The Bulls won’t even make it through to the knockout stages in defence of their Super rugby title, says former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick. And Fitzpatrick launched a scathing critique of the Pretoria-based team’s failings in this year’s Super 15, as they crashed to defeat against the Western Force in Perth.
What Fitzpatrick said also raised serious question marks over the Springboks’ World Cup campaign.
“This year, they haven’t fired a shot anywhere,” he said. “You look at Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield and … you wonder … are they looking at other things, like Botha is off to Toulon?
“They can’t even win their own lineout ball. Everyone talked about Fourie du Preez being injured last year and said everything would be fine when he came back. But he hasn’t fired a shot.
“I think they are struggling with the amount of rugby they have played, and they are a bit tired. Pierre Spies … was a man mountain last year, so dominant. But he has not fired a shot at all this year and therefore you have to ask the question, what is the issue?
“Are they tired, are they playing too much rugby, have they got their minds on other things?”
Fitzpatrick suspects that other teams may have “found out” the Bulls and exploited their predictability.
“With the South Africans, if you take away their firepower in terms of their scrums and lineouts, they can be found wanting and definitely in this situation.
“This was a must-win game for the Bulls, they had to win it. But it is obvious they are a team that is struggling for confidence. They are dropping the ball and making a lot of mistakes.
“You wouldn’t know they are the defending champions. They needed to win every game from this one on to make the top six. But now it is looking like the defending champions are not going to make it through … to the knockouts. This was the end of their chances for this season.”
Australian 1991 World Cup winner Michael Lynagh, Fitzpatrick’s fellow panelist on BSkyB sport in the UK, said “the Bulls’ forward pack was so dominant … last year. It gave Morne Steyn and Fourie du Preez an armchair ride.
“But this year they are not so dominant. This year too, the pace of the game has picked up and they look a bit tired.
“Therefore, the whole game plan of the Bulls hasn’t worked as well as it has in the past. And you also wonder whether opponents have worked out their game plan, stood up and knocked them over.
“They are normally a very structured side and maybe they need to go back to some of the old habits and structures they had, like Steyn putting them in positions on the field, off-loading in the tackle and a bit of continuity which they haven’t had.
“They have been too indisciplined and unforced errors cost them a lot in the game against the Force.”
Lynagh confessed that he too was bewildered by the modest form of Pierre Spies. “He was such a physical presence last year in their Championship winning team and you just wonder what’s going on this time.
“It is obvious they are really struggling for confidence, that confidence is very low. But they have got to cut out the mistakes, stop making so many errors.”
By Peter Bills, a rugby writer for Independent News & Media in London.
Ja, alles feite, die vet tannie het gesing vir my span. Verlore teen Reds en Saders kan nog verstaan word, maar teen die Force, veral na die twee driee is heeltemal onverskoonbaar.
Bulle is nou waar die Sharks laasjaar was, te ver agter geraak om nou op te vang. Sal hier en daar een wen, om die top 6 te haal is teoreties moontlik, maar onwaarskynlik soos die Bulle nou speel.
Maar is dit die moeite werd om bloot die uitspeelwedstryde te haal, veral in ‘n WB jaar ?
Soos ek ‘n ander keer al gesê het: vir ‘n SA span om ‘n realistiese kans te hê om die kompetisie te wen, moet jy eerste of tweede eindig. Die kanse vir ‘n SA span wat 3de tot 6de eindig, om 2 of 3 uitspeel wedstryde oorsee te wen is baie min, soos die geskiedenis van die super 12 en super 14 uitwys.
Die laaste ding wat ons nog nodig het, is dat enige van ons ander SA spanne nog verder verneder word IN NZ WAAR DIE WB GAAN WEES, en dit nog voor die WB.
Sterkte vir die Sharks en Stomers wat nog ‘n baie goeie kans het om eerste en/of tweede te eindig. Ironies genoeg gaan hul kanse baie afhang van hoe goed of sleg die Bulle die res van die seisoen speel, want die Sharks moet nog 2 keer en Stormers nog een keer teen Bulle speel.
