Bulls climb their way back on top
Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:31
Bonus point try scorer: Dewald Potgieter
The Bulls climbed their way back onto the top of the Super 14 log with a hard fought 33-19 victory over the Chiefs in Hamilton.
For most of the game it was a very close affair as the lead changed hands repeatedly as the momentum of the match ebbed and flowed.
The wet conditions in Hamilton meant there were numerous handling errors from both sides and the tactical kicking from both teams was inaccurate for much of the game.
In the end and it was their patience in building phases through recycling the ball and sucking in defenders that set up the Bulls victory.
The Bulls - a team who started the season playing wonderful total rugby - were not at their destructive best but they were good enough to win, and scoring a bonus-point four tries to one victory in Hamilton is no mean feat.
Their defence was not as tight as they would have liked, and it took close to the full 80 minutes for them to get their line-out rolling, driving maul to achieve momentum. They will be concerned too about the inaccurate goal-kicking of flyhalf Morne Steyn, especially since they normally rely on his boot to keep the scoreboard ticking over without fuss.
Steyn appeared tentative in his flyhalf play too and were it not for the exceptional individual skills and option-taking of scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, the Bulls may have been in trouble.
It was only a few times in the match that the Bulls managed to get significant attacking continuity going as they struggled for much of the game to build phases. When they did get attacking momentum, they were wonderfully effective but it didn't happen often enough.
But skipper Victor Matfield was spot-on when he said after the final whistle that New Zealand was "the toughest place in the world to tour" and that he was happy with the win.
The Chiefs were good for much of the game, measuring up well physically to the Bulls, but in the end they could score only one try and they conceded four. Their defence, primarily through disruption of the Bulls pattern, was effective for long periods but defence did let them down at crucial junctures in the game.
They had opportunities to score but against a champion team like the Bulls, creating chances was insufficient - they needed to do more on attack to finish if they were to be really competitive.
Their counter-rucking was at times ferociuos and disruptive, and the Bulls were taught a lesson a few times at breakdown.
The post-match comment by Chiefs captain Liam Messam was interesting - he said that he was happy with the manner in which the team had taken the Bulls on physically but that they had come up short mentally.
The Bulls opened the scoring in the ninth minute when from a line-out inside the Chiefs 22, the Bulls moved the ball into midfield, Steyn celeverly tapped the ball inside to Gerhard van den Heever coming in at pace from the right wing and Van den Heever scored next to the posts. Incredibly, Steyn missed the easy conversion (5-0).
But the Chiefs went 7-5 ahead two minutes later when from a chip, Brendon Leonard kicked ahead into the 22, Steyn couldn't control the bouncing ball in front of his posts, Leonard picked up and scored next to the posts. Stephen Donald converted.
Steyn took advantage of a high tackle by Donald on his opposite number Wynand Olivier in front of the Chiefs posts just outside the 22 and the flyhalf goaled the penalty to put the visitors up 8-7 after 17 minutes.
The lead changed hands again in the 28th minute when, after the Chiefs had attacked wide left and then wide right, they moved the ball into midfield and Van den Heever high-tackled Mike Delany in front of his posts. Donald goaled and the Chiefs led 10-8.
Their lead was short-lived though as the Bulls drew ahead two minutes later when after a strong burst by Danie Rossouw, the Bulls moved the ball towards the right touchline and from a ruck Fourie du Preez fed Pierre Spies attacking close to the breakdown on his left. The No.8 was unstoppable as he raced through for a try which Steyn converted (15-10).
The Chiefs pulled back to 15-13 within two minutes when the Bulls were penalised at breakdown and Donald goaled a superbly struck penalty from close to the left touchline.
The teams went into the break with the Bulls deserving their narrow lead, having scored two tries to the Chiefs one, but the defending champions had not been all that convincing.
Among the significant factors in the first half had been that the Chiefs had succeeded in stopping the Bulls driving maul from line-outs and that the normally admirably reliable Steyn had not been at his most accurate in his goal-kicking.
The lead changed hands again as the Chiefs went ahead 16-15 three minutes into the second half when the Bulls backs strayed offside in front of their posts and Donald made no mistake with the penalty goal.
Donald increased the lead to 19-15 three minutes later through another penalty from in front of the Bulls posts when Victor Matfield failed to release the ball on the ground.
A minute later, the Chiefs backs ran forward ahead of a Leonard box-kick and Steyn reduced the deficit to one point when he goaled the straight-forward penalty (19-18).
The Bulls eventually succeeded in achieving excellent continuity through building phases as they attacked strongly inside the Chiefs 22, and though the Chiefs defence held them out, Steyn put the visitors 21-19 up when the home team were penalised for holding on in a tackle close to their posts.
The Bulls achieved rare momentum from a brilliant break by Du Preez and when he was tackled just short of the Chiefs goal-line, the Bulls bashed repeatedly at the tryline. Eventually the Chiefs ran out of defenders and Gary Botha forced his way over under the posts. Steyn converted and the Bulls led 28-19 with 12 minutes to go.
With eight minutes to play, Du Preez intercepted and ran from inside his own half for what appeared a brilliant try next to the posts to secure a bonus point for four tries for the Bulls, but assistant referee Kane McBride pointed out a late charge by Deon Stegmann on Sione Lauaki 80 metres back.
Incredibly, Donald fluffed what should have been a gift penalty goal three points.
The Bulls did get their bonus point soon after that though when at long last they got their line-out driving maul going with momentum and Dewald Potgieter scored under a pile of bodies. Steyn again missed the goal-kick but the visitors led 33-19 with two minutes left on the clock.
The Chiefs launched a last offensive but conceded a penalty on attack and that was that.
The Bulls had come back from last week's defeat and were firmly back in track for their play-off spot while the Chiefs had been good in patches but not consistently good enough to beat the defending champions.
Man of the Match: Zane Kirchner made a valuable contribution for the Bulls on defence, making a couple of crucial tackles. The workrate of Dewald Potgieter and Gary Botha was excellent and Pierre Spies and Danie Rossouw were strong ball-carriers. Brendon Leonard was sharp at scrumhalf for the Chiefs and Sione Lauaki a force with ball in hand. Liam Messam was consistently effective in an impressive flank performance. But the Man of the Match must be Fourie du Preez, who was skilful, decisive and at times dominant. The Bulls victory was largely based around him.
The scorers
For the Chiefs:
Try: Leonard
Cons: Donald
Pens: Donald 4
For the Bulls:
Tries: Van den Heever, Spies, Botha, D.Potgieter
Cons: Steyn 2
Pens: Steyn 3
Teams
Chiefs: 15 Tim Nanai-Williams, 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Stephen Donald, 11 Dwayne Sweeney, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam (captain), 5 Culum Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Sona Taumalolo.
Replacements: 16 Vern Kamo, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Jarrad Hoeata, 19 Colin Bourke 20 Junior Poluleuligaga, 21 Callum Bruce, 22 Jackson Willison.
Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Bees Roux, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Pedrie Wannenburg, 20 Heini Adams,
21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Jaco van der Westhuyzen.
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referees: Kane McBride, Shane McDermott
TMO: Ben Skeen
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