JJ Harmse, I like your honest article, but do not for one moment think they will see you suddenly as a unbiased rugby writer. To the Bulls, I agree with JJ, go back to your quiet mode and do the talking on the field.
Here we go again!
Bakkies Botha is facing another hearing for alleged foul play, the Stormers are unbeaten again early in the competition and the Bulls are again promising to fix the problems of the previous weekend “with hard work”.
Botha and Sanzar’s citing commissioners know one another so well by now that they should probably be on first-name terms, but that friendship was not enough to prevent one of the country’s most controversial rugby players from having to defend himself again early this week.
He is expected to appear in front of a disciplinary committee on Tuesday.
This time Botha has been cited for a tackle on Stormers scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage. It’s his third citing for a transgression against a player much smaller than him.
His previous two citings for alleged foul play against Gio Aplon (Stormers at Newlands) and Jimmy Cowan (Springboks against New Zealand at Eden Park) threatened to jeopardise his international career.
While the Duvenage incident does not look particularly serious, it’s significant that it is another citing against a player much smaller than him.
No foul play can be justified, but it may have been easier to stomach had it been aimed at a member of the Stormers’ pack, who bullied the Bulls on Saturday.
Foul play remains foul play, but Bulls supporters would have gained more value for their hard-earned money had Botha rather tried to dominate direct opponents such as Andries Bekker or Rynhardt Elstadt.
Unfortunately that did not happen, but Botha was not alone in his surrender to the Stormers pack.
The Bulls pack submitted like one man to the onslaught.
Captain Victor Matfield did his best afterwards to be honest about his team’s problems, but at the same time pulled the plaster off the gaping wound.
“We are a team that is traditionally good at the detail. Our execution was always our strength, but we’re no longer accurate. I know we can fix it and that is why Saturday’s match against the Lions is so important,” admitted Matfield.
“We simply have to put things right.”
The same thing was said after the defeat to the Highlanders and while Matfield assured Sport24 that there are no problems behind the scenes, the players’ actions contradict their captain’s statements.
Too many Bulls players appear to be involved with charity work, social networking, TV advertisements, spreading DVDs and books, writing columns, golf days and contractual negotiations to be able to keep their attention between the four lines.
Coach Frans Ludeke praised the Stormers afterwards for their commitment and attitude, acknowledging them as worthy winners.
The Bulls are touring in two weeks’ time and need to rediscover some form quickly.
Botha’s hearing, injuries to Gurthrö Steenkamp and Zane Kirchner, and too much mediocrity by senior players is threatening the Bulls’ status.
wynand olivier en pretoruis was vrot!spies is terug gedra deur n scrummy!stegman is n strafskop masjien.die bulls voorry was total outplayed.nou beweer matfield alles is fine in die bulls kamp?
@superbul – change the heading fella – is writing with 1 “t” 🙂
@ Piet visagie:
Ek stem, geen flair in agterlyn, loosies almal useless daarby. Die hele lot kort bietjie vonk, kyk hoe sprankel die WP-ouens, hulle is lus vir speel, kan jy sien.
@ Pam Anderson:
Thanks Pam. Done.
My English is Blue …
@ Piet visagie:
Ja nee die helde het geval , nou kyk ons maar of hulle weer soos voorheen kan opstaan.
Maar Wynand se een move kan nou selfs deur n kleuter gesien word.
Bring Zane , Shadow, Hougaart en Jaco vd Westhuisen bymekaar en hol. Dan kan die res inval.
Its not fun beating a Bulls team at Loftus that is so clearly out of sorts with itself. Bakkies’s effort on Duvenage is a mere symptom of the underlying condition.
wynand olivier kan net crash ball vat.hoeveel keer het mossie hom geklop?gelukkig sukkel die stormers met afrondig anders sou dit n groot pak slae gewees het.
SHIFT IN BALANCE OF POWER
By Gavin Rich
There has been a growing perception that the balance of power in South African rugby might be switching to the south, with the Stormers’ away win on Saturday being accompanied by a similar comprehensive win by the Western Province Vodacom Cup team over the Blue Bulls.
Last year the WP and Blue Bulls under-19 and under-21 sides played each other three times, and WP won every time.
But while the future of the Bulls is definitely a concern, the immediate crisis developing around the senior team may still not be as serious as some might fear.
Their skipper Matfield summed up the Loftus game well afterwards when he spoke about his team’s poor execution letting them down. He was also on the money when he said that the Stormers have made significant improvements to those aspects of their game where the Bulls used to dominate.
The Stormers beat the Highlanders the previous week by dominating the Kiwis at the breakdowns and just preventing them from playing, and that is what they did against the Bulls this past weekend too.
