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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22 Feb 2013, 22:55 pm
@skopdiekan-295:
What are you talking about?
Vermeulen was taken out of the game utterly. Kolisi was hardly ever even seen.
The Bulls loosies dominated their Stormers counterparts. But as usual, this was mostly as a result of the domination by the front 5. Still, it is ludicrous to claim that the Stormers back row were even in the game, let alone “dominating the Bulls loosies”
22 Feb 2013, 22:56 pm
@Tacitus-293:
Yeah, of course. But if ballistics can show that you fire one from a slim angle, walk closer and fire 3 at a different angle, then I don’t know if that is a man under threat all of a sudden.
If that first shot from the passage missed. Reeva mostly likely screamed. she huddle as far from the door as possible, and the other 3 were at a different angle towards where she cowered and pretty grouped if you take into account where they hit, so Oscar got a better idea of where the occupant was after the first shot.
22 Feb 2013, 22:57 pm
@Tacitus-293:
> This idea that you pop off one speculative round and that this will somehow make the bad guy immediately disappear in a puff of smoke, that’s nonsense.
Hey it happens that way daily on television?
The best is when they stab a guy once with a knife smaller than a Swiss Army knife and he drops like an ox, as.s over tea kettle
22 Feb 2013, 22:57 pm
Mind u Becker and steenkamp not a bad combo – wtf bulls got in there pack – maybe some new blood – can’t see anything out here in Oxfordshire
Early doors yet – but big win for bulls no doubt
22 Feb 2013, 22:58 pm
@Tacitus-301:
Yep, the only Bulls try came from a barging Bulls loosie passage that took the ball from a Steggies gather in our half right up to the line, going through each loosies hands, it was on frmo there.
Other than that ours were everywhere, where was Kolisi? Practically nowhere.
22 Feb 2013, 22:58 pm
@Robzim-300: Botha was a cocky fck. He was arrogant and tried to be clever. Most of those questions Roux asked could have easily been handled with this line. “I don’t know it’s still being investigated or we still waiting on the results”. Don’t worry…. Mnr Nel’s got an ace up his sleeve. He milked the defense case on all their “positive” points.
22 Feb 2013, 22:59 pm
@Tacitus-296:
> Amazing performance by Mellet and Kirsten.
Hulle het my ook verbaas, ons kan Dean vir ‘n sub gebruik van nou af
22 Feb 2013, 22:59 pm
Stormers loose trio was better than Bulls all of them.
Bulls had upper hand in the tight but not in the loose ever.
Stormers problems are in the engine room front row and 2nd row. But in spite of that had we started with Pietersen or Duvenhage at 10 today and not Jantjes we would have
won.
22 Feb 2013, 23:00 pm
@victoriabok-294:
Yeah, Im just saying while the shooting was in progress, to change your vatange point like that is pretty incriminating, especially if it was the first round that missed.
22 Feb 2013, 23:01 pm
Congratulations to the Bulls and Bulls fans.
and the rugby was not to bright from both sides.
Back from Loftus and was a nice evening out.
The result sucked for me
Lots of work if we want to come close to the type of match we saw this morning.
22 Feb 2013, 23:04 pm
@Tuna-306:
Yeah, he said far too much, i agree. But who briefed him? I get so cross when they **** up like that… nearly the same as the Inge Lotz case here in Cape Town, total fark up by the police…
22 Feb 2013, 23:04 pm
@Robzim-300:
I’m not so sure. As they said, it’s a high profile case that could have had that delegated to assistants if he couldn’t get around to it.
Obviously they didn’t present half of the evidence, and even the postmortem result haven’t been confirmed, this issue of her empty bladder.
Did Reeva’s family charge for rape as well? They must’ve had the details from the postmortem then. That in itself doesn’t make him guilty, but proves conflict.
22 Feb 2013, 23:05 pm
@nortierd-310:
Dankie Nortie
As julle gewen het was jy seker nou nog by Sin Bin of Eastwood?
22 Feb 2013, 23:08 pm
@Anairetes agilis-309:
One step forward while shooting, the case hits a corner and flies in a totally different direction
22 Feb 2013, 23:09 pm
@Robzim-311: How do you brief the head investigator? Surely he must know his stuff? The thing he cocked up but valuable info was gathered by the state on how the defense will go forth with their case. Pistorius is going to sit…. it’s just how long is he going to sit. Also the Steenkamp family has info and they will come forth in the trail. They were very quiet.. Some interesting things still to come.
22 Feb 2013, 23:09 pm
@nortierd-310:
> and the rugby was not to bright from both sides.
