Sloppy Bulls maul hapless Leopards
Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:52
Man on a mission: Bulls scrumhalf Francois Hougaard
The Blue Bulls, predictably, managed a comfortable 44-11 win over a hapless Leopards team in their Currie Cup Round Seven match in Pretoria on Friday.
In a game completely dominated by the Bulls, despite fielding most of their fringe players, the Leopards were reduced to 12 players by the final whistle - as referee Stuart Berry lost patience with the negative tactics of the visitors.
Not only did he flash four yellow cards - one of those to the Bulls - but he also red-carded two Leopards players.
The Bulls, who had more than 70 percent of the territorial and almost as much possession, may still pay a dear price through injury.
Springbok wing Akona Ndungane left the field with a fractured lower leg, after trying to charge down a clearance kick and his leg being caught by the swing-through of the Leopards player.
But, as Bulls captain Dewald Potgieter said in his post-match reaction, the men from Pretoria can tick some boxes in their quest to get their game into top gear.
"However, it became scrappy at times," Potgieter said, adding: "It required some strong words for us to get it back together.
"But ultimately, it is five points [on the standings] and we improved our points difference, which could be important factors later in the tournament."
Leopards captain André Swanepoel lamented his team's error-riddled performance, admitting that they were at times "over-eager" in their attempts to shut down the Bulls and that cost them - not just in terms of penalties, but in the end also cards.
"You can't play with so few players," he said of the fact that his team was reduced to just 12 men at the end.
The Leopards came into the game with a record of six yellow cards and a red in the season. Then they added another six cards - four yellow and two reds.
That gives them a total of 10 yellow cards and three reds in their seven matches to date. Not surprising they haven't won a match yet.
The Bulls certainly looked much the classier side, but dug themselves into holes for periods of the game.
The home side's poor finishing was one of their biggest disappointments, but their big advantage was up front - in terms of physicality and mobility.
Even though flyhalf Cecil Dumond kicked a second-minute penalty to give the Leopards an early lead, it all went horribly wrong a few moments later - with star midfielder Deon van Rensburg getting his head on the wrong side in a tackle and being knocked out cold.
He was stretchered off and by the time wing Danie Dames score a try for them in the 28th minute, the Bulls had scored two converted tries and a penalty.
A Clayton Durand penalty (in the 35th minute) and a Burton Francis drop-goal (37th minute) were the only other points in the first half, but even at just 20-11 up at the break it was already clear at half-time that the Bulls were simply too good.
A Flip van der Merwe try in the 43rd minute, converted by Francis, coincided with the first of the string of second-half cards and by the time Leopards prop Barend van der Walt returned from the sin bin in the 54th minute the game was long over as contest - the Bulls leading 34-11 after a Francois Hougaard try.
Further scores by Gerhard van den Heever (56th minute) and Dewald Potgieter (79th minute) took the Bulls a further 10 points clear.
However, with the game and bonus-point having been wrapped up, the Bulls seemed to lose their concentration and their game became far too scrappy.
The biggest risk at that stage was further injuries and when RW Kember took out Francois Hougaard with a late, shoulder charge it looked as if the Bulls would have paid an even bigger price for the five points. Hougaard eventually rose to his feet, but he was clutching his ribs and may yet be another injury setback
Man of the match: Dewald Potgieter lead from the front, Pedrie Wannenburg had a solid game and in the backline Jaco Pretorius did many good things, as did wing Gerhard van den Heever, especially his chip-and-chase try. Flyhalf Burton Francis also looked good in his first start in weeks. But our award goes to Bulls scrumhalf Francois Hougaard for a measure game and the way in which he dictated terms.
The scorers:
For the Blue Bulls:
Tries: Pretorius, Stegmann, Van der Merwe, Hougaard, Van den Heever, Potgieter
Cons: Francis 4
Pen: Francis
DG: Francis
For the Leopards:
Try: Dames
Pens: Dumond, Durand
Yellow cards: Barend van der Walt (Leopards, 43 - repeated infringements), Dean Greyling (Blue Bulls, 66 - repeated infringements at the ruck), Thabo Mamojele (Leopards, 69 - repeated infringements), Basil de Doncker (Leopards,
78 - repeated infringements)
Red cards: Barend van der Walt (Leopards, 76 - repeated infringements, second yellow card), RW Kember (Leopards, 80 - foul plate, shoulder and late charge)
Teams:
Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Jaco Pretorius, 11 Gerhard van den Heever, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Fudge Mabeta, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Frik Kirsten, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Dean Greyling.
Replacements: 16 Derick Kuün, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Jacques Burger, 20 Heini Adams, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Stefan Watermeyer.
Leopards: 15 Russell Jeacocks, 14 Jovan Bowles, 13 Deon van Rensburg, 12 Basil de Doncker, 11 Danie Dames, 10 Cecil Dumond, 9 Theo van Wyk, 8 RW Kember, 7 Thabo Mamojele, 6 André Swanepoel (captain), 5 Edrich Linde,
4 Anthonie Gronum, 3 Barend van der Walt, 2 Gavin Williamson, 1 Divan Kotze.
Replacements: 16 Marthinus van der Westhuizen, 17 Philip Lemmer, 18 Rynard Landman, 19 Christo van Niekerk, 20 Michael Bondesio, 21 Clayton Durand, 22 Muhammed Samaai.
Referee: Stuart Berry
Assistant referees: Jason Jaftha, Christie du Preez
TMO: Michael Cupido
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