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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  • 151.The Sharks rugby pedigree stole my password: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:31 am

    @sharks_lover-143: 2nd time we have agreed in 2 days. Site as fe cked as Spies, Greyling, Kruger, J Potgieter and Steyn.

  • 152.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:32 am

    Bulls… poor when they are going backwards and the ref isn’t on their side…

  • 153.trupisero: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:32 am

    Excellent kick off Stain.

  • 154.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:33 am

    @NZINCHINA-134:
    Not for long
    The Bulls haven’t won fair and square under proper referees last two seasons, they were gifted most of it, when it comes to the crunch that is what you get
    The Boks is another story, they were gifted two tests under HM but he will make adjustment and will purge the likes of Spies, Kirchner, Styen

  • 155.Gumboots: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:33 am

    Bulls have come out firing…

  • 156.viewer: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:33 am

    Steyn, J Potgieter, the props, Spies – you got the answer right there

  • 157.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:34 am

    @Hondo-154: We can only hope HM does that. And you are right about the Bulls of course.

  • 158.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:34 am

    gumboots lets hope they can turn it around this half

  • 159.CenturionShark : Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:34 am

    @trupisero-148:

    Speed is not his drug of choice :)

  • 160.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:34 am

    OMG was that a tackle attempt from Juandre Kruger? He’s such a girl. How is this guy a Bok? Watch him stay away from contact.

  • 161.Gumboots: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:35 am

    Saders playing into Bulls hands with aimless kicking

  • 162.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:35 am

    min 41
    Kirchner’s 4th turn over of the match

  • 163.IAAS: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:35 am

    Last night they did a downgrade on keo. Instead of the promised upgrade.

  • 164.trupisero: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:36 am

    @Pee Wee-160: How many of them made the boks is a mystery

  • 165.Gumboots: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:36 am

    Bulls look good and then mess up… Eish

  • 166.Pencil: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:36 am

    Guildford such a bad winger…

  • 167.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:37 am

    Tough playing Saders, in their cloak of invisibilty they are ALWAYS offside ALWAYS hands in the ruck and the likes of Guildford – little pampelpous…

    And an awesome booing crowd – worse than Newlands – shame on you

  • 168.wooden spoon: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:38 am

    I think the Crusaders will beat whoever they play in the semi final.

  • 169.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:39 am

    Has nobody told Potgieter that he needs get his body position lower when coming on a stand off? Geez man!

  • 170.The Sharks rugby pedigree stole my password: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:39 am

    @IAAS-163: Well the downgrade was a huge success.

  • 171.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:40 am

    fat lady is warming up

  • 172.trupisero: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:40 am

    @wooden spoon-168: The Saders not playing that great, the bulls are pisspoor

  • 173.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:41 am

    @goyougoodthing2-167:

    its a SAFFA ref and you’re still bitching like a girl, why bother watching?

  • 174.trupisero: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:41 am

    @AiDoc-171: Hope she comes on at 8 ;)

  • 175.Spiesisworthless1: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:42 am

    Sounds like they’re paling clown music for the Bulls.

  • 176.Spiesisworthless1: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:42 am

    playing

  • 177.wpstormerbok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:42 am

    F0o0k this skop n jag is a big cop out by the Bulls

    Run the ball if you have any hope in this game!

  • 178.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:43 am

    Poor crowd, showing your class Christchurch!!!

  • 179.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:44 am

    @NZINCHINA-173: It’s the way they play, it’s always the way they play… it’s expected… not bitching, just telling it like it is

  • 180.trupisero: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:45 am

    Here comes Agile

  • 181.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:45 am

    why so much booing from the crowd?
    pathetic

  • 182.willievz: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:45 am

    @We are called the Springboks-149: We are called the Springboks-149: Bud, most Bulls supporters are watching today.

    They will find some excuse of statistic somewhere to justify the selection of Steyn, Spies, Olivier, Kirchner, J.Potgieter and W.Kruger.

    Or say that the boys have learned a lot of lessons tonight and there is room for improvement.

    I know it, and you know it.

  • 183.GermanBok: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:46 am

    Spies, M Steyn and Olivier being shown up for the sub standard players they are. Wepener is not even a rugby player – what is he doing in a S15 play off game. Embarrassing how the bulls are being cleaned out at ruck time.

  • 184.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:46 am

    Peiper is a sound technically, seemed to miss nothing
    How come he is so biased and convoluted when reffing in SA?

  • 185.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:46 am

    Juandre Kruger off – coach saw exactly what I saw – nothing lol

  • 186.soulfusion: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:46 am

    This poor showing from the Bulls has me really worried that the Sharks are going to follow suit. I really hope not.

    Let’s see how Alberts does at lock today because that could open up the flank for Brussow. If last weeks game showed me anything it was that there is no replacement for Bismark and that Brussow should be playing for the Boks.

  • 187.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:47 am

    Ref!!! Ellis was offside ffs that’s a penalty

  • 188.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:48 am

    Is there a bigger c.ock in world rugby than Guildford?

  • 189.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:48 am

    @willievz-182: Well said

  • 190.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:49 am

    @trupisero 174
    Lol

    @ goyougoodthing 178
    Yep they knew it would not be a contest

  • 191.Spiesisworthless1: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:49 am

    I wish I watched the Warriors game instead of this ****. NRL appealing more and more the longer I’m exposed to these third rate so called premier rugby players.

  • 192.trupisero: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:49 am

    The tswane terrors should have played in pink Vanish jerseys today. Far more appropriate

  • 193.viewer: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:50 am

    Hand off on Spies. lol

  • 194.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:50 am

    @the artist formerly known as gunther-188: Have to agree… Guildford needs his face smashed.
    He should look at the Mighty Carter and Ritchie… immense players and decent, down to earth blokes, even if I rip off Ritchie at times :-)

  • 195.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:51 am

    @goyougoodthing2-187:

    you’re a joke buddy the Bulls are so far offside at ruck time they should be wearing red

  • 196.Gumboots: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:52 am

    This is really poor. So much for the most entertaining team in South Africa. What is the use of entertainment when the basics are so poor…

  • 197.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:52 am

    Spies Spies Spies ffs

  • 198.TheTackler: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:52 am

    Boo boo boo, Bull Brand…

  • 199.goyougoodthing2: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:53 am

    So, Saders either going to Hamilton or WP… I think they would win either

  • 200.We are called the Springboks: Reply to this comment
    21 Jul 2012, 10:53 am

    Lol, what a performance by the Bulls. Disgusting! No leader no guts

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