Bulls surge into semis

Bulls surge into semis

13 Oct 2012

RYAN VREDE watched the Blue Bulls qualify for the Currie Cup semi-finals with a 50-29 victory over the Golden Lions at Ellis Park.

The Bulls will travel to Kings Park to face the Sharks in one of next Saturday’s semi-finals, but for the first quarter of the match they where in real danger of finishing bottom and having to play a relegation-promotion match to retain their status in the Premier Division.

They trailed by 10 points and were on the ropes as the Lions ran everything. However they regrouped, improved their defensive accuracy and attacking potency to emerge comfortable victors after a testing first 60 minutes.

Mention must be made of Morne Steyn’s goal-kicking, which has been poor this season. The flyhalf amassed 22 points with his boot, many of those kicks from difficult angles.

The Lions, who had already qualified for a home play-off, played with a freedom that reflected their unassailable log position, spreading the ball at most opportunities. They also benefited from Butch James’s pin-point goalkicking – the flyhalf landing two penalties before they scored a try that was birthed deep in their half and featured slick interplay.

But that was as good as it got for the Lions, the Bulls pegging them back through Steyn’s boot before they matched the Lions’ try for wow-factor – Jacques Potgieter cutting the defensive line at speed before offloading to Bjorn Basson to score. Steyn banked the conversion and a couple of penalties to give the Bulls a 22-16 half-time lead.

The Lions had opted to rest a string of their first-choice players, but some of those were introduced and their influence was immediate. Twice they came away from the Bulls’ 22m with points, James sinking a brace of penalties to level the score. However, the Bulls cut loose once more to regain the lead, Arno Botha feeding Jano Vermaak with a pass that appeared to drift forward. Steyn converted from the touchline to take his side seven points ahead.

But the Lions responded brilliantly and instantly, driving into the Bulls’ red zone through intelligent, speedy and powerful phase play before Anthony Volmink wriggled out of a tackle en route to scoring. James kicked his seventh successful goal of the evening to level the scores at 29-29.

With 20 minutes to play, Botha emerged from an impressive rolling maul and powered over the line and four minutes later the Bulls pounced on a senseless quick lineout feed in the Lions’ 22m, Dewald Potgiter crossing the chalk for the try that broke the defending champions’ resistance.

Akona Ndungane gathered another wayward pass shortly thereafter to pave the way for them to put 50 on their Gauteng rivals and set up what has the potential to be a spectacle of note against the Sharks.


358 Comments

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  • 1.RL: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 18:26 pm

    This is going to be fun especially after the brokeback vs cheats bore-A-match.

  • 2.i_love_u_bakkiesbotha: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 18:36 pm

    @RL-1:

    This used to be a funhouse
    But now it’s full of evil clowns
    It’s time to start the countdown
    I’m gonna burn it down down down
    I’m gonna burn it down

  • 3.i_love_u_bakkiesbotha: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 18:37 pm

    or better yet:

    Welcome to the House of Fun
    Now I’ve come of age
    Welcome to the lion’s den
    Temptation’s on his way
    Welcome to the House of (Fun)

  • 4.i_love_u_bakkiesbotha: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 18:40 pm

    just do enough to win bulls
    save your best for last

  • 5.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 18:54 pm

    Can this match live up to the thrashing of the Cheets :-) Or will the Bulls come stone last.

  • 6.RL: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 18:56 pm

    Bakkies your team will have to face the guppies in the semi final and if by some miracle they make it out the alive they will then face my Lions in the final.

  • 7.blik: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 18:56 pm

    Bulls will win.

    Where’s Andries Coetzee?

  • 8.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 18:59 pm

    Judging by the team selected by the Lions they have sacrificed this game to keep their top players fresh. for the playoff.

    The Bulls by plenty.

  • 9.RL: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 18:59 pm

    @mikeybrass-5: oi you not too bright are you. Look at the table and tell me how the hell the FS can overtake the Bullies even if the Bullies lose.

  • 10.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:01 pm

    @RL-9: Points difference isnt it? Long shot sure but feasible?

  • 11.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:03 pm

    @RL-9: I saw the table on screen shown by the commentators, twit. Bulls are in last position.

  • 12.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:04 pm

    @stormersboy-10: If the Bulletjies lose without a bonus point.

