One eighty for brilliant Bulls
15 Mar 2010
The Bulls’ defeat to the Hurricanes two years ago was the nadir of a disastrous title defence. Now this is a side unrecognisable from that diabolical unit.
The Bulls, fielding 11 Springboks in their run-on 15, took 50 from the Hurricanes in that match. It completed a series of six defeats on the bounce. In that run of losses, the Reds and Chiefs put 40 points past them, while they also lost to the Force. In fact, they had won just two of their 10 games up to and including the Canes match, with one of those victories coming against the tournament’s perennial whipping boys, the Lions.
The defending champions, so prolific a year earlier, were in crisis. They blamed the ELVs, which had been introduced in an attempt to encourage a more fluent, entertaining spectacle. They intimated that referees were against them and gradually became cold and bitter towards the sectors of the media who criticised them.
Privately their senior players pined for their mentor and former coach Heyneke Meyer. Comparisons between Meyer and his successor, Frans Ludeke, were unfavourable to the latter. Tactically and from a man-management perspective, Ludeke paled in comparison to his predecessor.
Then there was the absence of their talismanic captain Victor Matfield, who had been lured to Toulon. The appeal of a new challenge and being paid a vault to scrap in the French D2, was enough for Matfield to bid the Bulls adieu. He wouldn’t have predicted the dramatic capitulation that followed his departure.
Fourie du Preez was a reluctant captain. The role wasn’t a fit with him at all, despite the fact that he is widely acknowledged as one of the brightest rugby minds on the planet and a capable leader of men. Still, where some shine with the responsibility of leadership, others, like Du Preez feel shackled.
There was little to no willingness amongst the players and coaching staff to take responsibility for the dire situation they found themselves in. That was until a post-Hurricanes team talk, where senior players spoke openly about the issues that vexed them, the opinions of the younger players were taken into account and the coaching staff admitted their errors and limitations.
There was a collective commitment to improve, and they have done so in emphatic fashion.
Since that game the Bulls have won 17 of 20 matches (they haven’t been beaten at Loftus in 14 matches), and captured another Super Rugby title to go with their 2007 triumph. The turnaround is phenomenal and the Canes will be acutely aware that where they faced a fatally wounded beast on April 12 2008, they now front up to one of formidable prowess.
A shift in attitude and mindset and improved tactics are among the reasons for their resurgence, and to overlook the return of Matfield, a galvanising force and astute leader, would be foolish.
The emergence of and subsequent acclimatisation of gifted youngsters like Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann and Francois Hougaard, and more recently Gerhard van den Heever and Flip van der Merwe has injected quality and freshness into the squad, and inadvertently served to be a catalyst for the senior players in those positions to raise the standard of their performance, thereby raising the collective standard. Meyer’s recruitment in the capacity of director of rugby was also a masterstroke, and should ensure sustained success.
But most of all it’s been the utter refusal to believe that they’ve touched the ceiling of their potential, or indeed that their potential has a ceiling, that has, to date, shielded the Bulls from complacency and made them the one of the finest teams on the planet.
The Bulls will face one of the toughest tests of the campaign in the Canes. But a victory will be particularly sweet as the match represents the point in which they went from chumps to champs.
By Ryan Vrede
170 Comments
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15 Mar 2010, 10:45 am
tacticus mentioned last week that there is no way in hell the the canes would lose all 3 matches in SA
does he still feel the same way?
15 Mar 2010, 10:49 am
@st.a.t.w: He’s so biased that he probably prayed for the Stormers to lose…shame…he can’t stand it when they win…
15 Mar 2010, 10:49 am
@Transformation: I like Izzy, he looks a natural and can kick points too. Think little things like multi-talented will be the way of the future.
Plenty of 15′s can kick clearance but how many kick points. Izzy does, so does the Percy clone (sorry can’t remember his name). Don’t think the Percy clone is a patch on Percy or Izzy though.
15 Mar 2010, 10:49 am
Transformation. Why do you delight in dagg supposedly ‘smoking’ a South African player. Are you a kiwi?