Op huidige vorm hoef die Sharks en Stormers glad nie slapelose nagte te hê nie, en behoort wenne teen die Bulle maklik te kom. Maar, die vraag is, gaan die Bulle een of ander tyd wakker skud of nie ? Die Bulle, en veral die bulle se bokaanspraakmakers kan ook nie ‘roll over and play dead’ speel nie, want hulle speel ook vir plekke in die bokgroep, teen spelers in die Sharks en Stormers span wat ook gemotiveerd speel om die Super 15 te wen en plekke te bespreek in WB groep.
Dit maak die res van die superseisoen baie interessant:
a. wie van die Sharks of Stormers gaan die SA konferensie wen (en gaan hul 1 of 2 op algehele log eindig) ?
b. Gaan die Bulle weer vorm herwin en die Sharks en Stormers laat klippe kou en weer hoop gee vir die WB ? (en moontlik die uitspeelwedstryde haal)
“Pierre Spies … was a man mountain last year, so dominant. But he has not fired a shot at all this year and therefore you have to ask the question, what is the issue?” (Fitzie)
“Lynagh confessed that he too was bewildered by the modest form of Pierre Spies. “He was such a physical presence last year in their Championship winning team and you just wonder what’s going on this time.”
Nou wat weet hierdie twee legendes nou, hul moet mos die kenner Saint gaan vra, en dan sal hy hul mos vertel dat Spies nog NOOIT goed was nie ! 😉
2@ bdb:
Hehehehe, janee… wie is hierdie 2 sotlike LEGENDES nou juis, wie de donner dink hulle is hulle, om van Saint te mag verskil… blerrie idiote…. hahaha
3: hehehe, Saint se volgende artikel gaan seker wees:
“Die Bulle se huidige slegte vorm bewys eintlik dat hul glad nie die Super kampioene van 2007,2009, 2010 was nie …..”
Fitzpatrick is only saying what every South African is saying as well. None of us think we have a chance in this world cup.
Just can’t see us winning it with our outdated game plan. Never mind if we select the best players available. We just playing outdated rugby. It will never win us a world cup or even get us past the quarters, might not even make the quarters. It looks that bleak.
We played Bulls rugby in Tri-Nations last year and it never worked. We still played it in the eoyt and IT still never worked. Far too short a time to change our playing style now.
Also Victor and Morne probably a few others should never ever have gone on the eoyt last year. PdV should have known better and rested those players. They NEEDED a rest more than playing. THEY had been playing NON-STOP rugby for over a year. No player can take that amount of rugby, none. The body needs a rest otherwise it starts to break down, also mental tiredness is another thing. Players should be managed better. It is definitely showing in the Bulls game right now. The players are tired. But also still playing the same old style won’t work. Sorry to my Bulls supporters here, but that is a fact. Boks won’t win with that style. The game has moved on.
But watch, the Bulls could beat the Sharks and Stormers……hehehe. Saffa against Saffa? Well that is another thing. Not sure why we raise our games against each other, but not against overseas teams.. 🙄
Puma wrote:
Look my friend the Bulls did not run onto the field to lose. Against the Force we missed many try scoring opportunities, and so against the Reds and even the Crusaders. So it is up to the Sharks and the Stormers to stop us, WE WILL NOT ROLL OVER , forget it.
This whole thing hurts, but this also make you a better person. Breaking this white line fever is our first priority. We wont lie down and offer any team a open path, we have a lot of pride at stake here.If you beat us i wont come out saying we only did it for SA’s good.
Duncan Johnstone says, and so say all on the band wagon, are they not only trying their best to persuade us to dump our experienced players.
The Springboks won’t be able to defend the World Cup because their core of stars are over the hill.
The cracks began to appear last year and they are opening up in alarming fashion for Boks coach Peter de Villiers during Super Rugby.