Those who reflect on this game by drawing comparisons between it and the Bulls’ relatively comfortable win in last year’s final should also not forget about the Stormers’ complaints about Craig Joubert’s refereeing in that Soweto match.
Last May, with Joubert at the whistle, it was the Stormers who were blown up at virtually every breakdown, with the Cape team contending that many of them were marginal calls.
This time with a foreign referee, Keith Brown, in charge, it was the opposite story, though in my view a lot did hinge this past weekend on the not insignificant fact that this time the Stormers were so clearly superior in the collisions, thus placing a bigger onus on the Bulls players to make decisions which they got wrong.
Those who are now getting ready to sing the Bulls’ epitaph may be doing so prematurely, for if Matfield is right, and they are just not executing properly, the real reason for the Bulls’ current form slump might just lie in them being underplayed.
Is my artikel nou verwyder?
Ek hoop dis ‘n glitch en nie swak sportmanskap nie.
So die reel is, ons mag se wat ons wil, solank ons dit nie van die Bulls se nie. Dan word mens se artikels verwyder sonder om eers ‘n mail te stuur om te se hoekom.
Nee wat, dis sommer stront, ek weier om verder hieraan deel te he, ek gaan my nie laat voorskryf deur oor-sensitiewe Blou Bul ondersteuners, wat nie kritisisme kan hanteer nie, wie se idee van ‘n artikel ‘n cut en paste joppie van iemand anders se werk is nie. Ek dink dis beter om Rugby-Talk se naam te verander na Bulls-Talk, selfde as We Talk Rugby wat obsessief is oor die Leeus.
Dit laat ‘n wrang smaak in die mond GBS, baie bitter, maar ek verstaan nou waarom Isigidi, King Paul en die res weg is.
Ek hoop iemand lees hierdie post voordat dit OOK uitgevee word, sodat ander spanne se ondersteuners kan besef hulle word basies ‘n bol blou k#k gevoer.
10@ The Saint:
Saint, moenie sensitief wees nie… ek het die Artikel net tydelik na Draft geskuiwe sodat ek jou duidelike “Karaktermoord” op spesifieke spelers kan beoordeel en dalk net meer taktvol kan stel…
Ek het jou gewaarsku om nie karaktermoord te pleeg nie, het ek nie?
Speel die bal, nie die man nie…. dit was my waarskuwing…. nie waar nie!
Ek het nie die man gespeel nie, inteendeel ek het uit my pad uit gegaan om dit nie te doen nie, om nie te VEEL te kritiseer nie, want wragtig, daar is baie meer om te se.
Punt is, alles wat ek in my artikels, beide van hulle gese het, is die waarheid, almal in Suid Afrika weet dit ook, die eerste een was amper soos ‘n profesie, as jy kyk wat die naweek gebeur het, jy was daar, jy het dit ook ervaar, en jy weet ek is reg.
Die heel week word Habana geroast, maar waag dit om iets van die Bulle se spelers, wat nou al ‘n geruime tyd soos hulle gatte speel te se, en almal is op jou case.
Watter ou het ek te na gekom? Crashball Olivier of Knock-On Spies? Ek het nie eers iets oor daai vuilgat Bakkies Botha gese nie.
Jy moet onderskei tussen karakter-moord en die harde waarheid, ek voorspel als wat gebeur het al 2 seisoene lank, toe het almal net gelag en gese ek is een-ogig, nie so snaaks as dit wat almal sien wat nie ligblou brilletjies het nie, waar word nie ne?
Olivier is ‘n average provinsiale speler, Spies is sy hele loopbaan nog net ‘n rumour, lees oorsese blogs, almal lag al lankal vir hom, Stegmann is opgeblaas oor al Potgieter se goeie werk, en julle coach het vir 3 jaar met Heyneke se kallers geploeg, en nou wil daai kallers nie meer nie.
Nee ou maat, jy is verkeerd hierso, die Bulle het nie donnerse watte nodig nie, hulle moet skielik wakker skrik en bykom.
12@ The Saint:
Sainty… relax en drop jou slacks…. jou artikel is weer op en net so effe meer diplomaties… niks ernstigs verander nie.
Wynand word steeds bevraagteken en so ook Spies.
Ek moet met jou saamstem, die Bulle was vol foute en kritiek op die Bulls is geregverdig… Stormers was beter, klaar en gedaan.
Die Bulle se loosies moet baie kritiek vat vir die ene… ek het juis Sondagoggend of vroegmiddag gesê dat daar sal moontkil meer van Danie Rossouw gebruik gemaak moet word (dalk op No 7) en dat die Bulle ‘n heel nuwe benadering sall moet volg om meer aggresief anderkant die voordeellyn te verdedig.
