Glasfit
Bulls back-liner Jaco Pretorius will miss his team’s Super Rugby clash with the Force due to a neck injury.
Scrumhalf Fourie du Preez is one of three players returning to the starting line-up of the Vodacom Bulls for their match against the Western Force in Perth on Saturday.
On Rugby-Talk’s live Bulls vs Reds thread I cannot recall anybody complaining about it. Now reading some of the other match reports is see a big uproar about something we never picked up or said a word about. Obstruction or obstructive running.
Reds (17) 39 / Bulls (13) 30 (Final Score)
The Reds hosted the Bulls at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 11:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Reds, with some amazing game breakers simply outscored a game Bulls side, and the Bulls were always playing catch-up rugby.
All the Globe Jet-setters might be more qualified to write an article like this. So let me try my hand on a subject I never experienced, in fact I have never left this beautiful country. Mozambique is only 200 kilometers to the East from where I live. Botswana and Zimbabwe not even 400 kilometers away, never been there. So take my words with a pinch of salt.
Bulls supporters and their enemies really climbed into the Super 14 Champion side after their humiliating defeat against the Crusaders since Saturday. The question immediately arises whether they can be back to winning ways again if Frans Ludeke decides to stick with this poor performing team? Can they play a lot better and record a win against the high-flying Reds?
Let us have a look at the team:
I wonder if those who criticised the concept of ‘head’s up rugby’ in the recent past realise that this is exactly what we are seeing from the two top teams in the Super 15? Continue reading
This article by JJ Harmse of News24 , a well known reporter accused many times for biased Bulls reports, about sums up how we should view the Bulls performance on Saturday. I feel much stronger than he does about the issue, he says it very mildly compared to my feelings about the sad state of affairs and this horrible debacle.
The Bulls played their worst game ever after promises of upping their game in recent weeks.
This weekend revealed the problem with South African rugby to be hot potato-ittis. The old disease of spilling the ball forward in the tackle took on epidemic proportions in the South African teams. The bulls in particular were spectacularly awful in this department. It was also prevalent at crucial moments in the Stormers match although not so frequent. Continue reading
Crusaders (14) 27 / Bulls (0) 0 (Final Score)
The Crusaders hosted the Bulls at Alpine Energy Stadium, Timaru at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Crusaders methodically dismantled an error-ridden and lacklustre Bulls effort, keeping them scoreless.
Bulls fullback Zane Kirchner has been given the green light to play against the Crusaders in Timaru on Saturday.
The fullback recovered from a knee strain and will front up against the home side in the Bulls second match of their 2011 Super Rugby tour to Australasia.
Richie McCaw? Nah, he can wait.
And if Dan Carter’s sore hamstring is not right, he can forget about suiting up against the Bulls as well.
The Bulls, last year’s champions, could significantly re-announce themselves in Super Rugby if they upset the Crusaders at the small port town of Timaru on Saturday.
Hurricanes (3) 14 / Bulls (15) 26 (Final Score)
The Hurricanes hosted the Bulls at McLean Park, Napier at 08:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Bulls started well with the wind and the early penalties as well as 2 Morné Steyn drop goals set up a good early lead. After that the canes were always playing catch-up rugby and eventually the Bulls ground out a 12-point win, in New Zealand.
There were smiles all around with the news that the Vodacom Bulls talisman Francois Hougaard returns to the side for this weekend’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Hurricanes in Napier.
The Bulls ended their losing streak when they held on to beat the Lions 30 / 23 at Loftus Versfeld in a tightly contested match.
Bulls (10) 30 / Lions (6) 23 (Final Score)
The Bulls hosted the Lions at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The match started with a lot of errors both ways but gradually go better until late in the 2nd Half when the tries suddenly started raining in.
The Bulls deserved their win.
Wynand Olivier renewed his contract with the Blue Bulls Company and will be available for the Vodacom Bulls and Blue Bulls till the end of 2013.
The Vodacom Bulls were dealt a major setback when it emerged that Springbok prop Gurthro Steenkamp has fractured a bone in his arm and will be out of action for between 6-12 weeks.
Vodacom Bulls lock Bakkies Botha has been cleared on a charge of dangerous play after appearing before a SANZAR Judicial hearing at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Wow, what a weekend, first the Cheetahs murder the Waratahs in their own back yard (only the 3rd SAFFA team EVER to accomplish this), then we witness the Proteas demolishing Bangladesh at the World Cup, and last but definitely not least, some sweet and sour depending on your perspective, the Stormers burying their Loftus bogey once and for all. I have been severely criticized for my stance on the Bulls over the past week or two, but let’s revisit…
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!
Too boo or not to boo. When I read this article and thought of changing all these names with Bulls names, it might be a fitting report of how the Bulls fans feel after this weekend.
Botha was cited for a dangerous tackle on Stormers scrumhalf Dewald Duwenhage in the first half which left the scrumhalf dazed for a while and unable to continue.
Bulls (10) 13 / Stormers (12) 23 (Final Score)
The Bulls hosted the DHL Stormers at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD and M-Net on TV in SA.
The Stormers were deserved winners, not so much for their attack but for keeping better dicipline and dogged defence.
Vodacom Bulls players Gary Botha and Francois Hougaard will know on Tuesday whether they will be fit to face the Stormers this weekend.
The Bulls may have been given the week off, but the team’s brains trust has still been mulling over a few important issues in the wake of their defeat to the Highlanders. Continue reading
The Bulls impressive home record was dashed this weekend by the most unlikely team. Continue reading
The Highlanders ended the Bulls 20 home match unbeaten run with an outstanding 28-35 bonus point victory at Loftus Versfeld.
The last time the Bulls lost a match at Loftus was on the 12th of April 2008 against the Hurricanes.
Spectacular, that is the only word to describe the Bulls’ fall from grace against the perennial whipping boys of New Zealand rugby. The 3-time champions were made to look like amateurs at a rugby-trial, each one trying to impress or stand out, and each one failing spectacularly…. there’s that word again. Are the Bulls out of it? Are they done? Naaaah… all things being equal, they’ll probably still head on to the play-offs later on, it’s a long season… but what went wrong?
Continue reading
Bulls (6) 28 / Highlanders (11) 35 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls hosted the Highlanders at Loftus, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD and M-Net on TV in SA.
The Highlanders continued their unbeaten run and scored a bonus point for tries whilst the Bulls end their unbeaten run at home and only salvaged a bonus point for losing by only 7 points.
It was a disasterous game from a Bulls perspective, with bad refereeing and general bad play and sloppy tackling by all the Bulls players. Today it is frustrating to be a Bulls supporter.
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has chosen to rest Bakkies Botha and play Danie Rossouw alongside Victor Matfield against the Highlanders at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Vodacom Bulls utility back, Francois Hougaard, has lost the moonboot, but also the race against time to play against the Highlanders on Saturday.
Two notably erratic performances on the trot, but the Bulls have shown the mark of champions to gratefully bank away victories each time … and now they embark on a handy little run of fixtures back at Fortress Loftus.
Continue reading
Cheetahs (11) 23 / Bulls (8) 25 (Final Score)
The Toyota Cheetahs hosted the Vodacom Bulls at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 and CSN on TV in SA.
Once again a game of two halves for the Bulls, this time extremely lacklustre in the first half and on fire after the break, when they decided to keep more possession.
It was hard, it was brutal, it was close… it was a derby!