From skipper John Smit in his confusing front row roles through to Bryan Habana’s struggles on the wings, leading South African players are clearly struggling for form.
He goes on with…..
It’s also hard to put aside the notion that de Villiers will toss aside this much experience in a World Cup year.
He has other options but he’s unlikely to be radical with the responsibilities that come with defending the golden cup weighing so heavily on him.
He won’t be the first World Cup coach to be blinded by loyalty.
Grizz Wyllie was guilty of that in 1991 when his aging New Zealand side was sorely exposed trying to defend the cup they had won so handsomely at the inaugural tournament four years earlier.
Bob Dwyer fell into the same trap. His Australian World Cup winners of 1991 were tossed out early at the 1995 tournament in South Africa.
Timing is everything for World Cups and unless de Villiers can perform a miracle, his side appears to be on a slide.
What makes it even more difficult for de Villiers is his reliance on the likes of Smit and Botha in the bigger picture. The Boks aren’t run by player power but the veterans are hugely influential off the field.
The question now, particularly with Smit, is whether they can be similarly influential on the field.
Duncan Johnstone ends.
De Villiers has already stated he will play a conservative game plan at the World Cup. History would suggest there’s some sense in that.
But de Villiers team will play that way because they have no option.
I feel there is NO sense in trying to throw all the planning away and try a quick fix , it is simply too risky.
“Physical Presence” beteken boggerol, ons almal weet hy is moer groot, en ons almal weet hy is daar, want sy naam is op die Team Sheet. So physically was hy present, en julle kan mense aanhaal tot julle Blou word, hy sal vir my altyd useless bly as dinge tight raak, soos nou, dinge is op die oomblik tight, almal se vorm is af, so ou Spiesie kan nie meer wegkruip agter ‘n wenpak en Fourie du Preez nie, nou sien almal presies hoe WONDERLIK die “MAN MOUNTAIN” is…maar kom ons tob nou nie daaroor nie…
Kom ons praat eerder oor julle klomp bulletjies wat my die leviete voorgelees het na my artikel oor die Bulls teen die Highlanders, toe is ek mos moerse negatief, en ek weet fokkol, en die Highlanders is net ‘n speedbump…lyk my die speedbump was ‘n flokken muur… so, op die oomblik voel ek ‘n flok oor Pierre Spies, Fourie du Preez, Victor, Bakkies en al daai ouens se reputasies…want julle kan hamer op die verlede soos julle wil, maar 3 Superrugby Trofees, beteken flokkol as julle nie eers die Force kan ore aansit nie.
Ek weet nie hoe gaan die Stormers doen verder nie, ek weet nie of kan ons driee druk nie, en ek weet nie of is ons sterk genoeg om die Super 15 te wen nie, so hierdie comment gaan nie oor my wat windgat is nie, dit gaan oor julle wat julle koppe skielik in julle doppe terugtrek, en skielik stories vertel oor die verlede, en doen wat ons (Stormers ondersteuners) altyd beskuldig van doen…die verlede maak nie saak nie, al wat tel is NOU!
@ superBul:
You already rolled over…enigiets wat julle nou vermag, is te laat.
The Saint wrote:
Count me out ek was net so krities oor hulle en wat ek gese het het waar geword.
The Saint wrote:
Ooo ne, daai een kan jy maar in jou pyp sit en rook. Tipiese reaksie van n bekerlose ondersteuner. Jy speel seker vir die pret en nie vir die prys nie. Dat jy so stelling moet ingooi ondermyn jou eie geloofwaardigheid hier. Dit maak jou se skoon belaglik. So Peter de Villiers moet net mooi gaan wen en as die Bokke die eerste span word wat die Webb Ellis n 3de keer omhoog hou is dit ook maar niks, o ja want ons kan dalk net die volgende toets verloor en dan is alles wat bereik is dinges.
