Steyn slays Stormers
22 Feb 2013
Morne Steyn kicked the Bulls to a winning Super Rugby start as the hosts easily beat the Stormers.
The Bulls won 25-17 after leading 9-0 at half time.
A Loftus crowd of 44 272 watched the opening match to the South African season.
The match was poor in quality with both teams a mess in the line outs and ineffective on attack among the backs.
Defence was good and the physicality was, as always, prominent, but neither side threatened with ball in hand. The backs on both sides moved it too lateral and this was a match won in the trenches by the more dominant and composed pack.
The Bulls at scrum and in the collisions were the stronger and superior team, especially in the first 40 minutes. The go forward and momentum was with the Bulls for the majority of the match and despite a brief rally from the Stormers after half time the visitors offered little.
Stormers captain Jean de Villiers admitted afterwards the better team on the night had won and that the Stormers had been forced into too many mistakes.
Steyn, man of the match, kicked seven from seven, and impressed with a composed and mature tactical kicking game. Steyn, with his forwards in charge, controlled the game and the Bulls played the match in the right areas of the field.
There was very little flow to the game and it wasn’t helped because of periods in which there were uncontested scrums. This favoured the Stormers whose pack took a beating.
Elton Jantjies suffered in his debut for the Stormers and one felt for the young Bok flyhalf, who suffered the tragic loss of his father less than a month ago. Jantjies is an outstanding goal kicker with a Super Rugby career average of 80 percent, but his radar never functioned and he missed four successive penalty kicks. Joe Petersen was introduced for Gio Aplon and kicked all three efforts, but the match was one influenced by the Bulls forward effort and sealed by Steyn’s flawless goal kicking.
Steyn and Pierre Spies excelled for the hosts, and predictably Victor Matfield’s planning in combating Andries Bekker and the Stormers line out paid dividend. It was also aided by Deon Fourie’s experiencing a night at hooker the equal of Jantjies’s goal kicking.
Jean de Villiers was a strong presence for the Stormers and Bryan Habana’s night did not lack for effort. Siya Kolisi was the best of the Stormers loose-forwards but with the Bulls, as a unit, the more cohesive and impressive up front, Steyn was good enough to slay the Stormers.
By Mark Keohane
613 Comments
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23 Feb 2013, 15:01 pm
@I am a stormer-543: I’m sure you’ll bounce back after this one. We needed this though from a confidence point of view. @Heavens Game-540: it happens quite easily at Loftus. Watched a Friday game there a couple of years back that started out as breakfast at Eastwoods. Never again……eina bliksem.
23 Feb 2013, 15:01 pm
@I am a stormer-548: Twasnt me… Strues.
I dont do Trademarx.
But if you saw a good looking aryan farker with a bit of a farked up accent with a Pommie inflection relieving himself in the middle of B field…
I may have to put my hand up…
23 Feb 2013, 15:01 pm
@Heavens Game-550:
Lol, yes, please put the don’t in, lest I be mistaken for a pimp
23 Feb 2013, 15:03 pm
@Heavens Game-552: Paalpister?
23 Feb 2013, 15:03 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-551:
Suppose it ended as a Sunday lunch
23 Feb 2013, 15:04 pm
Pakistan weet nie meer waar om te stani.
23 Feb 2013, 15:04 pm
HG
I can appreciate that but actually going so far as to wear the colours of the Stormers’ opposition illustrates the extent of your unhealthy obsession with the Stormers…what will you do when the Stormers play the Kings? Push a spear up your behind?
23 Feb 2013, 15:04 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-554: No… Die Pale were nowhere near…
Twas in the center meneer Venter…
Allegedly
23 Feb 2013, 15:05 pm
@nortierd-555: thankfully not but I had a babelaas until then.
23 Feb 2013, 15:07 pm
@Heavens Game-552:
Normally go to Eastwoods but decided on Trademarx this time around. As you said, there are plenty pretty poppies in P’town. It was a long day – and thank god for goodfellas.
