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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13 Oct 2012, 21:18 pm
That was a good win for the bulls are we starting to show a bit of form now,that performance was there best game for weeks and the win was deserved.The lions tried hard but were beaten by a better and hungrier team on the day.That game ccould have ended badly for the bulls,but it ended ok.Next weeks semi against the sharks is a one off game so the bulls must be in with a 50-50 chance of winning.I am sure the sharks would rather have played griquas in the semi instead of the bullsGo bulls and klap the guppies.
13 Oct 2012, 21:20 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-100:
You’re probably right.
More like a Sharks v Province final in Durban.
13 Oct 2012, 21:22 pm
Potgieter and Morne had good games. Probably just shows how far beneath test rugby Currie Cup has become.
13 Oct 2012, 21:24 pm
@I am a stormer-102:
13 Oct 2012, 21:27 pm
WP=Bulls final
Newlands.
High fives all round
13 Oct 2012, 21:31 pm
#103 gecko All the returning boks made a big difference to the team and it showed in their play,their was a bit of confidence today something that has been lacking for weeks now,hopefully they can take this form and confidence into next weeks semi and they will klap the sharks.
13 Oct 2012, 21:34 pm
@106 Jacques Potgieter should be nowhere near any Bok team. And frankly nor should Steyn. He will just kick all Bok ball away.
13 Oct 2012, 21:36 pm
@stormersboy-105: Reckon so!
Watch HG sound off all week now.
13 Oct 2012, 21:38 pm
@mikeybrass-108: I’d really rather not quite frankly.
13 Oct 2012, 21:43 pm
#107 gecko Why are you going on about the boks this is CC rugby we are on about and i write again all the returning bok players made a difference to the bulls play and helped them to a win.
13 Oct 2012, 21:47 pm
Because the point I made in 103 is the Bold form in this game just showed how many levels below test rugby the Currie Cup had become.
13 Oct 2012, 21:57 pm
there you have it.. Boks are still fck’d without a fly half.. told you so don’t even pass mustard here
between Jantjies, Lambie and Morne Steyn Boks are fck’d for another 4 years until they find somebody big and bold enough to take the game forward..
Jantjies actually fck’d up Lions chances.. they should have left their backline as it was except Mapoe should have been on at half time not Jantjies then Lions might have won.
I said it last week I don’t want Jantjies at WP and now I’m shouting it out loud and clear.. fck off Jantjies rather go to sharkshits pretty please.
Its a goddamn nightmare unfolding when Lambie pambie is the best stand off five eighths in the country then we got serious problems for another whole 4 years and counting..
13 Oct 2012, 22:03 pm
Now watch Bulletjies fck up Sharkshits next week in the guppy tank.. what everybody going to be singing then.. bring back Morne que sera sera
13 Oct 2012, 22:48 pm
Steyn getting his mojo back!! He’s a great kicker of the ball and just needs to adapt and vary a few things in his game. He also needs his confidence back and his forwards to dominate. Played well tonight and outshone Butch. Elton was also **** when he came on (runs across the field too much). Goosen’s the future (barring injury) with Lambie as back up.
13 Oct 2012, 22:58 pm
Butch was outplaying Morne till Jantjies came on and stuffed up the entire Lions back line pushing Butch out to center and killing the momentum Lions had before.
Mapoe should have come on and Butch should have stayed at 10 and Lions probably would have won.
Boks are still stuffed without a fly half.. if I have to choose between Steyn and Jantjies and Lambie it would have to be Lambie but that is just like choosing the best out of a lousy bunch of options.. none of them are what the Boks are actually looking for.
13 Oct 2012, 23:50 pm
haha, snoeky is right for a change.
wp you are welcome to elton, he is no lambie thats for sure.
pat is 80% better tha elton and butch is 40% better than him.
if elton comes to the sharks, he can ride the bench baby yeah!