15 Mar 2010, 10:52 am
I expected the Canes to come out firing against the Stormers. They didn’t. My expectation for the Bulls/Canes game has not changed.
15 Mar 2010, 10:56 am
Tac 104. We are Rugby lovers and give praise where it is due. I am an Ozzie, but surely it is ok to give the opposition credit when they have a great game. Honestly don’t know how he didn’t get MOM.
15 Mar 2010, 11:01 am
Israel Dagg is the next Christian Cullen by all impressions. And sorry to disagree ms Rulz but Percy clone Smokin Joe Pietersen is way way better prospect than uncle Percy would ever have been, much more talented and complete footballer all the way round. Take Percy at same stage of their respective careers and there’s simply no comparison.
Young Joe is a complete comprehensive full back in every sense of the word, just needs to brush up on place kicking, but every other dimension he leaves uncle Percival in the shade both on attack and on defence.
15 Mar 2010, 11:02 am
@RugbyRulz: Joe Pieterson..he’s a lot better than Percy was at the same stage of his career imo…
15 Mar 2010, 11:06 am
Pieterson, that is his name. Fair enough guys, you all know him and Percy far better than me.
15 Mar 2010, 11:06 am
@skopskiet: Yeah..Dagg is one player who has made the transition from 7′s to 15′s in a very comfortable manner…he struggled against the Stormer’s defence tho’…and dropped his head after Habana’s try
15 Mar 2010, 11:08 am
@Storm outta hell: seems we have some concencus going here, don’t happen all that often but occasionally it does.
15 Mar 2010, 11:08 am
BOK BAROMETER: (Does not include any of the 19 contracted Springboks in an effort to look for more depth in SA rugby)
15 Joe Pietersen (Stormers) – His goal-kicking was very good and when it came to putting his side on the front foot he was superb.
14 Francois Hougaard (Bulls) – Another two tries for arguably the best finisher in the competition. Versatility is one of his strengths, though his defence wasn’t at its usual high standard. (Contracted Bok – JP Pietersen)
13 Juan de Jongh (Stormers) – His decision making is improving every week. His defence remains tough. (Contracted Bok – Jaque Fourie)
12 Meyer Bosman (Cheetahs) – He’s the best passer, a solid defender and the fulcrum around which the Cheetahs back-line revolves. (Contracted Boks – Adi Jacobs, Wynand Olivier)
11 Jongi Nokwe (Cheetahs) – He’s grown so much as a player through upping his work rate and looking for attacking opportunities. (Contracted Bok – Bryan Habana)
10 Peter Grant (Stormers) – Produced his best display of the season against the Hurricanes. He’s ruthless on defence and appears to be settling down as a fly-half. (Contracted Boks – Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar)
9 Dewaldt Duvenage (Stormers) – Rapid, snappy service and a controlled kicking ability gave his side good forward momentum. For a small man, he puts himself about on defence. (Contracted Bok – Fourie du Preez)
8 Duane Vermeulen (Stormers) – Was omnipresent in the loose, controlled the ball off the back of the scrum well, and took a few line-outs. (Contracted Bok – Pierre Spies)
7 Francois Louw (Stormers) – In the battle for the ball on the deck, few match his strength and instinctive positional play, and his defence remains brutally effective. (Contracted Bok – Juan Smith)
6 Deon Stegmann (Bulls) – Still better than anyone else even though he’s currently coming off the bench for the Bulls. (Contracted Boks – Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger)
5 Anton van Zyl (Stormers) – He operated as a No4 lock at the weekend but his preferred position is in the No5 slot. Excellent work on the tight loose and a menace on the opposition’s line-out ball. (Contracted Boks – Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker)
4 Flip van der Merwe (Bulls) – He’s blossomed this season, which is good news, given Bakkies Botha’s constant injuries. (Contracted Boks – Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw)
3 Werner Kruger (Bulls) – Brilliant around the park and solid in the set piece. A Bok cap is just around the corner. (Contracted Bok – John Smit)
2 Tiaan Liebenberg (Stormers) – Marauding runs, shuddering defence and good set-piece work. (Contracted Bok – Bismarck du Plessis)
1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls) – His loose play is his greatest asset but he’s rediscovered the art of scrumming, though he pulled up with a hamstring strain. (Contracted Bok – Tendai Mtawarira)
Reserves: 16 Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs), 17 Wicus Blaauw (Stormers), 18 Steven Sykes (Sharks), 19 Jacques Botes (Sharks), 20 Sarel Pretorius (Cheetahs), 21 Lionel Mapoe (Cheetahs), 22 Gerhard van den Heever (Bulls).
