Power to powder blue
12 Oct 2006
Keo, in his News24 column, reminds the Muppits that Saturday’s Currie Cup winner was identified some time ago.
This is what I wrote in my column on September 27:
‘One team of the top five is going to miss out and it is going to be the Lions. Brave and brilliant in the last seven matches, the Lions will curse their early season experiments that cost them easy points. Lesson learned by Eugene Eloff who will not easily again surrender league points to prove a point to his senior players.
‘The Cheetahs will lose in Pretoria on Saturday but still end top of the table, with the Bulls ending second on points difference from Western Province who’ll take the five league points at Newlands. The Sharks will hammer the Falcons to set up another trip to Bloemfontein and a semi-final exit from the competition.
‘The Sharks, my early season call to win the competition, have mixed and matched so much this season that they cost themselves a home semi-final and with that any chance of winning the competition. The Sharks can’t beat the Cheetahs at the moment. In the other semi-final match-up Western Province will travel to Loftus and this time there won’t be an ambush.
‘I’m tipping the Bulls to win on Saturday, win against Province the next week and then travel to Bloemfontein and set the record straight for last season’s defeat to the Cheetahs in the final.’
Are these words, written more than two weeks ago, to be viewed as some sort of prophecy? Absolutely not. Because I also wrote in May that the Waratahs would win the Super 14 and the Wallabies would triumph in the Tri Nations.
Domestically, though, it was always going to be the Bulls once the Sharks started fading through excessive experiment.
That’s why I could write with such conviction on September 27 as to how the Bulls march to the trophy would unfold. It is now October 11 and nothing in my view has changed. I am still backing the Bulls to go to Bloemfontein and win. Individually, they are a better unit and cohesively they have made as much impact as the Cheetahs in the last month.
Take nothing away from Ollie le Roux and Rassie Erasmus. The former, in his role as captain, has been inspirational. The latter is the most exciting thing to happen to the South African coaching scene. He is talented, innovative and definitely not a one season wonder. South Africa rugby is healthier in the coaching department because of Rassie’s emergence.
But if you want to know why the Cheetahs won’t win on Saturday, then you simply have to look at the tight five composition of the Bulls and the kicking game of Derick Hougaard at flyhalf. The tight five will set up the victory for the visitors and Hougaard’s boot will close the deal.
There won’t be much in the final, but all you need to win it is one point.
Statistics favour the Bulls. They’ve lost just one out of their last 10 against the Cheetahs, while winning the last four in Bloemfontein. The defeat happened to be in last year’s final and it took a miraculous comeback and the bounce of the oval ball to sink them.
The surprise element a year ago was with the Cheetahs, but this weekend there won’t be any such tricks in the party packs handed out during the final. The Bulls know exactly what to expect and they are in no doubt as to what they have to do to succeed. This is a victory that will be fashioned on preparation as much as execution and with Heyneke Meyer back from his overseas travels his input is crucial.
Pote Human has settled as Bulls coach, but Meyer’s technical and analytical contribution will be massive to the Bulls success. He remains the Director of Rugby at the Bulls and the man in charge.
The Bulls have been the form team in South African rugby in the last month. They’ve put 50 past the Sharks in Durban, given the Cheetahs 41 points in Pretoria and scored 45 comfortably against Western Province a week ago. They’re scoring tries with ease and Hougaard is kicking well.
Gary Botha’s captaincy has been outstanding and the tight five are fronting for each challenge. The Cheetahs, this season, have thrived on forward domination against most teams. The exception has been when playing the Bulls. That is why they lost in Bloemfontein earlier in the competition, got hammered in Pretoria and will again come second best on Saturday.
The path to the final was recorded here a fortnight ago. And nothing in the last fortnight convinces me to change the call that has the Bulls to win the Cup again.
1,320 Comments
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12 Oct 2006, 08:26 am
Afgelei vanuit Koos en Pieterman se stilswye neem ek aan hulle stem dus volkome saam met my eie waarnemings, dankie manne !!
In elk geval, if the Jews are Gods chosen people, then the Canadians are logically Gods FROZEN PEOPLE !!!
12 Oct 2006, 08:27 am
Môre almal,
Die Burger hier in Kaapstad meld nou dat die WP afrigters moan oop die Bulle se illegal tactics. Kyk, ek is ‘n passievolle WP ondersteuner, maar ons moet ook aanvaar as ons deur ‘n beter span geklop is, en ons was…. Moenie verskonings soek nie…
Aan die Bulle…voorspoed vir Saterdag. Ek staan 100% agter julle.
