Yes, they’ll have to at least match the Crusaders up front, keep their possession and if they do kick it should be for the corners and not just deep up and unders. That way they’ll either get to challenge Saders line-out in their half or they can force them to kick back and still get the line-out platform to launch attacks from or heaven forbid should they counter attack themselves from aimless kicks returned.

  • 22.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:16 am

    “Bulls making it through from the back”

    Nice Shark supporter comment!

  • 23.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:16 am

    @wpstormerbok-21: exactly

  • 24.ufo: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:17 am

    ek skree vir wp maar vandag die bulls…!!!

  • 25.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:18 am

    @wpstormerbok-21: Hougaard could ip he has a blinder spark things for the BUlls, a lot will hinge on his play

  • 26.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:19 am

    @ufo-24: :lol: gm UFO bro, yeah next 2 hows im a Bulls supporter full on

  • 27.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:19 am

    @sharks_lover-26: hows = hours

  • 28.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:20 am

    BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU::::::::::::::::::::::::::LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

  • 29.David: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:20 am

    @sharks_lover-12:
    Unfortunately those were previous Bulls sides. This one is untested in that situation.

  • 30.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:21 am

    GO BULLIES, MAY YOU WIN AND GORE THEM A NEW ONE !!!

  • 31.wpstormerbok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:22 am

    @sharks_lover-25:

    Almost forgot about him, you’re right if anybody’s gonna pull a rabbit out of a hat today it’ll probably come through him.

    @ufo-24:

    with you on that!

  • 32.bangkok-bok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:26 am

    anyone got a decent link (web link) to the game?

  • 33.ufo: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:28 am

    Hey SL… Puma… Dawn… WpSB… NZiC… Guys…

    Great day all…

    Fully behind the Bulls today…

    on mobile so plz forgive slow or no answers
    O

  • 34.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:28 am

    @David-29: david although true?? Bulls still have far more players playing that have won the trophy then is the case with the Saders, BUt at home the Saders?? oh hell it’s one very tough match for the Bulls,and sadly what happened before counts for nothing

    BUT

    GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    BUUUUULLLLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

  • 35.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:29 am

    @ufo-33: :lol: ok bro we will forgive you in advance

  • 36.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:30 am

    hougie is due for a big game,lets hope its today
    i am sitting here with the breakfeast of champs,a nice boerie roll:-)

  • 37.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:31 am

    @Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-36: Enjoy, good morning old chap

  • 38.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:32 am

    no rain,no wind
    only 17 000 crowd attendance
    wtf?

  • 39.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:34 am

    @Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-38: :lol:

  • 40.Guns: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:35 am

    McCaw looks like a stiched up Cyborg from WWIII..

  • 41.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:35 am

    howzit sl
    if the ref is fair at the breakdown mccaw will be persona non grata and the bulls in with a shout.

  • 42.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:38 am

    that was close for timotei
    bad luck,bounce of the ball

  • 43.Atreides: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:38 am

    16000 people??? LOL!! Fark these kiwis are lame softcocks!

  • 44.Papoose: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:38 am

    how was that turnover legal?
    can some1 explain?

  • 45.ufo: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:39 am

    SL.. and then the next two hours ek skree…

    Sssaaarkss…!!!

  • 46.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:39 am

    @Papoose-44: Tackler got back onto his feet and was not cleaned out

  • 47.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:40 am

    @ufo-45: :mrgreen: good man

  • 48.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:41 am

    CHilliboy stuffs up the throw in, reprieve for the Saders

  • 49.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:42 am

    dunno what to make of that penalty,very grey situation.

  • 50.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 09:43 am

    @Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19-49: Ref got it wrong

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