The Sharks won their first Vodacom Super Rugby match of 2012 while the Vodacom Bulls let slip a great opportunity to remain top of the log as they lost at home to the Blues.
The Toyota Cheetahs got the weekend underway from a South African perspective when they narrowly went down to the Brumbies, by 24-23, in Canberra on Saturday morning.
Later on Saturday, The Sharks, in their first home game of the season, scored four tries as they defeated the MTN Lions by 32-20. That was followed by the Blues upsetting the Vodacom Bulls by 29-23 in Pretoria, with the visitors’ young flyhalf, Gareth Anscombe, scoring all his team’s points.
The Reds, Highlanders, DHL Stormers and Brumbies are the only unbeaten teams left, but last two have both had a bye, the Capetonians having theirs this past weekend.
Brumbies 24 (10) Toyota Cheetahs 23 (13)
The Toyota Cheetahs were pipped at the post with a last-minute penalty as they came very close to only their second victory in Australia, the Brumbies eventually winning this high intensity Vodacom Super Rugby encounter by 24-23 in Canberra on Saturday morning.
Toyota Cheetahs fans would feel their team was robbed as they conceded a slew of penalties late in the game, which saw the Brumbies fight back from being 23-10 behind with half an hour to go. On the field, the players also looked a bit perplexed by the decisions made at scrum time by referee Keith Brown.
Apart from the penalties which ultimately cost them the game, the Toyota Cheetahs showed a vast improvement from last weekend. Their defence was generally very good and Springbok flanker Heinrich Brüssow was at his brilliant best at the breakdowns, turning over a lot of possession for the visitors.
The Toyota Cheetahs scored two good tries, first by left wing Willie le Roux off a set move from a line-out in the first half and then shortly after the break by scrumhalf Tewis de Bruyn.
Toyota Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen, who is part of the South African Under-20 training squad, missed his first kick at goal in 217 minutes of Vodacom Super Rugby this season when his attempt at a 62 metre penalty goal fell short. That was his 17th kick at goal this season.
Scorers:
Brumbies – Tries: Henry Speight, Pat McCabe. Conversion: Christian Lealiifano. Penalty goals: Lealiifano (4).
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Willie le Roux, Tewis de Bruyn. Conversions: Johan Goosen (2). Penalty goals: Goosen (3).
The Sharks 32 (17) MTN Lions 20 (6)
The Sharks scored their first victory of the 2012 Vodacom Super Rugby season when they beat a depleted MTN Lions side by 32-20 at Mr Price Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, scoring their fourth try for a valuable bonus point at the death.
Jacques Botes’ try in the 79th minute, from a rolling maul, gave The Sharks their third bonus point of 2012, but for the first time this season it was for try-scoring alongside a win.
This followed first half tries by Riaan Viljoen (fullback) and Lwazi Mvovo (left wing), both in the left corner of the field.
The MTN Lions, despite losing three props as well as their playmaker, Elton Jantjies, to injuries this week, never gave up and scored two tries in the second half, by fullback Jaco Taute and replacement prop Ruan Dreyer.
When Dreyer drove over with five minutes left, the score was 27-20 to the home side, but they kept their eye on the prize and pushed through when it really mattered.
Scorers:
The Sharks – Tries: Riaan Viljoen, Lwazi Mvovo, Meyer Bosman, Jacques Botes. Conversions: Pat Lambie (3). Penalty goals: Lambie (2).
MTN Lions – Tries: Jaco Taute, Ruan Dreyer. Conversions: Butch James (2). Penalty goals: James (2).
Vodacom Bulls 23 (8) Blues 29 (20)
Young Blues flyhalf, Gareth Anscombe, made sure the Loftus Versfeld faithful will not forget his name soon as he scored all of the Aucklanders’ points in their 29-23 victory – their first of 2012 – over a lacklustre Vodacom Bulls side on Saturday.
The home side did manage a bonus point for losing with less than seven points when Bjorn Basson scored his second try of the night and Morné Steyn added the conversion, but it was scant consolation as the Blues recorded only the second away victory ever in matches between these sides.
It was almost ironic that this kick, probably Steyn’s most difficult of the night, bagged the Vodacom Bulls a bonus point, as the Springbok flyhalf had been wayward with the boot for most of the match, missing four of his seven kicks at goal.
Steyn’s opposite number, the 20-year-old Anscombe, in his first Vodacom Super Rugby start, scored two tries, converted both and added five penalty goals for 29 points. He got on the score sheet in second minute thanks to an intercept try and again in the 39th minute with his second try. He hit seven from nine of his attempts at goal.
The Vodacom Bulls also kept themselves under pressure with a slew of unnecessary mistakes, while the Blues used their opportunities and kept calm heads when it was required.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Pierre Spies, Bjorn Basson (2). Conversion: Morné Steyn. Penalty goals: Steyn (2).