12 Oct 2006, 08:28 am
No, why?
12 Oct 2006, 08:29 am
Rugbystudent,
I like your combination
would however like to see Ernst Joubert from the Lions at 8, or Spies at 8 with Wikus v Heerden at 7 and captain. Even Kanikowski – whatever from the Sharks is a good player. With Kabamba on the bench.
12 Oct 2006, 08:29 am
Rugbystudent…maybe you need to remove the ‘rugby’ before the ‘student’…but indeed you have lots to learn about the game…
12 Oct 2006, 08:29 am
kudu, check my post 44.
what illegal tactics was that?
12 Oct 2006, 08:30 am
steyn
waar was jy die afgelope 100 jaar? die bul ondersteuners is net bek. baie ironies dat jy so stelling maak.
12 Oct 2006, 08:31 am
folanke
You must be a Bulls supporter or something because that whitless line I’ve heard over and over.
12 Oct 2006, 08:31 am
Tisme…about the same intellect as one…no sorry, meaning LACK of intellect…
12 Oct 2006, 08:32 am
rugbystudent…good combo, and with all the loosies, you could have the whole bench of them…spoilt for choice in that department. Although I don’t think that Diack cuts the mustard. Jacques Botes could also be there.
12 Oct 2006, 08:33 am
Kudu,
Hulle kla nou eers oor saterdag se game want Mallett moes hulle eers op die video die game verduidelik. Ek bly nou hier innie kaap en dis min dat jy daai sentiment van ‘n wp supporter kry. Wel gedaan.
12 Oct 2006, 08:33 am
The Bulls do have illegal tactics but SA refs in general let these infringements go unpunished. That’s why all our teams look like idiots and like players who don’t know the law when we play Super 14.
12 Oct 2006, 08:35 am
dangerbot
Assemble a team. Then we can compare but that’s just who I’d choose. Loosies we have in abundance. But I went for combination. Would like to see Diack play the tight role, Luke stop running around and steal balls and Pierre…well just to run with it.
12 Oct 2006, 08:35 am
Rstudent, die Cheetahs sal jou ‘ster’ spannetjie afslag…en ook sommer Jake se fake ‘boks’…
12 Oct 2006, 08:36 am
what was the illegal tactics? student, care to venture any?
12 Oct 2006, 08:37 am
GCC
Hey ek weet dat daar baie bulle is wat groot bek is…ek stem ek kan ook groot bek wees…..maar die week is die stilte vor die storm………ek is 100% agter my span en ek weet die naweek gaan die manne geskok wees….ek vir een dink nie die final gaan close wees nie
12 Oct 2006, 08:37 am
Rugbystudent,
Don’t just assume that a ****** like flunky, must be a bulls supporter, not even after my cortina, klippies, toothless wife and boepens can flunky be rated amongst us, he is in a different league, but wait i’m sure he will tell us exactly how wonderful he is….
12 Oct 2006, 08:40 am
If you study almost every ruck and maul last week, you’ll see more times than not the Bulls fall off their feet and over the ball and sometimes even dive over the ball. They also take out players not bound to the ruck. Idiots like Marius Delport think its clever to Bully people. Around the fringes the Bulls are almost always off side. On the ground the first guy falls over the ball and the second guy steals it. Just watch Saturday. If you look at the Super 14, just see where we get killed, the rucks and loose play.
12 Oct 2006, 08:41 am
Geez talk about blowing your own trumpet. The prediction of the top 4 of the cc could have been made months ago and as for the eventual winners, that too has never really been in any doubt. Last seasons result was dependant upon the bounce of the ball and Bulls misfortune. This year the Bulls will steamroller the Cheetahs. The main issue here is that the Cheetahs are far and away the 2nd best side in the CC and the gulf between them and the Bulls is massive. WP, Sharks and the Lions are simply not consistently good enough and right now SA rugby is at its lowest ever ebb the quality has never been this scarce.
When players as inexperienced as Pierre Spies rejoin the CC and the quality levels shoot up immediately it doesn’t reflect well on our domestic competition. Has the CC been exciting this year? Definitely, probably the most exciting CC in years. Will the AB’s, France or the Aussies be worried by what they saw in this years CC? I very much doubt it!
