Fouche’s boot keeps Bulls alive

Fouche’s boot keeps Bulls alive

5 Oct 2012

The Blue Bulls’ Currie Cup campaign will go into the last round after Louis Fouche kicked 21 points in a 26-13 victory over Western Province at Loftus.

The Bulls will now hope the Lions and Sharks win away at Griquas and the Cheetahs respectively on Saturday, which would leave them having to win the Gauteng derby next weekend to sneak into the semi-final.

WP will be hoping for the reverse of the aforementioned results to maintain any hope of a home play-off. They were comprehensively beaten at the breakdown this evening, which was the root of the struggles. Their defence continues to be impressive, but their attacking play is sterile and this doesn’t bode well this close to the knock-out phase.

The match was largely uninspiring, with the Bulls dominating possession but doing nothing nearly imaginative enough to consistently threaten the tryline of a organised and physical defensive unit. WP were equally impotent, and, in addition to their lack of clout in the tackle, never exhibited the tactical kicking game to play in the areas they needed to. A woeful lineout effort, where hooker Siyabonga Ntubeni struggled to find his jumpers, further undermined their cause.

The Bulls were the slicker of the two sides, sticking to their forward-based gameplan with great discipline and forcing errors from the visitors. Fouche banked two penalties, before powerful and patient phase play from the Bulls eroded the WP defence and left Akona Ndungane with a mismatch on the touchline. The winger scored, and even though WP flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis sunk a penalty just before the break, the hosts would have felt far more confident going down the tunnel.

And rightly so. Fouche continued to punish WP for ill-discipline, slotting three penalties after the restart to Catrakilis’s one to give his side a commanding 20-6 lead going into the final quarter.

WP upped the ante, but the Bulls responded well, turning up the physicality at the gainline and in so doing denying their opponents the momentum they needed ask telling questions.

They, however, folded with twelve minutes to play, conceding a penalty try after repeatedly sacking a WP rolling maul. Catrakilis converted to give his side hope, but their discipline let them down once more, Fouche taking the game away from them with his accurate kicking to seal a crucial victory.


53 Comments

  • 1.David: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:28 pm

    Isn’t anyone interested in this game of Dragons?

  • 2.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:30 pm

    Yawn and double yawn

  • 3.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:33 pm

    Watching on vip
    The Greek just missed a penalty

  • 4.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:34 pm

    Who won the cricket

  • 5.David: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:36 pm

    @Dawn-4:
    The Windies have hammered the Aussies.

  • 6.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:37 pm

    @David-5: Music to my ears

  • 7.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:38 pm

    Basson is being industrious with the ball in hand.

  • 8.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:38 pm

    Iree.

  • 9.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:39 pm

    Scrappy game. Stand-outers so far: Vermaak, Basson and Pieterson.

    Little intelligence being displayed otherwise.

  • 10.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:41 pm

    Fouche 6-0

  • 11.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:43 pm

    the draught is lekker fresh here @ NMB stadium… the Kings are 15 – 10 up

  • 12.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:46 pm

    @Transformation-11: Good luck

  • 13.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:48 pm

    @mikeybrass-12: dankie mikey.

  • 14.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:50 pm

    Bulls backline play is superior so far. Far superior.

  • 15.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:51 pm

    @Transformation-13: Rooting for the Kings. Too many do not understand the rationale and also do not understand why Solomon is signing the players he is for the Super.

  • 16.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:51 pm

    luke’s knee is f.ucked dang!!!!

  • 17.I am a stormer: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:52 pm

    @Transformation-11:

    Looking forward to a cupla zamaleks tomorrow. Ice cold.

  • 18.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:53 pm

    Groom, kick the ball away once more and I’ll kick you in the nuts !!!!!!!!

  • 19.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:55 pm

    paul perez is the real deal….hehehe :D

  • 20.bananaboy: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:59 pm

    Fourie twice fails to show daylight as assistant tackler and gets the penalty for holding, Stander comes in as the arriving player and gets told he has to release and show daylight. How the hell does a side with so much possession having only made 11 tackles compared to the opposition’s 50+ and the penalty count is heavily against them!!!!!