23 Feb 2013, 15:07 pm
@nama1-504:
Steggie was rusted and not his old self, combined with ineffective Spies that was a give away
They should start with Ano Botha imo, the Stormers were stronger there although both loose trio were pathetic in general, the difference maker was Peyper, about 12-15 points to the Stormers.
Kirchner is good as a good joke, and Basson the defender tackling of Aplon (once) was the highlight of the match.
I missed on my margins of 10, but the Stormers better remember that at the Playoffs they may not have the services of Pyper, Jonker, Joubert or Pro Legota.
And then what?
23 Feb 2013, 15:07 pm
@Rage-557:
He doesn’t need a match to take place for that to happen.
Normal Friday evening S&M ritual for our Shark friend.
23 Feb 2013, 15:07 pm
@Rage-557: Nope… It was supporting the team of the City I live in… Simple.
The fact that the opposition was the Stormers just made it that much sweeter when supporting the underdog…
No, I wont be wearing a Force jersey today… But I will be opening a can of whoopas mixed with schadenfreude when the Bantustan Kings catch their first smack after a real super rugby game has been played already between the Dynamite and Vrystaat…
Simples…
23 Feb 2013, 15:08 pm
@Rage-557:
I don’t call him Bullshark for nothing! He wears that lable with pride.
23 Feb 2013, 15:09 pm
@I am a stormer-560: Not a kak call in Pretoria nowadays.
23 Feb 2013, 15:09 pm
@Hondo-561: Exactly right… Even with Peyper on their side, the “favourites” got fuckedup last night… It was schweeet
23 Feb 2013, 15:10 pm
@I am a stormer-560: A verry long day… And long morning too…
Now for the main game in 1hr 20 mins…
23 Feb 2013, 15:12 pm
@nortierd-562: Nearly got it right… You just forgot to mention the cohort of dwarves…
No S&M session complete without a few little people to toss…
23 Feb 2013, 15:14 pm
@Heavens Game-568:
So you have small hands?
@Heavens Game-563:
Pity the Kings are playing the same time as the Eng v France match.
6 Nations match will be the better choice to watch
23 Feb 2013, 15:17 pm
@nortierd-569: Maybe… But I got farken big feet…
23 Feb 2013, 15:19 pm
@Heavens Game-570:
Ha ha
If you ever decide to change your nick, may I suggest changing it to Zoolander
23 Feb 2013, 15:20 pm
…and a farken long nose
23 Feb 2013, 15:24 pm
@nortierd-571: Ja nortie ja…
@Rage-572: Not really… Was quite a Roman nose a long while back… But is quite skwonky now…
So, more crooked than long… capishe?
23 Feb 2013, 15:27 pm
Outtahere…
Nearly time for the main game…
Warmups… Elbow stretching before full contact.
23 Feb 2013, 15:30 pm
@Heavens Game-574:
Enjoy, and I would have said good luck, but obviously when it comes to the BOOM Dynamite, no luck involved or necessary
23 Feb 2013, 15:44 pm
@Heavens Game-574:
I note that gift that keeps on giving affords you the means to keep them on their backfeet with all their expected defeat and the accompanying moans, groans, loans and chuck in some sloans.
Enjoy this but you should be doing it often this season.
23 Feb 2013, 15:45 pm
Kings 4 Life!!!
can’t wait to get to the Slaghuis
yeehaaaaaa Super Rugby is here
23 Feb 2013, 15:50 pm
@Transformation-577:
You going to watch live Transie?
23 Feb 2013, 15:59 pm
@nortierd-578: yes Nortie gates open @ 16:30 big screen to show the guppy vs states match & THEN it’s SHOWTIME!!!!!!
People are excited, jostling for last minute tickets….
23 Feb 2013, 16:01 pm
Good effort bulls still a lot of work to do.
Some players looked very rusty.
Interesting to see the Stormers vaunted loose trio bossed.
Didn’t expect that.
Didn’t expect to dominate the scrums either.
But we’ll take the win.
23 Feb 2013, 16:02 pm
Kings! Kings! Kings! Kings !
History boys !
Die vleis is gespice
Die bier is op ice
Super rugby in die Baai!
Die Here is goed .