15 Mar 2010, 11:09 am
@RugbyRulz:
There’s a difference between giving credit where it’s due, and the obvious delight in which Transformation made that comment.
As for the actual comparison: If Dag is indeed faster than Dippenaar then he is quicker than Habana as well, seeing as Dippenaar is quicker than Habana.
15 Mar 2010, 11:11 am
with Jane concussed Dagg should get the Ab full back spot, he could develop into the next Cullen, with a boot to boot. Better than Mills on current form and looking all the business for the future if they use him properly.
15 Mar 2010, 11:13 am
@Tacitus:
“I expected the Canes to come out firing against the Stormers. They didn’t.”
I don’t think you expected the canes to fire against the stormers, I think it’s more along the line of ‘hoping’ they would fire.
15 Mar 2010, 11:13 am
I am taking my hat of to this great rugby team…they are amazing to watch. Now, if only my beloved Lions can take a page from their book.
15 Mar 2010, 11:14 am
@Tacitus: I don’t know if he is faster, he certainly knows how to step, hit a gap and better yet… make something from nothing. He really is a talented player. I’d like this one to be an Aussie.
15 Mar 2010, 11:14 am
@WP Till I Die: That’s a great looking team…would like to see them go up against the contracted players…good depth for SA rugby
15 Mar 2010, 11:14 am
Israel “Mossad” Dagg was great on Saturday…future AB if you ask me.
15 Mar 2010, 11:16 am
@WP Till I Die:
So it appears:
15: Joe Pietersen
14: JP Pietersen, Francois Hougaard, Lionel Mapoe
13: Jacque Fourie, Juan de Jongh
12: Adi Jacobs, Wynand Olivier, Meyer Bosman
11: Bryan Habana, Jongi Nokwe, Gerhard van den Heever
10: Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Peter Grant
9: Fourie du Preez, Dewaldt Duvenage, Sarel Pretorius
8. Pierre Spies, Duanne Vermeulen
7: Juan Smith, Francois Louw
6: Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brussow, Deon Stegmann, Jacques Botes
5: Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker, Anton van Zyl
4: Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Flip van der Merwe, Steven Sykes
3: John Smit, Werner Kruger, Wicus Blaauw
2: Bismarck du Plessis, Tiaan Liebenberg, Adriaan Strauss
1: Beast Mtawarira, Gurthro Steenkamp
15 Mar 2010, 11:16 am
I don’t think jane will still be concussed for the tri nations sireli didn’t hit him that hard…
15 Mar 2010, 11:18 am
Dagg is quick make no mistake. Behind Van den Heever possibly the 2nd quickest on that field Saturday. Dippenaar was tracking him in one of his solo runs and wasn’t making any impression at all. While the Highlanders no 11 was holding pace with Van den Heever while tracking him to the corner, (but wasn’t making any gain on him either)
Between Dippenaar, Van den Heever, Dagg and Lander’s no.11 with Spies thrown in as the back marker some serious gas on the field.
Its not always fastest in a straight line thats most effective on a rugby field. Habana might get dropped by all those above but still has better finishing instinct than all of them combined perhaps.
15 Mar 2010, 11:18 am
@st.a.t.w:
Really? A mind reader now, are we?
15 Mar 2010, 11:21 am
@skopskiet:
I reckon that Vainikolo has some pace too.
In truth, I don’t know just how fast Dippenaar is. All I know is he is slower than vd Heever, but quicker than Habana.
And that was when they were all at the Bulls. Habana may have slowed down even more between last year and this year.
