Southern Kings (6) 23 / Vodacom Bulls (0) 7 (Final Score)
The Southern Kings hosted the Vodacom Bulls in Port Elizabeth in a warm-up match for the Bulls to prepare them for the upcoming Super Rugby Competition. Similarly this game was the first measure for the Southern Kings to see how they might progress in a Super Rugby Competition from 2013.
This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 and CSN.
This was the 1st live coverage of South African rugby for 2011, this year is going to be busy, so strap yourselves in, kiss the wife a last few times, get the cold ones and snacks ready…. rugby is upon us!
Summary:
Handling mistakes cost the second stringers of the Bulls and with a fired up Kings side, they were up against it in the end, the Kings winning by 23 / 7. There were far too many 50/50 passes, forced passes and butter fingers and a lack of patience showed by the Bulls.
The Kings absorbed the Bulls forward pressure well, earned a few good penalties from a strong scrumming platform and unlike the Bulls, took their chances at goal. The Kings looked composed and knew what to do with turn-over possession.
The speedsters of the Kings also converted 2 chances well to score tries when it mattered.
The Kings seem to be on the way up, and that is good in the South African context. The new acquisitions in their squad has suddenly brought out a hard edge, a core of players, who can take them forward with style. I say this knowing full well that it’s early season and one should be careful not to make hasty assumptions.
We must however remember that this was not the Bulls best side, for instance they were playing with effectively their 6th and 7th choices at lock (after Bakkies, Victor, Danie, Flip and Juandre) and with their 3rd and 4th choice scrumhalves (after Fourie du Preez and Francois Hougaard).
1 Player in the Bulls squad for the match, Werner Kruger, would be in the Bulls starting 15, with maybe 3 or so players who might make the bench for the Bulls starting 15… so it’s not all doom and gloom, but rather indicates a worry in depth at key positions.
Last season the Bulls also had a very mediocre run in their warm-ups, yet they came out firing in the actual Super 14 Competitian and as history will tell, won the competition in fine style.
There is still a lot to fix in the Bulls but we should not take anything away from a very game and motivated Kings side.
The Bulls might have learned from this game that Louis Fouché should be ahead in the pecking order over Francois Brummer at flyhalf, after Morné Steyn.
Scorers:
Kings: 3 Penalties & 2 Conversions Monty Dumond, 1 Try Mathew Tayler-Smith, 1 Try Siyanda Grey
Bulla: 1 Conversion Louis Fouché, 1 Try Courtnall Skosan
Teams:
Vodacom Bulls:
15 Jaco van der Westhuyzen, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Sampie Mastriet, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Ruan Snyman, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 CJ Stander, 6 Derick Kuün (c), 5 Cornell Hess, 4 Fudge Mabeta, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Henry Bantjes, 1 Dean Greyling.
Replacements: Hans van Dyk, Frik Kirsten, Tendayi Chikukwa, Okkie Kruger, Dustin Jinka, Louis Fouché, Bradley Moolman, Courtnall Skosan.
Southern Kings:
15 Tiger Mangweni, 14 Norman Nelson, 13 Siyanda Grey, 12 Matthew Tayler-Smith, 11 Paul Perez, 10 Monty Dumond, 9 Jacques Coetzee, 8 Darron Nell, 7 Mpho Mbiyozo, 6 Devin Oosthuizen, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Rory Duncan (captain), 3 André Schlechter, 2 Hannes Franklin, 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: Jaco Fourie, Ronnie Uys, Riaan Vermeulen, Ross Kennedy, Lungelo Payi, Marlon Lewis, Shane Gates, SP Marais, Frank Herne.
26: het sy pinkie in oefening gebreek, 4 weke uit.
Brummer se afskop swak.
Jaco Engels is still as busy as ever…. and still a monster
@ grootblousmile:
We expressed our concern last year about the back up to Morne Steyn, I had been wondering whether the Bulls would have turned to Pumas who seemed from all the match reports have good flyhalf options, but I see Elgar Watts went to Boland and now is around the Stormers, with all their options at flyhalf this year what chance they won’t have him in their final squad and we try get him? Can’t remember the name but wasn’t the other Pumas flyhalf reasonable and maybe worth a look at preseason?
Penalty Bulls, between Kings 10m and halfway, Brummer will go for touch.
Kings No 8, Darren Nel cops a Yellow for a punch or slap
Hoekom is Nell af ?
Bulls maul well from the lineout, Kings pull the maul down… penalty 10m out
33@ Bullscot:
Apparently the Bulls youngster, Louis Fouche has by far the longest boot in the whole of SA… that’s why I want to see him have a go in place of the limited Brummer
bdb wrote:
Thanks wasn’t aware of that before you mentioned it, so thats why Hess is listed at lock for today I presume. Heard a lot of good things about Kruger before he signed for us but haven’t seen much of him play, even when he was still playing in England, to see if the hype is justified.
Bulls doing a lot of the constructive play now…
Jaco VDW probeer hard, res van agterlyn is stil.
Dean Greyling giving of his 3rd penalty at scrumtime… eishhhhhhhhh
Brummer now knocks an easy high ball… neeee man!
Nee wat, daai waterklooof losskakel het dit maar net nie. Probeer iemand anders.
Penalty Bulls, within easy range but they opt to kick out
37 @ grootblousmile:
Sounds interesting but hope Fouche’s allround game is also up to Super level standard, will certainly make things a whole lot better. He came from Leopards didn’t he, with the Lions shortage at flyhalf am surprised they didn’t get him, they did get Bondesio from Leopards who by all accounts is a good scrumhalf, maybe the third quality scrumhalf we should have got would also have had the advantage of playing together before with Fouche surely.
Bulls knock just before the tryline…. too little patience… watch those 50/50 passes boys!
Lemoenetyd
Ek sien niks in hierdie wedstryd vir die S15 nie, moet meer dink in terme van VC en CB.
45@ Bullscot:
I want to see his game, then only will we be able to judge.
GBS, ek sien hul wys nie volgende week se wedstryd in Nelspruit nie, gaan Superbul dalk soontoe om vir ons die tellings lewendig deur te stuur ?
48@ bdb:
Dit is niks anders as die Bulls B span nie.
Bulls 64% possession and a bit more than 50% territory
50@ bdb:
Glo nie, SuperBees is huidiglik op vakansie in die bos iewers.
Jammer dat Greyling so sukkel in die skrums, wat hy is baie goed in die los. Wie gaan reserwe stut wees vir die S15 span, nou dat Bees en Engels weg is ?
Die Bulls het duidelik instruksies om nie juis pale to te skop nie… en hulle strukture te toets, so die telling pla my nie juis nie. Indien hulle pale toe geskop het was hulle nou gelyk of voor.
53@ bdb:
Die skrums aan Greyling se kant pla man… na Gurthro is daar nie veel diepte op Loskop nie
55: Rossouw de Klerk ?
53@ bdb:
Ons speel effektiewelik met ons No 6 en 7 keuse slotte (Na Bakkies, Victor, Danie, Flip, Juandre), 2 ligter ouens, so miskien vaar Greyling beter met beter slotte agter hom.
Kickable penalty for Kings
Kings 9 / 0
Very kickable penalty for Bulls, they go for touch again
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