Blue Bulls (15) 47 / 29 (16) WP (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls and DHL Western Province did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Scorers:
Blue Bulls:
- Penalties – Tian Schoeman (5), Louis Fouché (1)
- Drop Goals – 0
- Tries – Burger Odendaal (1), Jamba Ulengo (2), Travis Ismaiel (1), Warrick Gelant (1)
- Conversions – Tian Schoeman (2)
WP:
- Penalties – Demetri Catrakilis (5)
- Drop Goals – 0
- Tries – Seabelo Senatla (1), Dillyn Leyds (1)
- Conversions – Demetri Catrakilis (2)
Teams:
Vodacom Blue Bulls |
DHL Western Province |
| 22 August at 19:10 SA Time | |
|
|
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant Referees: Jaco Pretorius, Ricus van der Hoven
TMO: Vos Willie
@ Nama:
yip…they had us on 20/2….will have to follow suit and get them quickly.
@ Pietman:
We are still a fair way behind SA in cricket but easy beats no more.
@ NZINCHINA: anyone thinking that would be an idiot Mr China. And we ain’t gonna win this one today either it seems. One-all.
Hoerskool Aliwal-Noord o15 A speel 11 wen 10 verloor 1 punte vir 342 punte teen 50 gemiddelde telling 31-5 skole wat gewen is sluit in Birchleigh 58-0 randpark hoer 26-0 en Diamantveld 36-7 verloor teen Fichardpark Bloemfontein 12-7. nie te sleg vir n klomp plaasballasse nie.nie eens 180 seuns in die skool nie
@ Tassies:
One all in SA would be a superb result as our record in the republic isn’t flash.
Black Caps win by 8 wickets with 5,3 overs to spare.
Quite a drubbing
There’s hope again at Loftus
They have suffered wave upon wave of defections to more lucrative overseas climes, and for the last couple of years under Frans Ludeke’s tenure their game at both Super Rugby and Currie Cup level got stuck in a near-laughable time warp.
You could almost have said the Bulls had become a rugby equivalent of Liverpool, a once-mighty football club able to dine out strictly on glories past.
They remain the only South African side – and we should never lose sight of that – to have won the Super Rugby title, and three times between 2007 and 2010.
Two of those occasions were under Ludeke’s hand, and while he had the appropriate ammunition at his disposal in squad terms, the largely conservative, structures-driven brand of rugby they played was generally very successful.
But in more recent seasons, and with the Loftus trophy cabinet beginning to collect ominous volumes of dust (no Super Rugby silverware beyond 2010, no Currie Cup since 2009) the Bulls suffered greatly from the blinkered, too-stubborn belief of Ludeke and a fair tally of allies around him, both on-field and off, that increasingly outmoded methods could still bring fruits.
It seems not everyone in the vicinity of Pretoria bought into the formula, both on coaching staff and in the heart of the dressing room itself, and that probably goes further toward explaining why they regressed and the troops fielded lacked collective synergy and appetite.
In each of the 2014 and 2015 Super Rugby seasons, the Bulls, still largely under the dictates of an “old guard”, faded to ninth-placed overall places, with seven wins from 16 ordinary-season matches each time.
Those are unacceptable returns for such a big franchise, and in the all-domestic competition the state of affairs has been little better in recent times; didn’t we all tire horribly of those excessive hoof-and-hopes, and the tedious setting-up of forward pods for a laborious shunting-yard rumble?
But although the Currie Cup is now a much poorer cousin to Super Rugby – not in credibility, but at least in terms of much diminished use of best players on unions’ books – signals are flashing promisingly of late that a new generation of fleet-footed personnel are ready and willing to claw the Bulls back toward more ambitious and expressive terrain on all fronts.
The cherry on top of a trio of full-house early Blue Bulls wins (and 15 merry tries along the way) under new coach Nollis Marais was Saturday’s irresistible dismantling of champions Western Province by a 47-29 margin.
The scoreboard actually flattered the strangely complacent and ragged visitors, whose only two tries against the raging tide – five properly-constructed, sometimes quite dazzling ones — came via an intercept and a charge-down; they were also beefed by the customary excellence of Demetri Catrakilis off the kicking tee.
Province would have awakened on Sunday morning not only to the good likelihood that a murderous, punitive Monday training session lies in wait, but also a mental hangover induced by concession of roughly a point a minute in the eventful last half-hour when the Bulls were running at them from all angles.
The irony is that back at Newlands they are also seeking some refreshment in game-plan, but after this showing – captain Nizaam Carr admitted the Bulls “took us to a place we just couldn’t handle” – a return to certain basics may be necessary first, including solving a mounting problem in their breakdown play.
Say what you like about WP and the Stormers sometimes finding Craig Joubert a bit of a nemesis when he has the whistle in their matches … harsh officiating against them or not, this was an old-fashioned hiding in anyone’s language.
WP are certainly a better side than this mini-tornado they suffered through indicates, but right now the cup-holders have fallen six points off the pace as the Bulls and Lions lie jointly at the top of the overall table with maximum points in each case.
But it is great for the competition – and arguably the country, frankly – that the Bulls appear to be awakening at a rate of knots and perhaps set to become much more competitive participants again in the time-honoured north v south provincial rivalry.
It would be naive to believe all is suddenly hunky-dory again at Loftus, yet if the Blue Bulls can put together a rousing Currie Cup a little against the odds (we might have been entitled believe their re-growth would take a tad longer?) it could also translate into an upward curve in Super Rugby next season.
There is a healthy emphasis on youth, both in the pack and backline, and there was an eye-opening level of infectious enthusiasm across the ranks on Saturday – only in the scrums did the Bulls continue to experience some angst.