  • 13.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:04 pm

    LAmbie runing away from Jantjes in the votes for Bok 10 :mrgeen:

  • 14.RL: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:04 pm

    @stormersboy-10: wins > than PD

  • 15.RL: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:06 pm

    @mikeybrass-11: old mans eyes – Cheets are stone last!

    @sharks_lover-13: it took you all day to vote for Lambster over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Pffffft Lambchops Lover.

  • 16.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:08 pm

    @RL-14: OK.

  • 17.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:08 pm

    Good move by the Lions to rest some players, bet they have been told to not put their bodies on the line for this game either

    Well that’s what I would tell them if I was coach, actually I would also have them playing in kilts lol.

  • 18.i_love_u_bakkiesbotha: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:09 pm

    @RL-6:
    nothing they havn’t faced before, rl

  • 19.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:10 pm

    @Treehugger-17: Kilts lol.

  • 20.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:10 pm

    @RL-15: that was me, I just added my vote for him.

  • 21.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:12 pm

    @Stormersboy, will make the game interesting :mrgreen: and then I took Dawns love for the kilt into account.

  • 22.RL: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:15 pm

    @Treehugger-20: 10 times by mistake I bet :win:

  • 23.viewer: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:16 pm

    No man 3 – 0

  • 24.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:18 pm

    @RL-15: No, only if the Bulls lose. The log on tv and news24 agrees.

  • 25.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:18 pm

    @mikeybrass-24: Only if the Bulls win or get a bonus point.

  • 26.viewer: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:20 pm

    0 – 3 Morne is finished at Test level

  • 27.RL: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:21 pm

    @mikeybrass-24: senile old man. The log on supersport.com says otherwise and wins count before point difference.

  • 28.viewer: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:22 pm

    3 trick pony – kick for posts; line kicks; kick up & under

  • 29.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:23 pm

    @Pussycat…you can only vote once, have tried :twisted:

  • 30.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:23 pm

    Lions6-3Bools

  • 31.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:24 pm

    tryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Lionssssssssssssss

  • 32.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:25 pm

    this is gonna be real funny if the Bulls lose here

  • 33.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:26 pm

    Butch showng his clAss

  • 34.viewer: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:26 pm

    Yikes Butch, you’re doing a Brad Thorn late in your career

  • 35.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:27 pm

    Min 14
    Try Rhodes
    Good defence by Ndungane and Kirchner though,,,,

  • 36.viewer: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:28 pm

    Something isn’t right at the Bulls. Sitting in the stands, you can see the body language & sense that they are flat

  • 37.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:28 pm

    Butch is on fire :lol:

  • 38.i_love_u_bakkiesbotha: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:30 pm

    i honestly do not understand where craig joubert gets his repution from as a ref.

  • 39.kaksioek: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:31 pm

    This could get ugly for the Bulls.

  • 40.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:31 pm

    @sharks_lover-37: Morne on the other hand….

  • 41.viewer: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:32 pm

    Hell, Morne can’t pop them over from 50 metres anymore. Straight in front

  • 42.kaksioek: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:32 pm

    @i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-38: The Kiwis gave it to him in exchange for services rendered :wink:

  • 43.i_love_u_bakkiesbotha: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:34 pm

    @kaksioek-42:
    you know what they say about ‘strange things being true’.. :wink:

  • 44.trupisero: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:34 pm

    mmmmm….HKGK….can the Lions B-team last the distance?

  • 45.14261774: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:34 pm

    lions gameplan: run them into the ground for 60mins, and then get the bench onto the field and punish them some more

  • 46.mikeybrass: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:40 pm

    @RL-27: Try taking your 45 tablets and blame the Supersport tv people who put the log up that I quoted. I take no responsibility for whether they got it right or not, old ****.

  • 47.i_love_u_bakkiesbotha: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:44 pm

    yes

    yes

  • 48.i_love_u_bakkiesbotha: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:45 pm

    yes

  • 49.victoriabok: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:45 pm

    Tarzan van Despatch!

  • 50.RL: Reply to this comment
    13 Oct 2012, 19:49 pm

    @mikeybrass-46: look you old fossil – it makes no difference cause the Lions are throwing this match to get the Bullies into the semi’s.

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