Kyk weer na jou artikel, gewysig en vertel my weer ek is verkeerd….
Goeie dag almal.
Ok, so na die Bulle se verloor teen die Highlanders het hulle gese, ons gaan ‘n paar dae af neem en dan die probleme uitsort. “Afneem?” het ek gevra. So ja, ek neem aan al die artikels en media aandag wat die Bulle ontvang het het dalk vir hulle die idiee gegee dat, wow, ons is te goed om te verloor. Ons verneder dan sommer die Stormers en die Chiefs in 2 opeenvolgende finale. Ons sit met van die meeste internationale spelers van amper enige Super rugby span. Die Stormers het 8 jaar laas teen ons op Loftus gewen. Ons het die held van die B&I toer in ons span. Wat kan verkeerd gaan… die probleme kan mos nie SO groot wees nie.
Ek dink die Bulle moet eenvoudig terug gaan na die dae VOOR hulle die eerste keer ‘n Super reeks gewen het. Hulle moet ophou “afneem” en media en kontraktuele “verpliginge” nakom. Want kom ons wees eerlik, 2 opeenvolgende tuis nederlae gebeur nie sommer nie. Nie vir die Bulle nie.
14@ Greenpoint-Gunner:
Ek stem saam… die Bulle was eenvoudig “Error-ridden”… en ek dink self ek het hulle beskuldig van amateurisme tydens die game.
Disipline en afbreekpuntspel was tragies…
Die Stormers dfence was awesome… maar selfs hulle moet steeds deur kritiek loop, hulle was nog nie skerp op aanval nie.
Oor die algemeen moetons tans kla oor elke SA span in die Super Rugby reeks… dit was ‘n swart naweek in SA rugby met die Cheetahs wat ‘n ligpunt was maar steeds geen bonuspunt kon verdien nie!
Ek het nie en gaan nie doekies omdraai nie, ek hou nie van al die bulle se buite bedrywighede nie. Hulle het die lekker loopbaan gekies en dit kan hulle he op een voorwaarde hulle gee hul alles vir my die ou wat indirek hul salaris betaal.
Maar ho nou die spelers het nie oornag sleg of oud of moeg geword nie.Die game plan is eenvoudig te voorspelbaar, almal weet die Bulle gaan DIT doen. En hulle berei hul die heel week daarvoor voor. Komaan WO jy het laasjaar driee gedruk, so ook Shadow, hoe, gaan kyk net die eerste 5 games se videos.
Die teenstanders was verras , julle het die onverwagse gedoen, nou is ons soos n oop boek.
16@ superBul:
SB, Do you really think that the professional sportsmen really realise who actually pays their salaries?
It’s long been a bone of contention for me.
GBS
I do not think that the current article quite gets accross, how strongly I resent Wynand Olivier’s and Pierre Spies’ unwarranted reputations.
I have been castrated in the past, trying to explain the one-dimensionality of these two players, I tried statistics, I tried mere argumentation, I tried sarcasm, but no-one gave a damn. Now, these players are showing their worth to EVERYONE themselves, and suddenly the whole world is surprised? What the hell is up with that?
I do NOT resent the Bulls, not even a bit, I resent a great number of their supporters, and the way they act, and I resent the way that the South African Media does their bit to focus attention on undeserving players in such a fashion, that the real grafters of the sport is completely ignored.
I am riled because when (I still maintain) fair critisism of a player surfaces, it gets swept under the rug, instead of the issues being exposed.
The Bulls are not supposed to be untouchable, everyone can call Stormer players fairies or moffies, Flo has received some harsh comments on this, and many other sites, but because he doesn’t play under the protection of the legacy of Du Preez and Matfield, no word will be said.
The Bulls in their current guise have become too confident, they didn’t consider changing their game-plans once, they didn’t invest in a fly-halve because Morne will be there forever, they didn’t look out for centre, because Meisiekind is the greatest, they have now failed twice in a row, something I can hardly eber remember happening and yet they are still unwilling to admit to the simple fact, that they never considered the possibility of the other teams maybe getting better than they were in 2010.
Now we have to sit here and read that, no, the Stormers weren’t really that good, actually the Bulls were that bad. Which is rubbish, because a team can only be as good as their poopsition allows them to be. The Bulls did nothing out of the ordinary, Steyn predictably kicked, Olivier predictably ran crashballs, the forwards predictably picked and charged, Kirchner predictably was out of position, and the wings, predictably missed a great number of tackles.
This happens every game, the only real difference was, usually Matfield and Du Preez sta cool and lead by example, this time they yelled at the referee, and chaos ensued.