23 Feb 2013, 16:02 pm
@Transformation-577:
hahaha at Slaghuis!
That’s kak funny.
You also going through your warm-up routine? Enjoy the day.
23 Feb 2013, 16:03 pm
@Transformation-579:
Some shisa nyama outside the ground followed by some quiet lagers
Enjoy you guys have waited a long time!
23 Feb 2013, 16:05 pm
@Transformation-579:
Enjoy boet
Good luck to your side
Hope the stadium is packed out.
23 Feb 2013, 16:08 pm
@gunther-580:
The Stormers have plenty work to do ths coming week. There will be some gruelling training sessions ahead – plenty af-kak.
Trust you have been savouring the victory.
And it’s good to see the Proteas on top of things. Again. Despite prostestations from those who said it won’t be done.
23 Feb 2013, 16:08 pm
@cosca-581:
sjoe ma jys omtrent excited
23 Feb 2013, 16:11 pm
@I am a stormer-585:
Who is Abbott and where does he come from?
Watching the cricket now and see this bloke bowling, no clue who or what or where he is from
23 Feb 2013, 16:14 pm
@cosca-581:
Enjoy and good luck to the Kings
23 Feb 2013, 16:15 pm
@nortierd-587:
He’s a laaitie from the Dolphins. Also never heard of him. But he was the leading wicket taker in the 4-day comp at a very impressive average. He was also surprised to get a call-up when Kallis pulled up lame.
23 Feb 2013, 16:21 pm
@Heavens Game-566:
I compounded that Peyper factor too, as a counterweight to the detrimental effect of Jantjies on the Stormers, but Bekker’s try ruined my earnings, but then when Kirchner and Mapoe are in his way, what would you expect?
23 Feb 2013, 16:24 pm
@I am a stormer-589:
Oooohkaaay
Thanks, never heard of him or saw him before.
Shows how much I know ( or more specifically don’t know) about domestic cricket at the moment.
23 Feb 2013, 16:28 pm
@I am a stormer-585:
The young bowling bowling talent coming through sounds very encouraging.
23 Feb 2013, 16:31 pm
@nortierd-591:
and he grabs another.
23 Feb 2013, 16:32 pm
@gunther-580:
“nteresting to see the Stormers vaunted loose trio bossed.”
That was expected, or wasn’t it?
Spies and Steggie are a spent force, ineffective, more so with their rather soft tight five
I thought that playing Pottie, Arno Botha and Stander would have been a far better option, the Bulls loose Trio nearly cost their team the match
23 Feb 2013, 16:33 pm
@nortierd-591:
and another – what a debut!
23 Feb 2013, 16:34 pm
Abbott on a hattie.
Where is ou Drieballas?
23 Feb 2013, 16:38 pm
Kolisi looked to me to play without much motivation or passion yesterday. He appeared to be merely going through the motions for much of the 2nd. half.
Is there something amiss? Is he trying to indicate that he may not accept his bench role when the like of Schalk return or possibly the persistence of playing him with slowcoach ,’domkrag’-types like Elstadt and DV(who truly cannot do that job or play the genuine loose-forward role in that unbalanced trio)?
The best advice to Siya would be to return to the E.Cape as there he and even Carr will be more able to express themselves as loose-forwards in the role they desire.
That blond Schalk look-alike Devon Oost does not compare favourably to either loose-forward I advise to move. Their learning curve will move upward measurably with all the opportunities they will get in the E.Cape.
23 Feb 2013, 16:41 pm
@Hondo-594:
Well Stander is gone so no crying over spilt milk.
Once Potgeiter limped off Spies Botha and Steggies outplayed their counterparts.
Much to my surprise.
Fourie was a disgrace at hooker for the Briesers.
23 Feb 2013, 16:41 pm
@gunther-596:
BEHIND YOU!!
23 Feb 2013, 16:44 pm
Dit lyk vir my asof die gatkruiperige ************* ‘n slagoffer van ‘n skedel wat vergruis is, wil wees.
Kan die onkultuurde met my gesels in ‘n ware Suid Afrikaanse taal?
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