Blues – Tries: Gareth Anscombe (2). Conversions: Anscombe (2). Penalty goals: Anscombe (5).
OTHER RESULTS – ROUND 3:
Crusaders 19 Chiefs 24 (Napier)
Force 19 Hurricanes 46 (Perth)
Highlanders 18 Waratahs 17 (Dunedin)
Reds 11 Rebels 6 (Brisbane)
If it’s not the refs stuffing the Cheetahs up, then there must be serious fitness/concentration issues! The Cheetahs apparently only concede 1 penalty in the 1st half against 6 of the Brumbies! The penalty count at the end was 17 against the Cheetahs of which 7 were in the last 20 minutes.
Now I think Naka kept Coenie on too long, as the guy was clearly exhausted. My question is, why would a team that was fairly solid in the scrums, all of a sudden start conceding so many? Surely the refs are ruining rugby as a spectacle with their overl enthuisiastic officiating at scrum time.
Many teams, (Sharks) are also prefering to rather kick the ball into the air, and contest, rather than run, and get penalised at ruck time. It’s becoming very tedious to watch Super Rugby
Correction, the final penalty count was 12, of which 7 were awarded in the last 20 minutes.
@ Cheetah4eva:
Although not pretty, the ‘kick and chase’ is a very effective way to build forward momentum, but it must be accurate. Think this was the problem with the Bulls on Saturday. They had lots of posession, but no forward momentum as the kicks was either too long or too short.
I have my own version of the Weekend Review.
Cheetahs get hammered by the ref.
Sharks flatter to deceive against ordinary Lions.
Bulls struck down to earth by really bad play and extremely bad kicking… yet earn a losing bonus point.
All in all not a good weekend for SA Rugby!
Not a good weekend for me on SuperBru… and on top of it the Poms go and beat the Frogs to make SuperBru smell even worse for me!
@ GBS,
It’s really tough on a team, when you lose matches to over zealous reffing! At the end of the season, nobody remembers that the team got shafted without a condom, by some ref, they are judged on their position on the log, and win ratio.
A system should be introduced where refs can be white carded! This will give greater transparency. Guys like Mark Lawrence and Brown, are causing supporters to increasingly lose interest in S15! It’s simply not a fair contest anymore, and the entertaining rugby has been replaced by a boring kick fest in general. If the scrums were causing penalties to the brumbies all along, I would be fine, but 1 penalty in the 1st half and 12 in the second is odd, and 5 scrum penalties in the last 20. Early engage should result in a free kick, and repeat infringements a penalty
toets 1,2.
Now it’s unrealistic to expect refs to get it 100%, and all teams have their moments that cost them, my point is just that refs, can also make or break a teams season, and there should be greater input from teams in ref reviews?
What happened to the system where refs had an interview after the matches? I remeber something like that?
@ GBS,
Your Superbru can hardly be worse than mine! Mine commited hara kiri!
Jammer, maar die meeste rugbywedstryde word nie meer gewen deur die beste span op die dag nie, maar die span wat die meeste luck het met die afbreekpunte en skrums. Die grootste spanning en opwinding tydens ‘n wedstryd is nie meer of hierdie of daardie speler met iets nuuts vorendag gaan kom om die wedstryd te wen of te draai nie, maar watter skrum of afbreekpunt strafskop die wedstryd gaan wen of verloor vir ‘n span. Die refs is die middelpunt van rugby deesdae, die grootste punt wat bespreek word in wedstryd voorbereiding. Almal wag in spanning nie om te sien hoe lyk die ander span teen wie jou span speel die naweek nie, maar wie die ref gaan wees vir die wedstryd ! Weet nie waar dit gaan eindig nie, maar oorsese stadions loop al meer leeg, terwyl SA stadions ook nie meer te vol is nie.
Oor die rugby:
– behalwe die ref, moet die Cheetahs hulself ook skop vir daardie verloor, veral teen een van die swakker spanne in die reeks. Rebels het goed gespeel teen Reds, so die toer word al moeiliker.
– Lions het goed probeer maar sou dit nie in Durbs maak nie. Die lynregters het weer ‘n paar blatante vorentoe aangeë gemis en die Sharks so bevoordeel (wat is dit met die Sharks met vorentoe aangeë waarmee hul wegkom, hul moet gaan netbal speel). Mitchell is reg om ongelukkig daaroor te wees.
