Bulls blitz sinks Landers
13 Mar 2010
The Bulls returned to the top of the Super 14 log with a 50-35 win against the Highlanders at Loftus on Saturday.
While the hosts produced a disjointed second-half performance, the game was won by the interval and they will be pleased with the five log points.
The Blou Masjien was in total command early on, claiming the four-try bonus point in the 25th minute and a 22-point lead at half-time.
The Bulls dominated the set-pieces and breakdowns, regularly stealing the Landers ball in the air and contesting ruthlessly at the tackle. With the battle won up front, the platform was set for the backline to run riot.
The home side exposed the Landers out wide, which saw hooker Gary Botha and wing Francois Hougaard go over in the corners. Gerhard van der Heever then scored the try of the match with an 80m run, showing great pace to beat several defenders and give the Bulls a 21-0 lead.
A counter-attack saw the Landers hit back with a try from fullback Israel Dagg, but the Bulls then scored twice through centre Wynand Olivier and No 8 Pierre Spies.
Dagg grabbed his second five- pointer, before Morne Steyn kicked a penalty to give the hosts a 36-14 lead at the break.
While the Bulls were far less impressive in the second half, they did score two more tries through Hougaard and Spies.
The Landers were rewarded for their efforts with a four-try bonus point when Dagg grabbed his hat-trick, and flank Tim Boys and replacement wing Robbie Robertson also crossed the chalk.
By Gareth Duncan
265 Comments
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14 Mar 2010, 12:44 pm
@RugbyRulz:
14 Mar 2010, 14:16 pm
In general the bulls are deviating to far from their structure to easily. DuPreez and Morne don’t have to go wide all the time. more collective contact work by the forwards and a little more crash ball. Go wide when it is absolutely on, most of those tries were conceded from positions when the Bulls were on attack. Losing the ball when trying to make a high risk pass or chip kick.
As it stands, the bulls are in the same sort of form as every season during the early stages of the S14. Only difference is that this season they have adopted a high risk approach compared with the previous low risk one. Generally we are lamenting their lack of an attacking game and praising their defence, this season it is the other way around.Expect everything to sort itself out as the competition get’s longer and the best match 22 starts to take shape.
14 Mar 2010, 14:33 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl: I agree with your sentiments, but I believe the coaches have cottoned onto the fact bthat we have a major ally in the thin air of the Highveld vs the incoming teamsand have opted to deliberately play a high tempo. expansive high risk game to run the opposition ragged. The tight high impact game is ingrained in the team and they will revert to it when we go on tour, and when we go down to the Cape. But don’t you think it is a good thing to have both options available? Fear not. Let AC barf his lungs out in the media- it is a sign that he is worried already, and we can’t do anything about that. We will do our talking on the field as always.
All we have to do is end in one of the top two semi spotsto get a home semi. Next we have to win that, and then the rest is 80 minutes on the day of the final. But first let’s get there, then we can talk. In the mean time leave that to AC and the Stormers supporters to do for now. They seem to forget they have a tour ahead of them as well, so let’s just wait and see, like last year.
14 Mar 2010, 15:43 pm
AC must just shut up and let the players do the talking on the field then you’ll see the likes of Duvenhage and Grant teaching Du Preez and Steyn a thing or two about effective gain line domination.
Only area Bulls have slight advantage is at front row or rather at prop to be exact. Every other position Stormers more than adequately account for themselves and will have these overrated glory boys number.
14 Mar 2010, 16:48 pm
@skopskiet: You AC Skoppies? You certainly talk as much as him.
And doesn’t everything start in the front row? You know what Doc Craven said about tightheads and the golden line that constitutes the team’s backbone! Don’t break that backbone before their season propper even starts, with all the b*!!s%#t rhetoric you are so famous for. Let’s just agree to disagree- for their sake!
14 Mar 2010, 17:02 pm
Stormers are playing 2008 Bulls brand rugby. Bulls have moved on and are re-inventing themselves.
14 Mar 2010, 17:15 pm
@skopskiet:
overrated?
lol
reigning s14 and cc champions?
…it was all a fluke,right.
only overrated are the stormers and wp.
won good ol fcking zilch in 10 years.
so how about that mr,smarty pants?
14 Mar 2010, 17:41 pm
yet another brilliant performance, gaan Bulle!!!!
14 Mar 2010, 17:48 pm
if there is no racist quota bullshite G VD Heever should make the bok run on side for 2011.
14 Mar 2010, 18:23 pm
G Van den Heever is like a hare caught in the headlights most times. How many tries this famous Bully Boy backline conceded already. Between Fdp, Steyn, Olivier, Dippenaar, Van den Heever, Hougaard and Kirchner how many tries Bulls let waltz by already, please enlighten me one more time? What is it 15 or something stupid?
Whilst Duvenhage-Januarie, Grant, De Jongh, Fourie, Habana, Nakalevuki-Aplon, Pietersen have let in 4 or 5 in same amount of games, in fact one game less due to Bulls bye last week.
Much rather have a tough no compromise wing like Mapoe covering that channel than another softy pale face like Van den Heever making up the numbers, even if he can run the 100 in 10.5 sec or less, don’t make him not a defensive liability, which he is, along with his other overrated Bully boy backs.
14 Mar 2010, 19:03 pm
@skopskiet: And how many tries have the Stormers backline scored through full on backline movements involving 3 or more of them? Check the log mate. I ask you again Skoppie: Who p!ssed on your parade to get you into that quagmire you are struggling in? … No one ever tell you that the more you struggle, the more you get sucked in? Leave those derogatory adjectives and adverbs out of it, and just be your likeable self again. There was a time I could relate to you, but I don’t enjoy being around bitterness and prejudice.
14 Mar 2010, 19:08 pm
Bulls can thank the Stormers for softening up both the Highlanders and ‘Canes on their way to Loftus
14 Mar 2010, 22:31 pm
@Storm outta hell:
bulls softed the brumbies up nicely for the stormers to the tune of a 50 odd pointer…and the stormers managed to fck it up.
14 Mar 2010, 22:33 pm
Jet shoes.
15 Mar 2010, 03:46 am
I disagree about the Bulls having a better fronrow than the Stormers. Stormers will stand their ground againts any team in the comp.Bulls backline is going to struggle this coming weekend. Its between Houghaard and Rose for worst defender in the S14 2010…Houghaard does his best to stay away from contact. Good with ball in hand though. But as soon as they play a side who defends well the Bulls will struggle. Dont be surprised if more of the Bulls senior players leave the ship in the coming months-mark my words.BTW what’s up with all the weird hair styles at the Bulls at the moment??? They used to be the one side you could bank on won’t look as silly as some of the Australasion sides(we always made fun of all the red necks in Aus/NZ)-now the Bulls look the worst…how things have changed behind the boerewors gorduin…heard Naas say the other day that some of the Bulls youngsters look “swak”.
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