> Lots of work if we want to come close to the type of match we saw this morning
Still early days, our big guys only get really match fit after about a month
We sure had a lot of injuries tonight
22 Feb 2013, 23:10 pm
@victoriabok-313:
Ha ha
Nee wat, ons parkeer sommer so 5 minute se loop by die een ou se huis wat hy as students digs ingerig het. Dan braai ons voor die tyd daar, maak n kap of twee, stap af, kyk die game, neem n nightcap gesels bietjie stront dan kies elkeen pad huis toe.
Baie gerieflik.
Hoe het die game op TV vertoon.
Dit was maar vrek vervelig en swak uit die paviljoen uit
22 Feb 2013, 23:11 pm
@victoriabok-314:
Unlikely at that angle, even if he was up against the wall, it’s around the corner, ejected into the passage.
And it seems more than a few steps, we wait for ballistic evidence, but I think Hilton Botha also could make out, even if he conceded that he wasn’t sure, that the shooter walked about 1.5m from the door and shot diagonally into the toilet to make sure he hit the occupant.
If the first bullet missed and was shot from the passage, you can’t explain that away.
22 Feb 2013, 23:11 pm
Wouldn’t say the Bulls loosies were better. Spies poor as usual then again Elstadt was worse.
22 Feb 2013, 23:13 pm
@W.P-319: Spies was better than Vermeulen tonight. Take of your goggles.
22 Feb 2013, 23:13 pm
@skopdiekan-308:
The Bulls did all the basics right and should have won further.
We started pathetic, right from the kick off we made our first mistake and didn’t stop making mistakes for the next 80 minutes.
We are in deep ****, Sharks will murder us next week and I shudder to think what the Chiefs will do to us the week after.
So after 3 games we are not going to be anywhere on the log
22 Feb 2013, 23:15 pm
What are you thoughts on the try awarded to the Bulls? If Hougie kicked a grubber – irrespective if a Stormers player touched it – should it be called offside? Does it differ to a charge down or was the decision correct?
22 Feb 2013, 23:15 pm
@nortierd-317:
Ons het altyd in Arcadia straat parkeer
Ek het die game op die rekenaar gevolg so tussen die werk deur, op die einde kom my f****n baas in en ek mis toe die einde
Ek het nie veel verwag van die game nie, ons jong stutte het beindruk
Die Blou truie is ook mooi, ek wonder watter kleur hulel alternatiewe trui is?
22 Feb 2013, 23:17 pm
@victoriabok-323:
Die nuwe trui wat ek jou Ge e-mail het is Maandag te koop in Pretoria.
Dalk gaan hulle dan daarmee begin speel ook
22 Feb 2013, 23:17 pm
@W.P-322:
No idea, but what I will say is that both teams scored some dodgy tries tonight. That try from De Villiers looked totally screwed up.
22 Feb 2013, 23:17 pm
@W.P-322: How about that try of the Stormers? Did you see that forward pass? They even had it in slow mo. Remember?
22 Feb 2013, 23:17 pm
Tuna, you’re taking in too much through the gills, Vermeulen wasn’t at his best but he tackled well, took the ball up and won a couple of turnovers. Spies had one bullocking run and missed tackles as usual. He was anonymous.
22 Feb 2013, 23:18 pm
@victoriabok-314:
3 Bullets:
Relatively small grouping; Reeva’s right ear, elbow, hip. Oscar must’ve been close for that.
1 Bullet:
Into the wall.
3 Shots:
In the bathroom at a closer range.
1 Shot:
In the passage entrance, with a slim angle on the toilet.
Which do you think was which?
Do you think if Reeva was cowering, and the first shot came through the door and hit the left wall, she wouldv’e not made a sound as Oscar took 2 or 3 seconds to walk in and fire 3 more in a close grouping with a closer, better angle down the main axis of the WC?
22 Feb 2013, 23:18 pm
@nortierd-321:
Are they facing the Chiefs in round 3? My goodness. Could be a start from hell for the Stormers. Guess Mitchell had the fixture list partly in mind when he said the Stormers were going to start slowly this season.
Could be 0 from 3 after 3 rounds of play for them.
22 Feb 2013, 23:19 pm
At the end of the day it doesn’t matter anymore as the Bulls won and deservedly so
22 Feb 2013, 23:20 pm
Kolisi had a big game and so did Vermeulen. The problem with Stormers small front row and lacking grunt in 2nd row. Elstadt didn’t have a busy outing at 7 because the tight 5 were getting hammered.
Elstadt should go back to 4 Rhodes or Armand or Kolisi to 7. Carr go to 6. Fourie stay at 2.
Jantjes out the 22
Groom Duvenhage / Pietersen Habana Jdv Taute De Allende Aplon
Bench Schroeder Peterson/Duvenhage
22 Feb 2013, 23:21 pm
And Van den Heever no. 22
22 Feb 2013, 23:23 pm
This game was an embarressment for SA rugby. Nothing can hide the fact that the Stormers lost a match to a Bulls side with Kirchner, Olivier, Steyn and Spies. The least said about it, the better.