– Bulle is aarde toe gebring, of beter gestel, van hul opgedraf het was hul plat op die aarde, dit het nie gelyk asof hul wou wen nie. Geluk aan die Blues wat al hul kanse goed gebruik het, veral die losskakel. Baie belangrike en goeie weg-wen vir hulle. Dink wel hul gaan teen die Stormers pak kry, aangesien die Stormers se ons-verdedig-net wedstrydplan die Blues oneindig gaan frustreer en Grant die een na die ander strafskop deur die pale gaan jaag (as hy nie soos Morne ‘n afdag het nie!). Stormers se wedstrydplan is vervelig maar effektief teen spanne soos die Blues. Sharks behoort ook die Reds te wen in Durban, natuurlik met die hulp van ‘n vorentoe aangee of twee.
9 @ bdb
Stem saam dat die Cheetahs hul self kan skop, maar ek dink daar is maar min wat ‘n span kan doen, as jy by die skrums geping word, en dis nie duidelik wat verkeerd is nie. Hulle spel was oor die algemeen goed behalwe vir ‘n paar hanteerfoute op die aanval. En ons moet ook in agneem, dat dit hulle eerste game na ‘n laaaang vlug was. Dit moet ‘n effek hê
@ grootblousmile:
If your Superbru sucks then I have no words for mine, especially my S15.
What do you think of Caylib Oosthuizen?
Whilst I agree with all the sentiments of the ref issues above, I don’t believe the ref was the reason the Bulls lost. The Bulls, on paper, are without a doubt one of the top teams in the competition. They have the right mix of experience and youth, great talent, a good strategy strength, and some of the best players in their positions imho (Steyn, Hougie, etc). What they lacked on Saturday was the right leadership. THey were, again in my opinion the stronger of the two teams, and apart from Anscombe’s intercept try, which could happen to any team, should have been in the lead the whole way through. Now I am not saying that Spies is a rubbish captain, and doesn’t command the respect of his players and coaches, and have the right head for the captaincy, but there was something missing on Saturday.
A captain can command all the respect he wants, be a great player and a great leader, but to do so, he must know when and how to speak to his players. Whilst Spies’ quiet, lead by example may work in every other match he captains, it didn’t on Saturday. On Saturday, his job was to not allow the Blues to get under the skin of his men. His job was to communicate to them to play their own game plan, and stick to it. He didn’t. He was too quiet, and because of this, the younger players reacted to the Blues, and allowed their game to be disrupted. The Blues were brilliant at the break down, and played perfectly to the refs interpretation of the laws, and just played the spoiling game. They got right under the skin of the Bulls, and got away with it. Their defence was good too, but that is another story.
THere weren’t enough Matfields, FdP’s, Hougies there on the night to inject their influence on the game, and thus the game degenerated into brawn and no brain. As I said earlier, the Bulls were the stronger team, and in my mind, there is nothing to fix in the Bulls camp, except to bring back Hougaard (you see how Steyns game will improve), to instill the right mindset, and for Spies to read the game better and to communicate to his charges continuously – especially the young guns.
On the back of this game, I believe with strong leadership, and sticking to their game plan, the Stormers can beat the Blues on Friday. If they allow the Blues to get inside their heads, as with the Bulls, we will lose. Aaaaah, mind games and South African rugby – theres an oxymoron if I ever saw one!!!!
Interesting article by Lanning on the refs frontrowgrunt.co.za/?p=737
@ Just For Kicks:Make that – http://www.frontrowgrunt.co.za/2012/03/rugby-in-the-emergency-room/
9 @ bdb:
Jy raak ‘n baaaaie teer puntjie aan dat die skeidsregter die MIDDELPUNT van die spel geword het in plaas van ‘n blote FASSILITEERDER van die wedstryd.
Dit het Saterdagaand behoorlik voor, gedurende en na die Bulls / Blues wedstryd tussen die joernaliste gegons oor die hoeveelheid strafskoppe en die skeidsregters se rol in hierdie jaar se Super Rugby wedstryde…. en ALMAL was dit eens dat dit ondersteuners afpis en wegjaag.
Siende die standpunte, was dit ook insiggewend, dat verskeie vrae by die na-wedstryd perskonferensies (met beide spanne) gehandel het oor skeidsregters en die hoeveelheid strafskoppe wat nou toegeken word.
Die Bulle se houding is dat hulle baie duidelik ook die aangewysde skeidsregter intensief ONTLEED VOOR ‘N WESTRYD, omdat skeidsregters die reëls en afbreekpunte verskillend interpreteer. As gevolg daarvan is dit hulle houding dat hulle derhalwe die blaam steeds op hulleself neem dat hulle nie kon afrond en hulle talle geleenthede kon omskep in punte nie.
Dit is vir my teleurstellend en ‘n duidelike indikasie dat daar iets wesenlik verkeerd is met huidige toepassing van die reëls en hantering van die fluitjie. Ek is oor die algemeen baie afgepis deur die standaarde van die WEDSTRYDBEAMPTES sover hierdie seisoen. Ek sien dat John Mitchell ook nie beindruk is nie… en so kan ons aangaan en aangaan.