15 Mar 2010, 11:21 am
Dagg still better bet than Jane, concussion or not. And don’t minimalize a hit like that onto a players psyche. Kanko still hasn’t recovered from his ordeal of 2 years back and probably never will deep down.
15 Mar 2010, 11:22 am
@Tacitus:
regarding your comment last week that the canes won’t lose all their matches in SA
There is a slight chance that still might be correct
15 Mar 2010, 11:22 am
@st.a.t.w:
Indeed.
15 Mar 2010, 11:25 am
@skopskiet: It must be said the Vanikolo was tracking van den Heever after he had already run 50 metres, and but in a lot of effort stepping past the defence a number of times.
There are some seriously quick players in rugby at the moment, and agree that Habana’s strength is his ability to finish opportunities.
15 Mar 2010, 11:26 am
@Tacitus:
no need to read minds you’re making it fairly obvious
15 Mar 2010, 11:29 am
@st.a.t.w:
In truth, I was in two minds before the game.
The Canes need to lose as many as possible on their SA tour, since they will win most games when they’re back in NZ.
However, to prevent guys like yourself from yapping on forums like this, it wouldn’t have been completely tragic if the Stormers had slipped up.
In the greater scheme of things, though, the result was the most beneficial to my Bulls. Only difference is, I’ll have to wait till a bit later in the tournament for you guys to crawl back into your holes again.
15 Mar 2010, 11:31 am
@WOLFMAN21:
Look, vd Heever was cruising in to score the try at that point. If Vainikolo had any hope of cathing him, he would have gone for an ankle tap attempt.
The angle made them look closer than they were. At that point, all Vainikolo could hope for was to cut him off from scoring closer to the poles. Which was in vain as Steyn converted from the corner in any case.
15 Mar 2010, 11:34 am
@WP Till I Die:
Perhaps an extended 45-player squad to start looking at for the Tri-Nations?
Joe Pietersen, Zane Kirchner, JP Pietersen, Francois Hougaard, Lionel Mapoe, Bryan Habana, Jongi Nokwe, Gerhard van den Heever, Jacque Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Adi Jacobs, Wynand Olivier, Meyer Bosman, Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Peter Grant, Fourie Du Preez, Dewaldt Duvenage, Sarel Pretorius, Rory Kockett, Pierre Spies, Duanne Vermeuelen, Ryan Kankowski, Juan Smith, Francois Louw, Dewaldt Potgieter, Schalk Burger, Deon Stegmann, Sarel Botes, Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker, Anton van Zyl, Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Flip van der Merwe, Steven Sykes, John Smit, Werner Kruger, Wicus Blaauw, Bismarck du Plessis, Tiaan Liebenberg, Adriaan Strauss, Beast Mtawarira, Gurthro Steenkamp, Heinke van der Merwe.
15 Mar 2010, 11:35 am
yes Tacitus
Young Van den Heever is great prospect but lightweight in an international setting. In a loose S14 encounter he can show his speed and utilize the space brilliantly to his teams advantage, much like Spies does in a loose game. But in a tight dour international affair thats when you need some manly muscle to step up and be counted and I still think that young Gerhard is a little bit away from there yet.
Others like Habana, and even De Jongh and Mapoe are much more physical and exacting in a defensive role also more direct in attack, and perhaps that is what should be cultivated at international level rather than simply raw straight line pace.
15 Mar 2010, 11:40 am
@Tacitus: @Tacitus:
i bet you sit and watch the stormers every week hoping and praying for them to lose
sad actually.
15 Mar 2010, 11:47 am
@st.a.t.w:
You’ve got that wrong. What I do hope week after week is that I won’t have to scroll past 6 Stormers threads to get to one Bulls article.
Now that they’re winning consistently, that will probably become 12 Stormers articles for every one Bulls piece.
15 Mar 2010, 11:49 am
@skopskiet:
Habana good on defense? Must be a different Habana than the one who couldn’t stick to a defensive line while he was at the Bulls.