13 Oct 2012, 23:52 pm
@Braders-114: no buddy, butch had it all under control until he was shifted to 12 then the lions fell apart.
elton was awful.
he is my gift to wp.
pat is the man, whooohoooo!
14 Oct 2012, 00:11 am
@rangerman-116:
yup Skopshyte is correct re the Lions match, WP can hev him, i prefer LAmbie 100times over,
Mapoe also should been on the field longer for the Lions.
14 Oct 2012, 00:15 am
@sharks_lover-118: agree about mapoo poo.
but elton can jol for wp, pat is a better player.
dont want elton at the sharks.
14 Oct 2012, 02:04 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-90:
“jacques potgieter had a cracker”
What’s that?
A new kind of drug in Tswane?
14 Oct 2012, 02:08 am
@rangerman-119:
“agree about mapoo poo”
What does that even mean?
MAPOE.
That’s his name. I’m sure you know that. .
14 Oct 2012, 05:20 am
@nama1-121:
Nama, I always say it every now and then that Rangerman’s guard does come down sometime and true colours come out. He is generally smarter though in tying to musk it than crude racists like Hondo. LOL.
14 Oct 2012, 08:41 am
Some of you are being a bit silly, mocking a player or changing his name is NOT racial, it is done with white players as well. You are just looking for problems where there arnt any.
14 Oct 2012, 08:56 am
So, according to many of the local yokels with the same tunnel vision as the Bok coach, the mighty Blou Ballas are just going to march to Kings Park and walk all over the Black and White as a matter of course…
On the basis of beating a Lions 2nd team in the last 20 mins of the game?
Fark, wouldn’t it be funny if Lambie the “fullback” scores most of the points and sends them marching straight back to Pretoria with Blue cow tails between legs after being handed the biggest fuckswipe in CC history…
Surely it cant happen? Wonder who the ref for this game might be – SARU must be thinking about protecting the interests of the “Traditional Powers” already….
14 Oct 2012, 09:12 am
Morne kicked the Lions to pieces….. On a good day can kick any team out of the game…. Goold luck Sharkies
14 Oct 2012, 09:12 am
Surely we have to fear for Keegan…
Obviously he is too small for the Giants of Blou Ballas might?
Those towering Titans such as Jacques Potgieter are going to use him as a doormat?
The Sharks front row will never withstand the frightening Blou Ballas power at scrum time, surely?
The locks have no hope against the aerial Luftwaffe supremacy at lineout time, for the Ballas have 2 magnificent Boks… Surely the Sharks will roll over?
And the clincher at halfback… Reinach and McLeod plus Lambie the “Fullback” facing the daunting, supreme Bokke almal Vermaak and Hougaard plus Steyn the “complete” 10….
It aint gonna be pretty… Blou Ballas superiority stamped all over this one… The Johnny come Latelies are no hopers in this semi… Maybe they just need to roll over and concede already….
Farkit nearly forgot about Zane… Ludik got no flies on this towering supreme example of a Bok fullback… Hehe
14 Oct 2012, 09:16 am
@Heavens Game-126: And im gonna be there to watch it go down
14 Oct 2012, 09:18 am
Sharks team for the weekend!
Is Plum going to load the team with the big players?? I wonder??
14 Oct 2012, 09:25 am
And then the midfield…
What hope Jordaan, Whitehead and or Bosman against JJ Engelbrecht – a towering Bok, lets not forget – and one other huge bit of Blue Bully beef…?
Out wide – the Bok failure Mvovo and JPP – who surely would not be a Bok now since Hougaard has dazzled out wide for Green and Gold on the International stage against possibly Hougaard and Basson…. Sharks surely are no hopers here…
Its the Bok A’s vs the Bok rejects… Surely the Bulls will show that Meyer’s so called blinkered thinking is truly right and justify Heyneke…
Its traditional power mortarbomb rugby vs upstart cavaliers…How dare the Sharks try make rugby exciting under the auspices of the CC with a legacy of 10 man power supremacy… Who’s gonna win – surely not the Johnny come Latelys… hehe
14 Oct 2012, 09:25 am
I have a feeling this will be the team come Saturday for the Sharks.