12 Oct 2006, 08:41 am
Ek het nie n saak met Korea of atoombomme nie, ek het meer belang by wat in Bloem gebeur!
Verder vat ek hierdie moere se geld so vinnig as moontlik voordat hulle mekaar begin vrekmaak(dit sal my ook nie pla nie, solank hulle net SA uitlos sodat ons onse rugby kan geniet!)
12 Oct 2006, 08:44 am
68, I have noticed the diving over the ball for turn over. However, I will not give that as an excuse. We were outplayed in all departments. I think province played really well in the first 20 until Kuun’s second try, which broke us. And of course Melck’s unforgiveable mistake.
I don’t need to comment on Delport. Stupid fool. The wheel will turn. The bulls to take the cup though.
12 Oct 2006, 08:44 am
Folanke, #55 & #59
Read you own ****, and the comment on intelect
fkn rich comming from you…. IDIOT
12 Oct 2006, 08:45 am
Rugbystudent
And you want to tell me that wp on saturday did not do that once….come buddy wake up all the teams do things like that……it is simple you need to protect the ball….you have players like Luke playing the ball on the ground…….how many times did you not see a wp player with his hands on the ball in a ruck……so your point is from a anti-bull……my point is from a supporter who looks at all the players….so don’t just point out what the bulls did……..and getting to Delport yes he is a wintgat player and **** some of the bloggers here yesterday said he could have broken Appeltjie’s nose….come now boys go and look at the game again……please just do that and you will see what he did i don’t even think he would have broken hard dog **** with that little bump…..
12 Oct 2006, 08:47 am
Steyn
Read 62
12 Oct 2006, 08:47 am
steyn, I agree, it was a nothing shove. He does it all the time though (Delport) and a guy like Ali Williams will punch him a nose at the back of his head.
12 Oct 2006, 08:48 am
Neelsie…I am humble enough to admit that I am not very humble, then again, I can understand why you are…you have a lot to be humble about…
12 Oct 2006, 08:48 am
No way!
12 Oct 2006, 08:49 am
While visiting an associate at Pollsmore last night, I came across my old friend Nancy. As usual, she was fired up and kept interfering with my “business†to talk rugby.
Anyway, she had plenty to say and asked me to pass on her thoughts about the Boks and the CC final. Nancy’s thoughts in a nutshell:
• The Bulls have destroyed SA rugby with their boring style of play and the Springbulls are next because they have been infected by too many Bulls players
• WP were done in by a cheating ref
• Werner Greef is clearly the best flyhalf in SA rugby
• The Cheetahs will loose on Saturday because the players are too stupid to think for themselves – they need a DJ to signal the way with lights
12 Oct 2006, 08:49 am
Steyn The Blue Bull
Marius is more worried about playing the man. I wasn’t even talking about that but it was stupid. It just makes me believe that most of our players are unprofessional yet they want to play for the Springboks. Marius does this thing where after he’s been beaten when the tryscorer gets up he lifts their leg and tells them something, probably whitless. What for?
12 Oct 2006, 08:49 am
Ig,
The otehr factoris the pressure of expectation on the Cheatahs. They are the favourites to take this one. We all know although they are a good outfit, only one team handles that type of pressure very well.
12 Oct 2006, 08:49 am
danger
so true…….i am not saying what he did is cool..all i am saying is don’t go and make this a big thing….he will learn….like you say do it to the wrong person and it will be the last time he does it
Rugbystudent
i get your point you are making……all i am saying is don’t just say it is the bulls
12 Oct 2006, 08:50 am
16-all draw in normal time – this one will go into extra time.
12 Oct 2006, 08:50 am
thanks Nancy, we’ll discard your opinion.
12 Oct 2006, 08:50 am
Yay, I’m back. Thanx Ig.
* other factor is
I see my typing has gone to the dogs
12 Oct 2006, 08:51 am
Pieterman, indeed, well said…but I still wonder about the Ozzies…why are they…so…criminal…Koos ???
Oh well, maybe the Koreans will do us the favour and nuke them in passing…feel kinda sorry for the Kiwis though…all of them are basically harmless drunks…
12 Oct 2006, 08:51 am
I’m back and I badder than ever before!