15 Mar 2010, 11:50 am
@Tacitus:
so you’re hoping they would lose so that there could be more bulls threads
15 Mar 2010, 11:53 am
Vainikolo had to turn around as his team was on attack and them try give chase from opposite wing position. It was quite an astonishing run by both of them because in spite of Van den Heever’s 10 or so mts head start on him Vainikolo was only about 4 mts behind at the line after 80 mts of flat out sprint. In a dead start 100 mts dash you cannot determine from that episode who would be faster, possibly they’d both finish within .02 of a sec of each other, i.e. within 2 mts of each other.
15 Mar 2010, 11:53 am
@st.a.t.w:
I think the remainder of the season is going to be interesting.
15 Mar 2010, 11:56 am
@Tacitus: Ah…we’ve found something we can agree on
15 Mar 2010, 11:57 am
@skopskiet: One thing is for sure, they are both damn quick!
15 Mar 2010, 11:59 am
@skopskiet:
That’s quite a deductive leap from you based on the limited information we have available, don’t you think.
One was running straight, but had to come from behind, the other was ducking and weaving between defenders and running diagonally across the field for the first 40m or so.
One was carrying a ball, the other wasn’t
One was going as fast as he could yet was still unsuccessful, the other was going only as fast as was needed to get a comfortable run in to the tryline.
In the end, vd Heever scored without a hand being laid on him by the chasing pack. Was he going at his fasest towards the end? We certainly know the defenders were trying their utmost, to no avail.
15 Mar 2010, 12:00 pm
Habana tends to drift inside looking for work on the inner channels and sometimes loses his cover defending position that way, but 1 on 1 Habana is definitely far more secure defensively than young Van den Heever is and far more physical in the tackle area also. Habana is like De Jongh, small of stature but pure packs of solid dynamite 1 on 1. A little like in the Heindrich Brussow mold. Unlike young Gerhard who is a little bit of a willow of the whisp if he had to encounter a lumbering Sereli Nakalavuki like poor Jane had to do.
15 Mar 2010, 12:05 pm
@skopskiet: To be fair there is quite a large difference in the amount of hours Habana and van den Heever have spent in the gym building up that frame of theirs. Give van den Heever a couple of seasons and then we can begin comparing.
15 Mar 2010, 12:06 pm
@skopskiet: I liken Habana to the little English pocket rocket Robinson. Both are hard men to bring down and bulldogs, one on one.
15 Mar 2010, 12:08 pm
@WOLFMAN21: This kids got pace and in time may well be the real deal. I like the look of his finishing and in time his tackling will improve. He will be nurtured at the bully kindergarden.
15 Mar 2010, 12:09 pm
This S14 has unearthed some nice talent in all countries. Really looking forward to this years Tri Nations; it is going to be a cracker.
15 Mar 2010, 12:12 pm
@Tacitus:
I know you dislike Habana since he became a Stormer, but lets not make lies.
Habana easily beat Dagg last week, while playing soccer next to the touchline. While Dagg outpaced Dippenaar on the weekend. Conclussion, Habana is faster than Dagg, Dippenaar and more than likely VdH – who almost got caught by a no-name islander. On top of all that, no back works harder off the ball than Habana.
I don’t rate Dippenaar at all, he is the obvious weakness on defense.
@RugbyRulz:
He let the Bulls score at least twice due to his cowardice under the highball, pay attention and you might notice these things.
15 Mar 2010, 12:14 pm
@RugbyRulz: The thing that I really like about him is his footwork, and his ability to evade tacklers.
This is not something we often see in South African wingers, many of whom specialise in straight line speed, finishing opportunites and dominating a contact situation. It is rare to have a winger who can create chances for himself. Him and Mapoe look to be good at this.
15 Mar 2010, 12:46 pm
@Kobus Kitty:#148 tell him kobus, izzy smoke dippenaar finish & klaar & there’s nothing that suggests one is a kiwi in acknowledging that…when digby ioane smokes players i cheer & applaud because i love rugby, not just the blue bulls or only afrikaner[stereotypical south african] players!!
@Tacitus: rugbyrulz has answered you, no need to add anything…
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