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Still the unbeataBulls

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:08

Rampaging Bull: Centre Wynand Olivier - Pic: Rian Botes

The Bulls stretched their unbeaten run at fortress Loftus Versfeld to 12 consecutive games, when they smashed a willing and determined Brumbies team 50-32 in their Super 14 match on Saturday.

The Bulls, who last lost at Loftus Versfeld in April 2008, remained first on the standings with their second 50-pointer of the season and showed that they are determined to retain the title they won in such impressive fashion last year.

In a second-half shut-out of momentous proportions the Bulls scored 30 points in a period in which the Brumbies - who held a 21-20 lead at the break - managed just a penalty and a drop-goal, with a late consolation try after the final hooter.

As Bulls captain Victor Matfield said, and that is the scary thought, this Bulls team still have plenty to work on.

There was also an injury scare, when Pierre Spies suffered what appeared to be a leg injury in the 60th minute. He looked in serious pain, but continued playing.

Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles spoke about giving away too many penalties and discipline was certainly a decisive factor in this game.

The Bulls showed they were willing to keep the ball in hand, but their handling was not as secure as you have come to expect of them. Their early play had signs of a nervous team.

And both the Brumbies' tries, in the first half, came from handling errors by the Bulls.

Both teams' defence was very solid, but the Bulls showed great counter rucking - turning over a few balls at the breakdown.

As you have come to expect, the Brumbies' most endearing feature was their ability to take the opportunities presented to them and control possession once they get their hands on the ball. Their handling was far more slick than that of the Bulls.

Bulls made more than the usual number of errors and a couple of their mauls also were not as accurate as you have come top expect

Then there was Pedrie Wannenburg, who celebrated his 100th Super Rugby game for the Bulls with another fine win.

It was not a good start for the Bulls, who got penalised from the kick-off for obstruction. Stirling Mortlock put his team into a 3-0 lead inside the first minute - his 1008th point in Super Rugby.

It was not till the eighth minute that the Bulls got a shot at goal, the Brumbies penalised for an offence at the breakdown. Morné Steyn's strike was very poor by his standards and hardly lifted off the ground.

Four minutes later the Bills had another penalty, this time much closer, after Ben Alexander was penalised for [putting his hand on the ground at a scrum. This time Steyn raised the flags and it was level at 3-all.

The Brumbies, countering from a Bulls knock-on, quickly took the ball to the left where Wallaby captain Rocky Elsom was over near the corner. It was a moved that epitomised the Brumbies' ability to keep the ball in hand and stretch defences. Mortlock pushed the conversion attempt wide, but after 15 minutes the visitors had an 803 lead.

The Bulls, sparked by the Brumbies having raised the tempo, came storming back - with Pierre Spies carrying strongly. The Bulls earned a penalty and Steyn narrowed the gap to 6-8.

However, the Bulls were made to pay for some over-elaborate passing, when a pass bounced into Elsom's hands and he raced downfield. The ball moved to Stephen Hoiles and he offloaded to George Smit - as the Brumbies' loose forwards combined for a brilliant counter-attacking try. Mortlock added the conversion and it was 15-6.

But the Bulls' riposte was swift and devastating. They ran hard at the Brumbies and from a penalty went for a line-out inside the Brumbies 22. With a penalty-advantage accruing, as the Brumbies collapsed a strong Bulls maul, Fourie du Preez sniped around the blindside and scored the Bulls' first try. Steyn narrowed the gap to just two points - 13-15 - as the game moved into the second quarter.

As the first half-an-hour came to an end, Deon Stegmann was penalised at a ruck and Mortlock made it a five-point lead - 18-13.

Again the Bulls' reply was swift. A scrum, after a knock-on by the Brumbies, saw the men from Pretoria take the ball through a couple of phases to the left and then went back right where Steyn went through a huge hole just to the right of the uprights.

Steyn added the conversion to give his team the first time - 20-18 after 34 minutes.

The ding-dong nature of the match continued, as the Brumbies came back strongly and won a penalty inside the Bulls 22. Mortlock, from near the touchline, slotted the penalty to put the Brumbies back into the lead - 21-20.

Steyn then had an attempted drop-goal, but according to referee Mark Lawrence it went directly over the upright and was not awarded.

The Brumbies managed to hold onto their one-point lead going into the break.

It was a great start to the second half for the Brumbies, with a Morné Steyn kick drifting directly into touch and from the line-out Matt Giteau landed a sweetly-struck drop-goal - 24-20.

Mortlock stretched the lead to 27-20, when Derrick Kuün was penalised for not releasing in the tackle.

Steyn managed to pull three points back, when the Brumbies were penalised for pulling down a maul and the ding-dong nature of the game continued.

The Bulls hit the lead in the 56th minute, when wing Gerhard van den Heever charged through as the Brumbies tapped back a line-out ball and hacked ahead, collected and scored. Steyn made it 30-27 with the conversion.

And the home team surged further ahead, with the bonus-point try, scored by Wynand Olivier - a basic cut-back move with Steyn from a scrum. Steyn added the conversion for a 10-point lead - 37-27.

And when Ben Alexander was penalised for pulling down a scrum in the 57th minute, Steyn slotted an easy penalty from right in front and the Brumbies were down by two converted tries - 40-27.

The Brumbies, now desperate, launched some typical raids into the Bulls 22, but the men in blue put up a near impenetrable wall.

And then when Guy Shepherdson was penalised for diving on a ruck Steyn took the margin beyond two converted tries - 43-27.

The Bulls flyhalf took the game well beyond the Brumbies when he scored his second try, and landed the conversion to take the Bulls to their second 50-pointer of the season -50-27.

The Brumbies scored a consolation try, with Pat McCabe getting the score. The conversion was wide and the Bulls recorded another convincing win - 50-32.

Man of the match: There were some strong performances from the Brumbies, especially in the first half - when Rocky Elsom was so strong with ball in hand and showed his turn of pace. He was very well supported by fellow loose forwards George Smith and Stephen Hoiles. As was to be expected Pierre Spies had an enormous game for the Bulls - a lot of strong carries and great steals. Lock Flip van der Merwe showed he can fill the hard-man role of veterans like Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw. Then there was the halfback combination of Fourie du Preez and Morné Steyn. Or vote goes to the Bulls flyhalf - Steyn, who missed his first kick at goal and then his trusty boot kicked in. His out of hand kicking in the second half put the Bulls on the front foot.

The scorers:

For the Bulls:
Tries: Du Preez, Steyn 2, Van den Heever, Olivier
Cons: Steyn 5
Pens: Steyn 5

For the Brumbies:
Tries: Elsom, Smith, McCabe
Con: Mortlock
Pens: Mortlock 4
DG: Giteau

Teams:

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 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Bees Roux, 18 Fudge Mabeta, 19 Derick Kuün, 20 Heini Adams, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 John Mametsa.

Brumbies: 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Pat McCabe, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Francis Fainifo, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Josh Valentine, 8 Stephen Hoiles (captain), 7 George Smith, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 Justin Harrison, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander.
Replacements: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 Guy Shepherdson, 18 Ben Hand, 19 Mitchell Chapman, 20 Patrick Phibbs, 21 Matt Toomua, 22 Tyrone Smith.

Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Stefan Breytenbach (South Africa)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

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