15 Ludick
14 JPP
13 Jordaan
12 Whitehead
11 Mvovo
10 Lambie
09 Reinach
08 Daniel
07 Alberts
06 Coetzee
05 Bresler
04 Jandre
03 Jannie
02 Burden
01 Beast
16 Cooper
17 Herbst
18 Chadwick/Peet Marais
19 PSDT
20 Deysel
21 Mcleod
22 Bosman
14 Oct 2012, 09:27 am
@Heavens Game-129: Difference is Steyn wont be playing at Loftus !!
14 Oct 2012, 09:27 am
@sharks_lover-127: Me too most probably… If not then will definitely be down at KP for the final
14 Oct 2012, 09:31 am
@Heavens Game-132: maybe will see you there then, lol
14 Oct 2012, 09:34 am
It might be wise in this game though to play Keegs off the bench, Imagine this forward pack
1 Beast
2 Burden (eish Bissy)
3 Jannie
4 Jandre
5 Bresler
6 Coetzee
7 Deysel (CAPT)
8 Alberts
bench forwards
Cooper, Peet, Psdt, Daniel
14 Oct 2012, 09:36 am
Why i would choose that loose trio is the balls also do not have a fetcher, and also do not have fast loose forwards, Well Botha is quite quick, but so is Coetzee.
That would be a big pack of forwards for the Sharks though, and also Cooper might start ahead of Burden
14 Oct 2012, 09:38 am
Another swop you might see Plum make for this kind of match is JPP moving to 13 and Jordaan to wing
14 Oct 2012, 09:39 am
Blue Bulls – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Hougaardt, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Dewald Potgieter (c), 5 Flip van der Merwe, 4 Juandre Kruger, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle , 1 .Dean Greyling.
Subs: 16 Willie Wepener , 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Snyman, 21 Louis Fouche, 22 Serfontein
14 Oct 2012, 09:41 am
@phil72-137: Gonna be a massive game.
Thats a very good Bulls team
14 Oct 2012, 09:45 am
@sharks_lover-130: Lets look at that starting side vs the Bulls probables:
15 Ludick vs Zane – of course adv Bulls… Zane is a Bok legend
14 JPP vs Basson – adv Bulls… Bjorn is awesome, would have been a Bok
13 Jordaan vs JJ – adv Bulls… Jordaan far too small obviously to cope with the Giant JJ
12 Whitehead vs Venter – adv Bulls… Whitehead too soutie and therefore bangbroek to play properly.
11 Mvovo vs Hougaard – of kors adv Bulls… Hougaard is Bok wing…. Hes the best
10 Lambie vs Steyn – hahahahahaha… The “Fullback” vs the very very best complete 10… adv Bulls
09 Reinach vs Vermaak – adv Bulls… Vermaak is a Bok
08 Daniel vs Arno – hehehehehehehe… Arno is now the 2nd best Bok 8 according to Heyneke… Fark me Keegan will be embarrassed and just roll over because hes also a bangbroek soutie… adv Bulls
07 Alberts vs Potgieter – adv Bulls… Bone Collector vs Bok Tarzan – no contest
06 Coetzee vs Slangkos – adv Bulls… Slangkos is Bulls cappie… Coetzee surely will shithispants
05 Bresler vs Kruger – adv Bulls… Kruger is legend… Bresler is pisswilly too skinny
04 Jandre vs Flip – adv Bulls… Flip got a bigger backside than the whole of Marais… No contest
03 Jannie vs Dee Aan – adv Bulls… Greyling would have been a Bok over Beast if not for his honest mistake already
02 Burden vs Chili – adv Bulls… Burden too English. That means hes too soft
01 Beast vs Werner – adv Bulls… Beast been overrated for too long now… Kruger gonna rip him a new one…
Hehehehe
14 Oct 2012, 09:45 am
@sharks_lover-138:
50/50 Game… Kicking will be very important
14 Oct 2012, 09:46 am
@nama1-121: @Peter Mkata-122: ag settle down zanu-pf.
you wet blankets are oh so sensitive about mapoo poo the merc.
is it coz he is bleck?