18@ The Saint:
Does SA have any three quarters who are able to off load the ball before making contact?
For that matter, it doesn’t need to be a three quarter.
NZ and AUS players think on their feet and move the ball on at speed, the vast majority of SA players first make contact with the tackler, then go to ground, hang on and hope the support gets their before they’re penalised, and then only does the ruck ball get to the scrummie, who then looks around for a player he can pass on to (on a good day).
The speed of the ruck ball that SA sides have had this season has been pathetically slow IMO, and if that’s how we hope to win either the Super Rugby comp’ or the RWC then I’m afraid we are in for a rude awakening.
The format of the Super Rugby competition is going to force the SA sides to play the same type of Rugby as each other (because we all want to “out muscle” each other)and when we play against Aus and NZ sides they are going to run us ragged with quick ball, passed on either at the moment of, or just before contact to support players coming onto the ball at speed.
18@ The Saint:
That is EXACTLY the point I made to you the other day…
The way YOU FEEL about players or RESENT certain players, you can voice in comments.
Articles carry a very different burden… one of tact, a view similar to those you’ll find in the differing newspaper sport pages… and let’s be honest here, in no newspaper will you find an article denigrating players… you’ll find critisim yes but slating players openly, not a chance.
I hope you see the point I make and clearly see the difference between comments and Articles.
We’re not Voldy, we do not write like Voldy… we do not chase sensasionalism like a cheap tabloid.
@ The Saint:
The Saint wrote:
just the way we got this whole provincial rivalry going, in Docs days you had to be in WP or Maties to get Spingbok jerseys.
i personally dont care if you like or not certain players i dont like others , but i agree some of our star players need someone like you to get them going. The same way our supporters got Habana going. He played a good game and kept a few Bulls busy. Only the new import Bjorn was caught fast asleep by him.
JJ Harmse above, is basically calling Bakkies Botha a coward. I never said that I resent the players, read slowly, I said, I resent their unwarranted reputations, because the whole farking world, is afraid to say it like it is.
Trust me, if I slated players openly, you need’nt have had to explain to me what I did, I would know, because they’d stay slandered.
Merely saying what a player did, and adding it to his name is a minor offense in my book, it could have been much worse. I am starting to wonder if you shouldn’t maybe add a disclaimer to all my articles, so I can have freedom of speech.
I’d even mail the players themselves, and have them read a copy and give their blessings before we publish it, just to avoid legal troubles. I can assure you, if they read what I write about them, they’d pick up their game drastically, to avoid featuring in my work again.
22@ The Saint:
Kom ek maak ‘n positiewe voorstel hier… skryf taktvolle artikels wat inval by die standaard vereis, en sit dan jou persoonlike afkeure uit in kommentare onderaan by die “Comments”.
Kom ek gee ‘n praktiese voorbeeld… Louis de Villiers wat skrywe in Media24 se groter publikasies, ‘n man vir wie se skryfstyl ek net respek het, sou nie in sy lewe ‘n artikel pen wat spelers probeer terugruk aarde toe nie… hy het net te veel integriteit daarvoor…. dis waarvoor ons mik.
Dit beteken nie hy het nie ‘n eie sienning nie, ek het hom al hoor mor en vloek en skel met daai skor stem van hom in persoon… maar in print is hy diplomaties… dis wat ek graag nastreef en graag wil vestig hier in Artikels.
Of course it is still early days in a longer competition, and the Bulls will be hoping their players’ class turns into form sooner than later, but for the Loftus faithful patience is truly a virtue this season.
Matfield admitted there were some serious problems to be looked at, especially the fact the Bulls simply cannot get out of first gear this season.
“It is definitely something that is worrying me, especially after two losses,” the Bok lock said, “It is not something we are used to and we will have to work hard to rectify these things. This week we will have to put everything behind us and focus just on the Lions. We can’t worry further than that, we can only take it one game at a time.”
The Bulls captain’s concern comes from the fact the Bulls simply cannot get the basics right at this stage of the competition. Senior Springboks’ handling skills are questionable, while their decision-making at vital stages of the matches is also under question. Discipline, and giving away too many kickable penalties, was also a killer blow against the Stormers.
The Bulls will know after their video session today just how much work needs to be done. But hard work, with a sense of responsibility is what is needed here. The Bulls aren’t done just yet, but if they don’t heed the warnings, the season could be a long one for them.
Good L@rd let them just read the Official Bulls site comments, some will “sommer” sit out and take a weeks rest.
Hallooooooooooo almal!!!!
Baie baie geluk aan al die Stormers hier, welverdiende wen!!!!
O ja, ander vriend van my sê:
“It aint over till the fat lady sings!!!! Moerse dankie Laurika” 🙂
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