Bulls crowned U21 champs
27 Oct 2012
GARETH DUNCAN saw the Blue Bulls ease to a 22-13 win over WP in U21 provincial final.
It was rather a one-sided contest for most parts of the match. The Blue Bulls dominated physically on attack and defence, limiting an unimposing Province outfit.
Dominance up front has been the Pretoria team’s main strength all season, and it’s helped them record a highly successful campaign as they’ve only lost two games out of 14 fixtures.
Blue Bulls crowed the U21 champions
It was a battle of the boots in the first half as Bulls flyhalf Christian Schoeman traded penalties with WP fullback Cheslin Kolbe. Schoeman slotted four of his five goal attempts to give his team a 12-6 lead at the break.
The Bulls grabbed a telling score early in the second stanza as wing Damian van Wyk was put into space out wide. Schoeman added the extras to secure a comfortable 19-6 advantage.
The game was won when reserve pivot Tony Jantjies kicked a 69th-minute penalty.
Province managed to score a consolation try at the death, with wing Clearance Khumalo showing great speed and vision to latch onto a chip ahead before beating the covering defence with an inside side step to dive over.
Blue Bulls U21s 22 (12) – Try: Damian van Wyk. Conversion: Christian Schoeman. Penalties: Schoeman (4), Tony Jantjies.
WP U21s 13 (6) – Try: Clearance Khumalo. Conversion: Cheslin Kolbe. Penalties: Kolbe (2).
14 Comments
27 Oct 2012, 20:59 pm
Thank goodness for the u21`s winning their final v wp at least we have something in the trophy cabinet,but it is poor reward for a season`s rugby.I hope next year will be a better year for the bullsand we will win trophies.
27 Oct 2012, 21:14 pm
The Province under 21s won the Currie Cup in the main fixture
27 Oct 2012, 21:20 pm
Pietie very funny you should be on the stage.
27 Oct 2012, 23:56 pm
With our 7 or so u21s playing for the senior side, not to mention injured players like Kolisi and Carr being out, I’m happy with us coming so close.
Still amazing to think Etzebeth could’ve played in this. Think if Bulls u21s had seen him pre-match they wouldn’t have bothered stepping out onto the pitch…
28 Oct 2012, 08:41 am
Add Etzebeth, Kitshoff, Malherbe, Ntubeni to that side and I doubt the Bulls would’ve bossed WP.
Then again, without those I don’t think WP would’ve won the CC either… So I’ll take the CC, thankyouverymuch.
28 Oct 2012, 08:53 am
bulls u21′s won last season, where were those wp players then?
matfield calling this a special u21 side
28 Oct 2012, 08:53 am
@lepel-5: And de Allende….and vd Sluys (the U/21 captain…..who sat on the bench for the senior team in the final)
John Dobson and his U/21′s would have smashed all comers with a full team.
28 Oct 2012, 08:57 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-6: Our U/21′s DID beat your U/21 side this year mate. At Loftus……forgotten about that? Twas a Friday evening..
It is a great Bulls team though…..granted.
The stregth in junior rugby rests with the Traditional powerhouses.
28 Oct 2012, 09:06 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-8:
and the bulls beat you at newlands, what is your point?
the bulls u21 has been the strongest side over the past 2 seasons. That is my point. And the wp players that weren’t there yesterday were there last year.
28 Oct 2012, 09:13 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-6: It is a special side – a lot of SA U/20 players as well. I do some times feel that the “senior” guys stepping down to the U/21s from the CC, try and do too much on their own e.g Francois Venter especially. I can recall one moment specfically when the Bulls had a huge overlap but Venter tried to score on his own and he didn’t. The one commentator called it “criminal” at the time.
28 Oct 2012, 09:16 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-9: Chill out Brig. Your team is a good one……a very good one. And at this stage, as a team, the best in the country.
In terms of quality U/21 players, do not ignore the challenge of the WP though…
@CharlesM-10: Venter does have those tendencies, even at senior level. But a quality player no doubt.
28 Oct 2012, 09:25 am
Venter at his best reminds me very much of stirling mortlock and his mini angles he’d run. Does look like he feels as if he needs to almost showoff at times.
SA backs are generally so poor at making the easy plays, ie…putting the ball through hands. no need for the double skip passes half the time. Draw your man and pass. Hell, even Ludik botched at the death yesterday.
28 Oct 2012, 09:28 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-12:
I’d use dejong as an excellent senior example. The bloke can’t make a pass and put a player in space.
28 Oct 2012, 09:32 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-13: But he can step off both feet, hand off the ‘Christian Cullen’ of loosies and guppie of the year Coetzee simultaneously, whilst fooling Mvovo and burning Ludik……. Beautiful to watch wasn’t it?
Most SA backs need ‘Back to basic backline play Boot Camp’.
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