Southern Kings vs Bulls – Game Thread

Published 29 January 2011 | By grootblousmile

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.

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