22 Feb 2013, 23:23 pm
@Tacitus-329:
Yep, looks that way.
Sharks in Durban next week then the Chiefs at Newlands.
From what I saw tonight, doesn’t bode well.
Not sure how it looked on TV, but from the stands it was torture.
De Villiers saved our butts a few times on defense by coming out, and 5 years ago he would have taken the intercept, but pity he knocked on.
Bekker started **** from kick off, the forwards are all over the backline and no quick ball.
If they do that against the Chiefs, they are going to be taken apart
22 Feb 2013, 23:24 pm
Prefer playing the tougher teams at the beginning of comp.
22 Feb 2013, 23:24 pm
@Tacitus-329:
Yep, and we all know how long a kicker can take to get his eye in
Easily 3-0 down with a very small margin going forward.
Their Lions buys looking very out of place, hence our tactical kicking was a leisure.
22 Feb 2013, 23:26 pm
@W.P-335:
Well, glad we could help, W.P.
22 Feb 2013, 23:26 pm
The Stormers backs stood very deep tonight. I would switch De Allende and JDV around. We looked better when Jean played at inside centre.
22 Feb 2013, 23:27 pm
@nortierd-334:
Well, coversely, the Stormers were on the rack in each of those instances, with the Bulls having orchestrated clear overlaps through patient phase play. Only De Villiers and Habana shooting up out of the line in desperation saved them from certain tries against them. If the Bulls can work on their handspeed a bit, those could be three tries in the bag next time.
22 Feb 2013, 23:27 pm
@W.P-322:
Both tries except Bekker’s were a bit iffy
22 Feb 2013, 23:29 pm
A kick up the backside badly needed. I hate to say it but if they play like this against the Sharks it will end up like it did tonight. Let’s see if we can turn it around next week.
22 Feb 2013, 23:30 pm
@Tacitus-339:
Definitely, they looked the better side as the game went on.
Only the 10 odd minutes at the start of the second half did the Stormers look like playing, the rest we were overpowered.
Having said that, for all the field and ball they had they were only 3 points up, and if Jantjies kicked half decent it could have been level, or if you opt for a 5 meter line out instead of 3 points, then you bleddie well should win the line out.
22 Feb 2013, 23:31 pm
Is it just me or is there some chemistry going on between Alister Coetzee and Schalla in that Super Rugby campaign ad?
22 Feb 2013, 23:32 pm
@nortierd-342:
The Bulls dont have that much of an adjustment to make, the Stormers…..ja.
22 Feb 2013, 23:33 pm
@nortierd-324:
Nee die trui het die Blou Bulle wapen op
22 Feb 2013, 23:34 pm
@nortierd-342:
> or if you opt for a 5 meter line out instead of 3 points, then you bleddie well should win the line out.
You should train Deon to throw in, you’re an ex hooker yourself?
22 Feb 2013, 23:34 pm
Stormers can beat Sharks but not if they start or even play Jantjes in the 22.
If we don’t ditch Jantjes we’re fckd. As shaky as we played today and missed line outs if we started either of Pietersen Duvenhage or Schroeder at 10 and not Jantjes we would have won. Nobody misses 5 kicks in succession and hopes to win and beside the poor kicking Jantjes running game is dismal plus his field kicking no better. Even missed a penalty to touch.
Jantjes paralyzed Stormers in every facet of play. Playing off the back foot because the pivot is downright hopeless.
22 Feb 2013, 23:35 pm
@Anairetes agilis-344:
Ons moet net vir Spies uit die span adjust
22 Feb 2013, 23:35 pm
@nortierd-342:
Look, the Stormers have the tightest defense in the competition. So as Ludeke said in the post match interview, if a defense is that tight, the space is behind them, hence the tactical kicking.
Against a side like the Chiefs, the tactics will change, as their defense is weaker but they run the ball back from deep much better.
I think the Bulls are in transition, and it will take Matfield 5 or 6 games to get his attacking game sorted out. Then the tries will come.
Also, the injury to Engelbrecht cause a reshuffling of the entire backline, which couldn’t have helped the attacking coordination. I’m just happy with the 4 points, truth be told, and having a first game win under the belt.
The pressure was on us, as it was a home game, so it was a must win. The Stormers will have their chance in the return leg, but crucially, the fact that they didn’t get a bonuspoint will mean the Bulls just have to come within seven to come out on top from the two clashes.
22 Feb 2013, 23:36 pm
Congrats bulls,but an extremely poor game of rugby.hopefully the sharks will play a different type of rugby to the **** witnessed tonight or we might as well already hand the trophy over to one of the kiwi franchises .chiefs to retain the title or the crusaders to take it.
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