Bull-bashing: Part 3
Expect the Cheetahs to clout the Blue Bulls for the third successive time when the two teams meet in Saturday’s semi-final.
There’s been little evidence in the previous 44-18 hammering in Bloemfontein and 29-17 defeat in Pretoria to suggest the Bulls can force an upset. The best they can hope for is a Free State choke in front of their home crowd, an instance that would see the Cheetahs’ first loss at Vodacom Park this season. It’s highly unlikely, as the Cheetahs have proved they possess the quality capable of winning through to yet another final, and for the first time since 2001, the Bulls will not be around to contest for top honours.
Free State will rely on Wian du Preez and Kobus Calldo to do the business up front, but Ollie le Roux, who has played from the bench the whole season, will have a huge impact on the outcome as well. Francois van Schouwenburg and his fellow Bulls jumpers have their work cut out against the likes of Corniel van Zyl, Rory Duncan and Darron Nel, who are not only secure in banking their own ball but have disrupted the rhythm of every opponent through superior play in the air. Attacking the Cheetahs’ strength would be unwise, and the Bulls brain trust need to formulate another method of attack.
The battle at the breakdown will draw much interest, but the Cheetahs should have too much firepower in this regard. Much will depend on the work of all eight forwards in cleaning out at the ruck, and in this respect, the Cheetahs have been especially clinical in 2007.
Openside Hendro Scholtz has celebrated a return to form while Duane Vermeulen, Nel and Kabamba Floors have all displayed patches of individual brilliance. The Cheetahs are also an eighty-minute side and their forwards usually up the tempo in the final quarter. Floors can be lethal in this period, and if the Bulls fail to meet the challenge early on, the second half could be a lopsided affair.
Johan Wasserman provides the experience to what is an otherwise green back row, and unless Bulls coach Pote Human comes to his senses and starts Hilton Lobberts, they will struggle to halt the Cheetahs’ momentum. Lobberts possesses the aggression to unsettle the hosts which is exactly what they need to do from the kickoff.
Much has been said about Derick Hougaard’s inability to perform when his forwards are battling, and this should be showcased once again this Saturday. He has strong support in JP Joubert, Morne Steyn and Johan Roets, but with the Cheetahs’ strong line-out and maul, they may be reluctant to kick too much possession away.
When it comes to creating tries in the midfield, Hougaard could struggle here too. The Cheetahs, along with the Golden Lions, are the best defensive side in the competition having only conceded 26 tries. Marius Joubert is enjoying a great farewell season and Meyer Bosman should also be back to resume his partnership with the former Bok centre.
Many of the Bulls first-choice players are away with the Springboks, and like the Sharks, several serious injuries have tested their depth. The Cheetahs have not exactly been injury-free, but at this stage the quality of this outfit should see them win through to the Currie Cup final on 27 October.
By Jon Cardinelli
October 7th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Hope the Cheetah dragons keep winning.
October 8th, 2007 at 12:05 am
Go Cheetahs!
October 8th, 2007 at 2:01 am
“Free State will rely on Wian du Preez and Kobus Calldo to do the business up front, but Ollie le Roux, who has played from the bench the whole season, will have a huge impact on the outcome as well.”
PLEASE!!..up yours cheetahs! Ollie, Gerber got your number mate!!
October 8th, 2007 at 2:04 am
#3 let me guess the number is 44182917…
October 8th, 2007 at 2:06 am
#4 LOL..nah, Wian and Ollie be bending over for Gerber this weekend..Mark my words, Bulls on the rebound. Big game experience will come thru!
October 8th, 2007 at 2:14 am
I think you will find more of the big game experience in the Cheetah side…
Anyway, just checked and the semies will be live on Fox, great stuff!
October 8th, 2007 at 6:52 am
Cheetahs should win by 25…. eish it hurts to see the Bulls being shoved all over the park.
October 8th, 2007 at 7:04 am
Heyneke better not get the bok job. We need him.
October 8th, 2007 at 7:19 am
Eina.
Halway through the Fiji match i thought the Bulls are coming home to play the Cheaters this weekend!
Luckily not!
Cheaters by 15 this weekend! IMO
October 8th, 2007 at 7:26 am
I’m thinking 1990…
2 weeks before the Currie Cup final the Bulls smashed the Sharks something like 22-6.
Came the final, the Sharks surprised the Bulls and won their first ever Currie Cup title.
I’m thinking the Bulls may just surprise the Cheetahs in the semis!
The Cheetahs are overwhelming favourites, the Bulls have nothing to loose…
October 8th, 2007 at 7:33 am
#10 ref in ‘90 was a ******** and that Sharks side was full of imports.
and some durbanite loser spat at me for wearing my NTvl jersey. Security did jack nothing ..
hated Natal ever since
Go Bulls!
October 8th, 2007 at 7:47 am
11 g13g,
Still giving it to them in NZ? hehehehehe
October 8th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Seems like just yesterday that Tony Watson scored the 9 point try. That match changed Natal forever.