Janee, die feit is dat die Bulle te veel spelers het wat nou einde se kant toe staan, maar die vraag moet eintlik aan Frans Ludeke gevra word. Het hy maar net n’ “free ride” gevang met wat Heineke Meyer gebou het die afgelope paar jaar, en is eintlik maar net so sonder idees soos PDV?
Die ongelukkige feit is dat rugby evolusioner verander het in die laaste 18 maande, en as jy nie spelers het wat vinning is, ball skills het, en verskillende lyne kan hardloop van nature nie, dan is jy in die moeilikheid.
SA rugby word verkeerd ge-coach en ons hoop dat PDV n’ paar ouens in diens neem wat dit besef.
Ek se nog steeds Pierre Spies het spasie nodig.
Hy staan te vlak en het geen momentum as hy die crash ball vat nie.
Sit die man op senter, daar is spasie, hy is groot en sterk, en het spoed.
Ek wonder wanneer gaan mense agterkom dat Zane Kirchner nie pass nie, weereens saterdag het hy eenkeer gepass en die res van die tyd dood gegaan met die bal.
Fourie du Preez mag dalk nog tyd nodig he om vorm te kry, maar magtig, hou op om jou arms in die lug te gooi elke keer wat jou voorspelers te stadig is om die ruck ball te beheer, jy lyk soos Joost in sy laaste dae.
Ek kan sien Victor probeer hard, hy probeer met die ball te hardloop, hy probeer om lynstane te wen, maar ongelukkig is hy net daardie bietjie te stadig, daardie bietjie kort op physicality en nie meer so effektief nie.
Bakkies lyk of hy nou net saam hardloop.
Naas Botha was spot on last night on Superugby , Kyknet. He said that any age is right, 20 or 40, if the player are the best and ON FORM. Many callers wanted to write players off, he just kept on saying if a player is still off form in July , drop him, finish and klaar. Like Naas i would never cling to a player that is old, tired and out of form, just remember when you want that player at his peak performance. in fact i wont even cling to a young player that looks tired(lazy) and out of form.
Look around the world and you see headlines like this
“Veteran Thorne called into ailing Crusaders” – Age 36
“Tony Brown kicking down All Blacks’ door” – Age 36
Now what about youngsters-
“Centre Robbie Fruean is another whose form has dipped in recent weeks. His bullocking bursts in the earlier rounds are now only a pleasant memory.”
Richard Knowler
Another article said
This season is all about the World Cup and I’m afraid time has run out in terms of development.
The World Cup is all about performance rather than development.
Does age count against him? Not necessarily. Brad Thorn is also 36 and is a World Cup certainty. Thorn will be operating in the thick of the forwards his body will take far more punishment.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has just been trumpeting the retention of hooker Keven Mealamu who is 32. Fellow All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore will turn 33 during the World Cup. Fullback Mils Muliaina, whose record 94 tests caps look certain to be added to, will be 31 in July.
It’s been interesting to see some of the Super Rugby franchises opt for experience to solve a few puzzles.
From the same the article above
The Chiefs started that by including 37-year-old Tana Umaga in their midst and the Highlanders didn’t hesitate to bring in Brown as cover. Neither has let their teams down.
Now the Crusaders have gone for 36-year-old Reuben Thorne to plug a hole in their squad for their South African tour.
Given the responsibilities that go with playing first five, experience counts for plenty and probably never more so than at a World Cup.
But form is vital too and right now Brown’s form is as good, if not better, than any No 10 running around in a New Zealand Super Rugby team.
@ superBul:
Bekerlose ondersteuner? Miskien, maar as my span verloor is dit ‘n geval van tipies, dis hoekom hulle geen bekers het nie, en ek moet dit gelate aanvaar, want dis waar, ons het geen groot trofees vir ‘n hele ruk al nie.
