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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21 Jul 2012, 10:54 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-188:
Is there anyone softer than Spies?
21 Jul 2012, 10:54 am
@NZINCHINA-195: The Bulls are a joke but the Saders are constantly offside and spoiling much like the AB’s. Even if the Bulls had a game they wouldn’t be allowed to play it because of frankly illegal interference that the Kiwi’s have perfected to the detriment of the game and other rugby nations.
21 Jul 2012, 10:54 am
@TheTackler-198: Hahahahaaa
21 Jul 2012, 10:55 am
UnstoppaBULL
21 Jul 2012, 10:55 am
@NZINCHINA-195: No doubt, they probably are… I don’t care to be honest, don’t like the Bulls either… both these teams get away with murder… at least the Bulls are getting a dose of their own for once…
My MIGHTY SHARKS never cheat (even if they have the most yellows in the comp)
21 Jul 2012, 10:55 am
@bangkok-bok-89 & Hondo
what you say now about that missed lineout now by weepenaar?
trolls!
21 Jul 2012, 10:56 am
Mabe if they played in Pretoria Pink they would show some guts
21 Jul 2012, 10:56 am
Dewald you beauty… What a player…
21 Jul 2012, 10:56 am
OMG!! Bulls score lol
21 Jul 2012, 10:57 am
Crusaders re-group now
21 Jul 2012, 10:57 am
Pottie is a class!
21 Jul 2012, 10:57 am
@Spiesisworthless1-202: Have to agree with you there… Tony Johnson will say that it’s ‘playing on the limits of the laws’ but I say it’s downright spoiling… but it’s been that way for years…
21 Jul 2012, 10:58 am
My problem is that HM probably reckons that the Bulls Boks will play better under his own ex Bulls coaching team.
21 Jul 2012, 10:59 am
If we play like this in the Rugby Championship with these players we are f—-ked.
21 Jul 2012, 10:59 am
Bulls lost this game before it even started, it’s quite clear that they never believed that they had a chance of beating the crusaders, the Cheetahs and lions would have given the crusaders more of a challenge.
21 Jul 2012, 10:59 am
Penalty count tells the story.
21 Jul 2012, 11:00 am
carter’s tactical kicking is s.hit today.
21 Jul 2012, 11:00 am
Oh Britney…
21 Jul 2012, 11:01 am
A prop stripped by a 10
21 Jul 2012, 11:01 am
taking space?? Ref please. You are too late to save them! Try. May be you can save them
21 Jul 2012, 11:02 am
@wp_boytjie-214: If the bok coach selects these players for the championship we are fckued
21 Jul 2012, 11:02 am
Another offside penalty from the Bulls, yer I can see who does all the infringing.
21 Jul 2012, 11:03 am
Yip and another one, what a joke are the Bulls now cheating?
21 Jul 2012, 11:03 am
The usual “wallpaper noise” means Saders are doing just fine enough.
21 Jul 2012, 11:04 am
Carter a real mix bag today…Great defence, very storng with ball in hand, but horrible tactical kicking.
21 Jul 2012, 11:04 am
Jeez the Stormers would have expected the Bulls to soften the Saders… Not at all… Airy fairy rugby…
21 Jul 2012, 11:05 am
Gonna be a long flight home
21 Jul 2012, 11:05 am
Mooi Stain!
21 Jul 2012, 11:06 am
fat lady getting hot and ready to sing. Bruise free footy, the call it in Melbourne
21 Jul 2012, 11:06 am
@Pencil-225:
Carter is only 80% of the player he was 3-4 years ago. But that’s still 20% better than anyone else.
21 Jul 2012, 11:07 am
@modawg-221:
Can already see it happening.
.
21 Jul 2012, 11:07 am
The Bulls have made this Saders team look a little better than what they actually are…
21 Jul 2012, 11:08 am
Question for those in favour of the kick-chase:
How many times did the Bulls get the ball back tonight?
21 Jul 2012, 11:08 am
The real positive from today’s game is that Tac will be supporting the Sharks from here on…
21 Jul 2012, 11:08 am
Els and Aiken nicely situated on the third day of The Open.
21 Jul 2012, 11:09 am
Hope the Sharks don’t dish up the same rubbish
21 Jul 2012, 11:09 am
Why are the Bulls kicking all the ball away? Is this a friggin joke?
21 Jul 2012, 11:09 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree stole my password-232:
agree the Crusaders have been average tonight
21 Jul 2012, 11:10 am
Stain had a generally unhappy visit?
He was kuk man!
21 Jul 2012, 11:10 am
Jissus the Bulls are playing stupid rugby and executing that bad gameplan very badly.
They have kept ball in hand twice in 2nd half and both times went all the way to the 22.
I cant stand these aimless kicks, and then the chase is so lazy on top of it!
21 Jul 2012, 11:10 am
John Daly made the cut!
Wonderfull,what a character.
My favourite non South African golfer.
21 Jul 2012, 11:11 am
I suppose you have to look at the positives, Vermaak made a big difference at no.9, so much for SA’s highest paid player Hougard.
21 Jul 2012, 11:12 am
@trupisero-236: Me too!
@Pee Wee-237: I cant believe it either! I expected more from the Bulls. Time is running out and the keep kicking it straight to Saders, and not chasing.
I hope my Stormers dont try this kak either
21 Jul 2012, 11:12 am
Wow, Bulls love trying to foul and kill the ball illegally.
Ref has bene onto them most the night but still not all of it. But name me one ref that picks it all up.
ONe thing he should do is warn Bulls that next foul produces a card.
Anyway Saders are better than the Bulls tonight, as most have said all through the week
21 Jul 2012, 11:13 am
NICE 1 Kirschener and Timotei
21 Jul 2012, 11:13 am
As a loyal bulls supporter this game is too painful to watch it is men v boys,it is like amatuer night,how the bulls got into the play-offs with this team beats me and yet i wrote earlier i would be happy if they made the play-offs.The crusaders will win this game and deservedly so the bulls are getting their arses kicked.We need a whole new front row,as the front row now is not good enough,and there is a lot of ?marks against the rest of the forwards.This is morne`s worst game yet,has morne`s bubble burst i think so,ndungane he is finished.A lot of changes will have to be made for next season as the bulls at the moment are a very pale shadow of previous super rugby winning teams,and we have just scored another try but it is too late.
21 Jul 2012, 11:14 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree stole my password-232:
Infact the Saders are better than this, not a great game from them tonight.
21 Jul 2012, 11:14 am
steggies back to his best
21 Jul 2012, 11:14 am
Min 76
Try Bulls!
With Steggie on and the quotas excused to the bench, the Bulls aren’t that bad!
21 Jul 2012, 11:14 am
Bulls score but fark do they look poor. The Saders are just coasting it seems. The Bulls are making the Saders look better than what they’ve played tonight!
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