14 Oct 2012, 09:47 am
Good win by the Bulls, and well done to them. They probably deserved it, but not by that margin. Brain implosion by the Lions towards the end gifted them 14 points. WTF was that quick throw in rubbish that gave Potgieter his try? And as for that Butch fumble and tap back into Ndungane’s path. Rubbish.
But none of that compares to the Level 5 Morons we employ as TMOs. Seriously, they got it horribly wrong with Bekker’s try, and in this game they truly fcked up the decision on the Vermaak try. Those weren’t even tough calls to make. This is what happens when you take the “referees” that aren’t deemed good enough to carry the whistle and stick them in a box with a TV and a mic. Our TMOs are the laughing stock of world rugby.
And speaking of laughing stock… Ross Cronje? Really? Is he our scrumhalf? That’s some fcked up sht there.
14 Oct 2012, 09:51 am
Any news on where Mapoe will be applying his trade next year?
14 Oct 2012, 09:51 am
@sharks_lover-136: Nope… JPP for the mortarbomb skiet die wolke raining down… With possibly Odwa starting on the other wing for the same purpose…
14 Oct 2012, 09:53 am
@phil72-140: Of kors kicking is important… to the Bulls… Sharks cant kick – especially Lambie the “fullback” so they might just have to run and keep the ball against great odds…
14 Oct 2012, 09:54 am
@Heavens Game-139:
hehehehe
14 Oct 2012, 09:54 am
I have a huge problem with Joel Stransky’s commentary.
The bottomline is that he has a philosophical problem with the Bulls gameplan. He doesn’t believe in the high kick philosophy.
The problem is that he let’s this distaste with their gameplan permeate every comment he makes on the game.
And it leads him to misread the game, and ignore the blatantly obvious in favour of his bias.
For example:
Last night he kept moaning about the Bulls high bombs, despite the Lions not being able to field half the kicks, and Ndungane and co winning a high percentage of them back in attacking positions.
When the Lions were playing well, it was the Bulls poor gameplan that got the flak from him. But when the Bulls gameplan started resulting in tries, it was suddenly just because the Lions were fielding a B team.
Before the game I said that the Bulls biggest advantage would be their very strong bench, which includes an entirely new front row in Kirsten, Rallapele and Greyling, included their regular starting lock Wilhelm Steenkamp, and CJ Stander and Francois Hougaard.
Stransky, though seemed oblivious to the Bulls bench, but took care to highlight that the Lions bench, which contained their “A players” would swing the game their way in the last quarter. No mention of the 3 or 4 Boks on the Bulls bench whatsoever.
I just shook my head in disbelief. When the Bulls duly brought on the Big Guns around the 60th minute and blew the Lions away, Stransky seemed flabbergasted, as if he could not believe what was happening.
Furthermore, the delight in his voice every time the Lions got some points was evident, as opposed to the disappointment and references to dubious passes or Lions mistakes whenever the Bulls scored.
Stransky is a biased commentator who is frankly unpleasant to listen to. I really want him removed from the commentating panel.
14 Oct 2012, 09:54 am
Pitty about Akona”s injury… was a monster chasing and collecting the high ball. Hopefully he will recover. And have to mention Chilli, he really looks hungry for some rugga
14 Oct 2012, 09:56 am
@katman-142: BAd luck KAtman,
Actually Lions lost it when they moved Butch to 12 and brought on Jantjes, I am not rubbish Jantjes with this point, but he didnt play well when he came on and sometimes you dont have to make changes just because you have subs to do so.
14 Oct 2012, 09:57 am
@phil72-148: Dont worry Odwa prolly also out injured, so both brothers prolly wont play
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