Under the tutorship of Marais, the Bulls certainly haven’t abandoned all of their old, once formidable characteristics: they will still put up the odd box kick, and place a lot of emphasis on remorseless physicality in the tight-loose. In short, they won’t simply throw the ball about willy-nilly.
But there was also an air of liberation about the way Francois Hougaard and Tian Schoeman pulled the strings at nine and 10 respectively, with the latter not afraid to demonstrate a jink or side-step while still doing his various jobs with the boot authoritatively, and this approach brought out the best front-foot qualities in the outside backs.
Burger Odendaal and Jamba Ulengo were devastating at times too, but the biggest revelation was perhaps 20-year-old Warrick Gelant at fullback.
The Baby Boks star of a few months ago, who hails from Knysna but spiritedly reminded at the man-of-the-match presentation that his blood is very much “blou”, gave Province all sorts of problems with his bamboozling snipes near either touchline, and assistance in setting up others around him for raids on the try-line.
Be careful not to bank too hastily on routine, major success coming back to Pretoria just yet.
First things needed to change at Loftus … and at the very least they are.
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/CurrieCup/Theres-hope-again-at-Loftus-20150823
@ nortie:
Yes little old New Zooland punching above its weight again, what’s next?
NZINCHINA wrote:
Well, compared to us NZ are far better off.
You are superior in rugby, football, netball and lately in cricket.
League we do not really play here, athletics I’m not sure.
I guess we have better swimmers, but I don’t follow stuff like the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, so I have no idea who wins the most medals there.
I think when it comes to sport we are a fair bit behind you, especially in those that count 😆
337 @ nortie:
That is quite a lot of praise to a team that was 15-29 down at a stage to a team that got 29 points without doing anything at all.
@ MacroPolo:
It’s what is on the scoreboard after 80 minutes that count.
Bull’s fans should be pleased that their side could manage to overturn a deficit into a bonus point win, last week you soaked up what Griekwas threw at you and still won comfortably.
Those are signs of good sides, especially when they are the one that finishes the strongest.
It would be a nice trait to see in the Bok side, considering how poorly conditioned they are and how poor they finish in the last quarter
I must say. I have given jacque dup a lot of stick the last few years, but he did flippen well in that second half, where he would regularly take the ball off 9 and smash into the opponents he is looking for offloads.
Good second half by dup.
@ nortie:
I suppose the big plus points is the win, how we fought back and how brutal they were when they had pw on the ropes, however the scrums irritate the shit out of me. 😆
@ MacroPolo:
Look, the CC form is no indication of what might happen in SR next year, but from your side the current positives far outweigh any negatives that might or might not transpire in the future.
After the last few year’s CC campaigns, you guys now have the chance to actually enjoy the way your team is playing and have something to look forward to….enjoy the moment and enjoy the bragging rights.
Julle beurt is julle beurt 😆
@ nortie:
Ek kan nie help wonder watter tipe spelers jono ross en wiaan liebenberg sou gewees het sonder ludeke wat hom in n boks probeer indruk het nie.
Montpillier en stade francais (hul spanne) het gemaklik die naweek gewen.
@ nortie:
The might of SA cricket humbled by 2 or 3 part-timers, your sport is in crisis, 50 million punters and fuck all to show for it, plenty of excuses no answers, Groot will be along shortly to tell us how much talent you have but the coaches aren’t good enough 😆 😆
Perhaps you just don’t have the talent?
I’m off to bed but you have to ask the question, is the talent really there? No trophy in the last 6 seasons of rugby and a perpetual choke in cricket, we could always blame it on the coaches
@ NZINCHINA:
lets talk test cricket buddy not this bubblegum and popcorn odi and 20/20 bullshit test cricket 5 days of torture in the sun how good are you at that
Nama, You are full of shit and bravado!
Nowhere did I say the Blue Bulls and Lions are in a 2-way race for the Currie Cup,
Go fark yoursef, a few times, you doff & dimm-witted dubus!
Daarsie pille vir wat jy onderlede het nie!
You’re a right real LIAR, there’s no denying this FACT… be man enough to admit it!
If not, refer to the comment number(s) where I alluded to this… this supposed declaration!
I hate it when people lie through their teeth to try and prove a point, but love it when they are found out for the frauds that they are indeed!
Your remind me of Zuma & Malema… only the chip on the shoulder might be much bigger.
LIAR!
Ouch bad loss
Hi all
Lions look the team to beat. some should be in bok squad
@ NZINCHINA:
The talent is there, however the mental toughness not.
Interesting to see that Dillon Leyds’ dance moves after his intercept try left John Dobson upset.
@ robzim:
I dont think he had anything against the dance moves, he just felt like it was not a try worthy of celebration.
Anyway I still think it is quite ironical he would have a go at his players when he himself was quite cocky in the pre match interview.
Lol looking at the highlights again… Kolbe almost litterally crapped himself when Burger Odendaal was running towards him.
@ MacroPolo:
It’s going to be a “long” short week for Dobson as he only has 4 days to get his team ready for their visit to Bloem on Friday night. He cannot really afford another loss and the Cheetahs will probably back themselves to pull off a surprise so its going to be tough.
Clearly the time has come to get Jano Vermaak into the starting line up and perhaps to find a more agile inside centre and maybe to start with a fetcher on the flank as the loose trio is very unbalanced.
Saturday was not a train smash as long as Dobson and the team learnt something from it.
@ robzim:
Groom wont be available next weekend, he is apparantly playing for the Barbarians in the UK against Samoa, No doubt that puts Vermaak in the spotlight.
@ robzim:
The funny thing is that is the same loose trio that won the currie cup final isn’t it?
Notshe though instead of Rhodes
355 @ MacroPolo:
Hi Macro do you have a link for the highlights please? Would be nice to see, especially the second half
@ Bullscot:
Hi bullscot,
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup/video/566754
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