  • 21.I am a stormer: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 19:59 pm

    Province have been sleep walking through the first half.

    Time to wake up.

  • 22.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:05 pm

    Is Kings game on tv somewhere

  • 23.I am a stormer: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:14 pm

    Should rather go for the line out

  • 24.BishopsOD: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:27 pm

    Western Province are not going to win a semifinal in Johannesburg and Durban. I’ll admit it now.

    Oh well, with performances like these they don’t deserve to break the trophy drought.

  • 25.mamma_lou: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:32 pm

    kings 30-20

  • 26.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:35 pm

    perez!!!!

  • 27.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:36 pm

    Greyling concedes a penalty try

  • 28.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:36 pm

    kings 35 – 20

  • 29.mamma_lou: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:37 pm

    innie hoekie

  • 30.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:40 pm

    @Transformation-28: GREAT

  • 31.mamma_lou: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:43 pm

    kings 40-20 up

  • 32.Taahirah: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:52 pm

    We needed this. Was starting to doubt our ability to beat WP.

  • 33.mamma_lou: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:53 pm

    kings won 50-27 perez mom

  • 34.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:54 pm

    kings 50 – 27

  • 35.mamma_lou: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 20:56 pm

    yoh perez is a monster

  • 36.I am a stormer: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 21:07 pm

    @Taahirah-32:

    That’s so funny. I like your style. Well done to the Bulls. Province weren’t in it.

  • 37.Liewe Luiperd: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 21:22 pm

    who gives a flying fuc.k about the self-entitled Kings in the basement division?

  • 38.Liewe Luiperd: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 21:23 pm

    Lol I love it so much how the Kings have become public enemy number 1 in SA rugby. Just shows how much normal folks don’t like unmerited inclusion.

  • 39.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 21:26 pm

    Oh shut up you wet rag

  • 40.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 21:29 pm

    @Liewe Luiperd-38: we love the hate… :D

  • 41.mamma_lou: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 21:32 pm

    jy nie geleer ‘n kat begrawe sy bollie en skuit nie sommerso in die openbaar nie lui perd

  • 42.Finfan: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 21:51 pm

    Lui perd eerder as flukse donkie

  • 43.viewer: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 21:55 pm

    PEREZ. Huh? Who? Where?
    What position does this Hispanic play to upstage the Darkiess, Cullerds & Boere on both teams?

  • 44.sparticus: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 22:40 pm

    @viewer-43: big strong Samoan , been with the kings before in 2010 if i remember

  • 45.Liewe Luiperd: Reply to this comment
    5 Oct 2012, 23:58 pm

    Dawn the Prawn likes to throw her weight around on Keo like she owns the place, ne?

  • 46.kwas: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2012, 00:42 am

    @Liewe Luiperd-45: Well, she has a lot of weight to throw around.

  • 47.kwas: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2012, 00:52 am

    @viewer-43: Another fine example of the Kings promoting homegrown talent.

  • 48.Gumboots: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2012, 05:33 am

    Well done Bulls! Piss poor Province… :lol:

    Go Bokke…

  • 49.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2012, 06:59 am

    There is a questions lingered in the wake of that farce
    Are these two teams coached by anybody?

  • 50.Robzim: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2012, 07:47 am

    Well done Bulls……. Well done Kings……….sies WP.

  • 51.katman: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2012, 08:25 am

    So is Perez one of their two allowed foreign signings? Along the with new Kiwi back and the Puma scrummie? Sounds like politically assisted maths.

  • 52.Lang Giel: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2012, 08:54 am

    JC Fortuin (TMO) anchoring the defense for Province. Basson could get past Shadow but not past Fortuin.

  • 53.katman: Reply to this comment
    6 Oct 2012, 09:56 am

    Well Province must be a very brave team then if Fortuin favours them.

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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