Maar nou verloor die Bulle, en dan, om aandag af te kry van hoe absoluut kak hulle speel, moet ons hoor dat hulle darem al 3 keer die Super 15 gewen het. Wat maak dit saak, wat het dit uit te waai met hoe kak hulle speel, gee trofee’s in die verlede julle skielik bonuspunte as julle teen die Force verloor? Moet ek nou gaan begin se dat die WP die Curriebeker al 32 keer gewen het? Feit is, as jy nou kak is, tel niks wat jy vroeer gedoen het nie, maar grawe ou koeie uit die sloot uit, dis fine, as julle gelukkig is om met herinneringe van die verlede te sit, terwyl die res van die wereld julle koggel en uitlag kan ek niks aan die saak verander nie.
Hou vas aan die gedagte dat Spies, Du Preez, Steyn, Matfield, Botha en Olivier die bestes in hulle posisies in die wereld is, gaan vertel dit net aan die res van die spanne in die kompetisie ook, want klaarblyklik voel hulle flokkol vir daai ouens se reputasies nie.
Kom net uit julle koorsdrome uit, die bulle speel nie kak omdat almal skielik vorm verloor het nie, daar is iets anders fout in Bloubul land, vroeer is daar gese ek pleeg karakter moord, maar die BULLE is ewe skielik TE groot vir die spel. Elke week die ou selfde kak verskoninkies…”Ons moet ons game 5% lig. Ons moet meer akkuraat wees. Ons het werk op die oefenveld. Ons is teleurgesteld maar die boys het hard probeer.” KAK!
Die Bulle het ‘n sielkundige nodig, want iewers het hulle vergeet dat hulle net gewone mense is, gewone spelers wat moet aanpas en verander, maar hulle is so arrogant dat hulle aanhou glo ‘n taktiek wat al 7 jaar oud is, sal vir ewig werk, en niemand sal hulle uitvang nie.
The Saint wrote:
Dit doen julle.
The Saint wrote:
Flok jy moet bietjie daai wp brilletjies skoonmaak en ander lande se sites beloer. Ons word nog aangespreek as die Kampioene, tereg ons is die HUIDIGE SUPERRUGBY KAMPIOEN. He respek man. Die koning of die Stoet bul is dalk siek maar nog lank nie dood.
Saint daai laaste twee paragrawe beskryf so mooi die gevoel wat die WP/STORMERS al die laaste 10+ jare beleef.Al die gekoop , gehype en nou is dit ons jaar…..Ons is nie so desperaat as wat jy dink nie.
Ek sien hierdie post op Voldy:
85.JL1 said:
25 Apr 2011, 20:08 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-81: This site used to have great bloggers
In 2005 and 2006 when Pietman, Saint, GBS and co were here, but alas people like Hater, her behaviour and troll comments led to loads leaving the site, even great bloggers like Rugby Princess, a Kiwi blogger,left
superBul wrote:
At the team’s first twilight practice late Monday evening, Ludeke fronted up on some of the issues facing the team, but denied there was any crisis brewing in the three-time champions camp.
“No not at all, there is no crisis,” Ludeke said, “I think a crisis is when you can’t do anything anymore. I also think a crisis is when you don’t have answers for the questions.
“When you don’t understand what is going on, then you feel like you’re losing control. Everybody can see what is costing us at the moment, we just need to climb into those areas. We’re still positive, very positive.
@ superBul:
Ja-Nee, julle is glad nie desperaat nie, 60% van julle spelers is oor minder as ‘n jaar iewers in Europa, so julle kan oorbegin, ek bedoel julle Vodacom beker span wys die diepte is nog daar…O…wag….
@ superBul:
Ja, en nou gaan hy my vertel drolle is vye
@ The Saint:
Julle oordryf dat ons so erg sal sukkel sonder die klomp wat openlik gese het hulle gaan oorsee. Daar gaan meer van daai huursoldate van die Stormers en die Sharks weg agter die pond aan. Hoor my lied, wen ons dalk die WB weer is al daai manne so gesog soos goud. So moet nie dink ons is die enigste span wat verswak gaan wees nie.