October 8th, 2007 at 8:45 am
greatest13gerber. I hope you are right about the Bulls because it has been very sad for SA rugby to see how badly they have been playing.
Their pack have been terrible and there has been no direction from fly half.
As far as Gerber goes I could not believe how badly beaten he was by a 7 man sharks pack, against their loose head, who a year ago was playing as a loose forward in club rugby in Durban.
It doesnt get much worse than that.
October 8th, 2007 at 9:14 am
As a Bulls supporter I must admit that it will take a mighty effort to upset the Cheetahs at home. However after this weekend of WC upsets I am hoping that this comming weekend will be the weekend of CC upsets.
October 8th, 2007 at 9:29 am
It will be a Cheetahs – Lions final
October 8th, 2007 at 9:30 am
bench hougie
October 8th, 2007 at 9:56 am
This thread is largely irrelevant and is posted here only to amuse a few Bulls and Cheetahs supporters for a day or two. Whoever wins this semi will eventually succumb to a rampant Lions outfit in the final. And that is the way it is.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:21 am
They will be rampant if they manage to beat Natal in Durban !!
October 8th, 2007 at 10:34 am
well katman i’ll support the lions in the semi, but something tells me that will just make me lose 2 from 2 in cc semi-final weekend
October 8th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Die probleme van die Bulle se seisoen het begin toe hul vir arme Kuun ‘n haker EN kaptein probeer maak het.
Hul moes of die een of die ander gedoen het, want op hierdie stadium is hy nie ‘n goeie haker of goeie kaptein nie. Die druk is te groot om altwee nuwe rolle gelyk te verwerk.
Hy is (was?) ‘n skitterende flank wat nou misbruik word na my mening. Maar ek dink nie die keurders sal dit verander nie. James vd Walt moes haker gespeel het, en Kuun op flank, maar om dit nou te verander gaan ook seker nie help nie.
Verdere probleme is verkeerde lostrio. Hottie is nie ‘n flank nie, en Steyn moet losskakel speel.
Die keurders gaan reeds woensdag met die bekendmaking van die span besluit het of die Bulle dalk nog ‘n buitekans het of nie.
Ek sal vir Dewald, Wassie en Kuun of Stegmaann kies op flank, en Steyn op losskakel.
Daar is net een manier hoe die Bulle sal wen, en dit is as die Vrystaat gaan choke … maar ek dink nie hul sal nie, omdat die ‘choker’ beker reeds aan die All Blacks, Proteas en Haaie behoort. Volgens die chokerbeker reëls mag net drie spanne daardie titel dra
Verder, sal iemand in die blou bul span sy hand moet opsteek en ‘n ‘match winning performance’ lewer om die wedstryd te wen, en om eerlik te wees, in die afwesigheid van manne soos Habana, du Preez en Spies, is daar net nie so ‘n speler in die huidige span nie.
Ek mag verkeerd wees, maar ek dink die BB rugbyunie het al klaar ‘vergeet’ van hierdie jaar se CB en is besig om te beplan vir volgende jaar se S14 en CB. Daarom dat spelers soos Pedri, Bands, Heini Adams, Chiliboy, ens maar eerder gelos word om heeltemal van hul beserings te herstel, as om hul te waag in die “wêreldbeker CB jaar.”
As die Leeus die CB wen hierdie jaar, dan dink ek dit sal die eerste keer wees sedert 1999. Belangrike datums: 1999 en 2007, altwee jare wanneer die Bokke nie deelgeneem het aan die CB nie.
Dan sal die spreekwoord besonderse betekenis kry, veral vir die ‘katte/leeus’:
AS DIE KAT (Bokke) weg is, is die MUISE (leeutjies) baas.
Daarom dink ek, sal dit ‘n uitsonderlike prestasie wees as die Haaie of die Bulle hierdie jaar die CB wen.
As die Vrystaat dit wen is dit bloot baie geluk, julle moes dit in elk geval gewen het, geen verrassing nie. Op huidige vorm en o.g.v. die seisoen se resultate verdien hul dit ook.
As die Leeus dit wen, baie geluk hoop jul kan dit nou deurvoer na volgende jaar se reekse.
So my hoop vir Saterdag is dat hierdie jong Bulspan met trots en passie ten minste ‘n goeie fight sal opsit.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Alf, goeie post (21)
October 8th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
#12 its heaven here for me
soo much angry kiwis heres its not funny!
October 8th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
#21
Sien jy reken ook Dewald op 8. Die man is ‘n tier. Hy hou net nie op nie. Ek wag vir die dfag as sy spamaats meer op hom gaan speel.Daar was in die laaste wedstryd so ‘n voorsmaak of twee van sy vermoeens. Hy hardloop briljante lyne. Eintlik soui ek hom graag in ‘n WP trui wou sien, maar nou ja… Ag, die ou hoop beskaam nie, so ek sal aanhou droom oor ‘n lostrio by WP wat hom insluit.