Keo, big matches are not won by individuals, they’re won by a cohesive team of expereinced players. Cheetahs have the edge on ‘cohesion’ and Bulls have the upper hand on ‘experience’.
This is one game where there must be a lot of money on a draw
12 Oct 2006, 08:51 am
Steyn,
I’m a Bull supporter but Delport was out of line, we play the game hard and physical but thats just not on. It’s like the boo-ing on loftus, it never used to happen, i hate it. leave the kicker and applaud when he is done.
But also bolla taunting fans after he scored a meaningless try is also stupid, but funny how no one mentions that any? And he taunts supporters sitting underneath the scoreboard, maybe he just can’t read.
The players should play the game, hard and ruthless sure, but not way off the ball behind everyones back, and not the supporters, leave them out of it.
12 Oct 2006, 08:52 am
Xhreni – i would actually put the Bulls as the favourites, the Cheetahs while defending champions, are running into a team that had peaked at the right time, got some serious fire power back in the form of uncontracted boks. It should be a great final and personally i think the right teams are there. I would like the States to win, mainly because they have won it so few times but i suspect Bulls by 12 or more !
Welcome back.
12 Oct 2006, 08:53 am
Hougard will destroy the cheatahs with his boots … just like the prev games.
WHY?
Cos Hougard is the best and he loves to play under presure.
{Maak die Bulle almal bokke}
12 Oct 2006, 08:53 am
rugbystudent
i get your point…he is young and he will learn…i know you did not talk about it as you see i was talking about the bloggers from yesterday…..Delport is still hot under the coller…….wet behing the ears…..he is trying to make is mark but doing it the wrong way
12 Oct 2006, 08:55 am
Badboy, I see you are a bit of a comedian.
Neelsie
Agree, Delport is a vindictive little **** and needs a snotklap to bring him in line.
There are others though as well.
My problem is the other supporters only see the Bulls when they do wrong. No-one mentioned Bolla’s late, high and dangerous tackle on Adams after his break to set up Louw’s try. But then again, real men do not ***** about that, can assure if it was a Bulls player on a weepee dude, Fester would have screamed blue murder.
12 Oct 2006, 08:55 am
Krampagtige Neelsie,
I’m with you, Bolla has been infected by the WP-virus. It attacks your spinal chord which induces stunted growth, but when it reaches your head, it causes swelling and involuntary outbursts of mindless arrogance. I hear Luke was infected after a wild party at Robbie Fleck’s house, but the less said about that, the better
12 Oct 2006, 08:56 am
Steyn
It is more apparent because of the Bulls’ aggressive style. I’m just saying that come Super 14 our teams look really stupid because its bad habits they’ve picked up. It happens all over.
Another thing… Why do the Bulls (and the Springboks) feel it necessary to tell everybody what they going to do before they’ve done it? I see there’s an article where Frikkie Welsch says the Bulls will keep ball in hand instead of playing a 10 man game. Why can’t this idiot shut up? I mean, you don’t tell your chess playing partner what your next move will be!
12 Oct 2006, 08:56 am
flunky,
sure i’m humble, i make a good honest living in my own country, where i support my team no matter what and i don’t jump ship when the rats start to infest. pretty sure you’re not a full time cheetas supporter… they have too much class.
don’t worry flunky we love you long time!
12 Oct 2006, 08:56 am
Dangerbottom, you got to agree with Nancy that, although the Bulls have a winning formula, their style of play is not entertaining to watch?
12 Oct 2006, 08:56 am
neelsie
I agree with you i am not saying what Delprt did is cool……..but like you say it is always the bulls players………and everybody makes it a big thing………all i’m saying is yes he should not do things like that but please don’t make out like he broke the mans nose
12 Oct 2006, 08:56 am
Nancy sees things that most people don’t and quite frankly she is correct. Just look how the Bulls players and their inability to play an expansive style ruined Jake White’s season this year. Werner would be a fresh injection at No.10, 12 or 15 (although Monty holds his own and only injury him will open the backdoor for Werner The Wallaby Walloper)
12 Oct 2006, 08:59 am
The way these two teams are going to climb into each other might produce a red / yellow card… The team with fewer cards will win.
12 Oct 2006, 08:59 am
I answered you a long time ago folanke, appears you did not get it.
12 Oct 2006, 08:59 am
rugbystudent
The bulls do that to give the other team a chance in winning the game….lol
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