Dalk bly net Schalk oor wat nog internasionaal is.
22@ The Saint:
Hey, jy WEET darem ALLES, hê?
Vertel my bietjie, is dit ‘n straf of ‘n blessing….
Flok…
@ superBul:
Ek wil nou rerig nie, in ‘n nuttelose stryery betrokke raak nie, maar hoe oordryf ek? Julle Vodacom Beker span, gaan in games in, met die doel voor oe om ‘n verloor bonuspunt teen die Grens te bekom?
Julle Superrugby span het tot dusver iets soos 5 kontrakte bevestig, waaronder Wynand Olivier, Bjorn Basson en Chilliboy die bekendste is… Bakkies, Victor, Du Preez, Steenkamp, Gary Botha het al bevestig hulle gaan weg?
Jip, ons het ‘n paar huursoldate…nie veel meer as julle nie…maar ons het ook so 30 spelers wat deur die WP akademie gekom het, hoeveel Super Rugby Debuts was daar die jaar by die Bulle? Dean Greyling en? Dis dit. Waar is julle jong spelers? Jaco van der Westhuyzen moet cover vir amper julle hele agterlyn, want face it, daar is niemand beter as hy in die BB Maatskappy op die oomblik nie.
@ grootblousmile:
Ek weet nie alles nie…ek het maar my eie opinies, want anders as die Bree Blou Publiek daarbuite sit ek nie met my kop in my eie gat gedruk en glo dat Ludeke actually ‘n flokken clue het wat aangaan nie. Noudat Heyneke Meyer se spelpatroon nie meer werk nie, en hy met sy eie kalwers moet ploeg, is dit alweer Ludekak van die Cats van voor af…
@ The Saint:
Ek stem , wil nie met jou stry nie, sal niks help nie. Maar as jy dink dat al die Bul ondersteuners happy is met wat tans daar by die Bulle gebeur slaan jy die bal baie ver mis. Ons raas en julle wat moet bly wees raas saam, ons gaan nie in dekades van verloor en dan hou ons ons slim nie. Daar is reeds n aksieplan van die ondersteuners om die Bul hok te skud. Ons breek die plek af as ons langer as 3 jaar bekerloos is. Gaan loer maar die Bulle het nie trofee kaste wat stof opgaar nie.
@ superBul:
Dis die grootste fout wat almal maak, almal dink ek is happy omdat die Bulle so kak is. Maar dit beteken ons wen op Loftus is maar net een van vele, en dit maak my nie happy nie.
O ja, nog ‘n fout wat almal maak is om te dink dat ek stupid is…maar gaan lees bietjie alles wat ek al op hierdie site ge-publish het…omtrent 80% het waar geword, van die Leeus tot die Bulle…so, gaan se maar ek hou my slim, swart op wit se ek is nogal donners akuraat…
@ superBul:
Bul ondersteuners se grootste probleem is, terwyl dit goed gaan is hulle so flokken vol van hulself, dat jy flokkol van hulle span mag se nie…jy word uitgejou, en kak toegesnou. Almal is dan kak behalwe die Bulle…hierdie krakies het ek laasjaar al voorspel, net voor julle 3de titel…maar toe is ek jaloers…flok alleen weet wat daar in Pretoria is om op jaloers te wees…
@ The Saint:
Aaagh ou siel jy is maar geregtig om so te voel. Ons ry natuurlik die golf. Nou probeer ons maar n ander brander, wen tog maar n slag laat jy kan sien hoe mooi gedra jou span se ondersteuners hulself. Jy kan duidelik nie onthou hoe julle oorboord gaan nie. Almal seker maar. Nou raak julle tog bietjie slim, na soveel Moses ervarings is julle maar heel bedeesd. Sien tog slim geword. Ek like die Provinsiale rivalry net jammer julle het so lanklaas voete gehad om op te staan. Maar moeilik om n ou wat op sy kniee staan te moer(let wel met woorde) 😆
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