Dit verskoon egter in my opinie nie die feit dat die Bulls duidelik sleg gespeel het Saterdagaand nie, want ek glo steeds mens wen of verloor, nieteenstaande die skeidregter!
‘n Baie interessante ding wat uitgekom het in die Blues perskonferensie was dat Pat Lam gevoel het hy kon Anscombe eers vir hierdie wedstryd teen die Bulle speel omdat die nuweling (wat al die Blues se punte aangeteken het) eers met die terugkeer van beide Piri Weepu en Ma’a Nonu, aan weerskante van Anscombe gekies kon word, sodat hulle ondervinding Anscombe kon deurhaak vir ‘n goeie vertoning, wat toe wel die geval was. Dit wys vir my baie volwasse optrede deur die Blues afrigter, Pat Lam.
Die Blues het ook reeds in die begin van die week besluit op die game plan teen die Bulls…. en mynsinsiens het hulle paar kardinale goed blootgelê waar die Bulls nog nie vloeiend en flink is nie.
Die Bulls het Francois Hougaard en Deon Stegmann behoorlik gemis, dit was duidelik!
So van ‘n Hougie gepraat…. Derick Hougaard het gisteraand reg voor my gesit by die Ghoemas, langs sy girl, Karlien van Jaarsveld (wat 3 Ghoema toekennings gekry het gisteraand). Ek het hom naderhand maar op die skouer getik het en gesê het hy sal haar maar moet help dra aan die goed…..
Juandré Kruger was ook een van die gaste by die toekennings.
11 @ Lion4ever:
I hear he gave Doc Jannie a torrid time…. but saw only patches of the match whilst in the Bulls Press Box.
Recorded both the Sharks / Lions game as well as the Bulls / Blues game… so will watch them at my leasure… and then give my opinion.
12 @ Just For Kicks:
Yip, the Bulls certainly did not play CLEVER RUGBY on Saturday!
14 @ Just For Kicks:
Tank laments exactly the same thing BiDiBiDi said and which I reitterated in comment No 15.
It’s a crying shame!
the bulls really missed Hougie, it was so blatently obvious!!! are the Bulls trying to muscle up Jano? I swear he must weigh much more! he was slow the whole game through. there was not much cohesion between the front and backs at all. All in all it was a pathetic display.
Dont know what is going on with Morne Steyn. In the first game he also struggled badly in the first half of the game against the sharks. I mean this is even his homefield?
@ Tripples:Yup, said it last week, Hougies the brains of the side – seems unlikely, but thats what I think!
Steyn is just a kicking machine that relies on those around him to be the best. He is completely ineffectual when he doesn’t have that, and the last game proved that – even his kicking game isn’t as good when he has no confidence. Bulls need to take a leaf out of Pat Lams book. Only play him when he has his strongest players inside and outside him.
20 @ Just For Kicks:
Morné Steyn just had an off-day, fullstop!
I’t not about Hougie not playing as his scrummie…
One gets that, a day where you’re not your regular self… it happens to all of us.
Another player who was nowhere on the day, was Jacques Potgieter… with Deon Stegmann not there PLUS playing against 2 Fetchers (both Braid Brothers), Jacques needed to play much tighter and be more active at the breakdown battle, which he was’nt, compounding the breakdown blues..
@ grootblousmile:Morne is a kicking machine. Thats all. Watch what happens when Hougie comes back. He’ll oil the machine and it’ll work again
15@ grootblousmile:
When the discussion in every Media box at EVERY game has the same theme then SURELY there is something wrong?
Or are all members of the media just a bunch of prats that know squat about Rugby Union?
22: JFK, ek dink jy is bietjie te krities op Spies en Morne. Spies het baie goed gespeel en jy was mos nie op die veld om te hoor of hy genoeg gepraat het of hoe ? Maak maar solank vrede daarmee, hy is ons volgende bokkaptein (dink HM sal vir eers ‘n ouer kalant kies maar daarna Spies). Morne is ‘n kicking machine, dit is wat mens verwag van ‘n losskakel en het ‘n slegte dag gehad, nog steeds ons beste losskakel opsie. Hougie sou hom nie beter laat skop het nie.
Bulle se sleutelspelers is voor: Chili, Juandre, Stegmann, Spies, agter: Hougie, Morne en WO. Veral Stegmann en Morne aangesien die Bulle nie baie goeie diepte daar het nie.
20: geen losskakel, of jou naam Carter of Steyn is, is goed as hy ‘n afdag het nie, of hoe werk die logika daar onder in die kaap ?
23 @ Scrumdown:
Mostly they are a bunch of prats… but heck, they can’t all be wrong!
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