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Bulls in memorable comeback v 'Tahs

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:19

Masterclass: The Bulls' match-winning flyhalf Morne Steyn

The Bulls once again showed their championship qualities with a sublime come-from-behind 48-38 win against an impressive Waratahs team at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday to remain at the top of the Super 14 standings.

Being 0-17 after a blistering opening 10 minutes by the Waratahs and trailing 10-26 after half-an-hour, the Bulls scored six tries against the four of the 'Tahs in a game that is a great advertisement for the game of Rugby Union.

The encounter had it all - brutal collisions, speed and sublime skills. In the end the Bulls had the edge and showed why they have been installed as tournament favourites by the bookmakers.

It was a bitterly disappointed Waratahs captain Phil Waugh that struggled to explain how his team twice gave up a big lead against the Bulls side that doesn't understand the meaning of conceding defeat.

Bulls captain Victor Matfield described the game as "very tough", which may well be an understatement.

However, he was closer to the answer as to how the Bulls managed to come back from those big leads piled on by the visitors when he said the "guys kept their heads and luckily we came away with the win at the end".

He said they made some "stupid mistakes" in the first half, but added that their fitness came through in the end and the altitude also helped them.

The Waratahs got off to the perfect start - from the kick-off to the wrong side, regaining the ball and working it up into the Bulls 22 - where they won a scrum. From there it was a few phases and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau worked his way over for the opening try in a perfectly executed move. Berrick Barnes added the conversion and slotted a penalty soon afterwards, as the visitors raced into a 10-0 lead inside six minutes.

That became 17-0  after 10 minutes - when Ben Mowen went over for the second try, from a brilliant little inside pass buy Luke Burgess, with the Bulls looking flustered by the Waratahs' high-paced game.

As was to be expected, the Bulls settled down and won a couple of penalties - setting up some strong driving mauls close to the Waratahs' tryline. Those turned into penalties and after the second time the referee warned the 'Tahs about repeatedly collapsing the mauls.

The Bulls went against and after their maul disintegrated, they took it to the right where Morné Steyn put wing Francois Hougaard over with a well-timed inside pass. Steyn added the conversion to narrow the gap to 7-17.

As the first quarter came to an end, and with a blue wall of defenders in front of him, Barnes slotted a sweetly struck drop-goal to make it a 13-point game again - 20-7.

Steyn made it a 10-point game a minute later - a penalty against the Tahs for holding on in the tackle - and then Barnes took it to 26-10 as the penalty count continued to mount at the breakdown.

The Bulls, with just over 10 minutes left to half-time, opted for a line-out from a penalty. The Waratahs' energetic counter-mauling again saw the Bulls' effort disintegrating and eventually the home team won a scrum feed. That scrum was reset three times and then a penalty, which became another scrum and another penalty - before centre Stephan Dippenaar was put over for the second try. Steyn made it a nine-point game at 17-26 with the conversion.

With the referee's patience well and truly tested, Marius Jonker had a chat with Waratahs captain Phil Waugh and the option of a yellow card entered the picture.

The Waratahs did launch another strong raid in the dying minutes of the first half, but the Bulls' disciplined defence managed to repel the onslaught.

Steyn narrowed the gap to 20-26 with his second penalty just after the restart and it was clear from the outset of the half that the Bulls were going to pick up the pace.

The Bulls continued their majestic comeback when they won a turnover and then launched a blistering counter that ended with a second try for Hougaard. Steyn conversion made it 27-26.

Not that the Waratahs were beaten. The men from Sydney showed they have plenty of gas left in the tank when they launched a fierce raid that saw wing Lachie Turner go over in the right corner after some great hands and a couple of quick phases. Barnes couldn't add the extras, but the visitors were back in the lead 31-27.

And back the Bulls came - a couple of penalties and a strong maul, a few phases and another warning to the Waratahs for repeated infringements at the breakdown.

The Bulls had a tap-and-go, a few more phases and then quick ball to the right where wing Gerhard van den Heever scored the bonus-point try. Steyn maintained his 100 percent goal-kicking record and the Bulls had a three-point lead - 34-31.

And the Bulls - with replacement Deon Stegmann and Dewald Potgieter providing the fresh legs - put up a near impenetrable blue defensive wall against the tiring Waratah runners. And Stegmann won a crucial turnover with 15 minutes to go.

In true Bulls tradition they now played the percentages and camped inside the Waratahs area. It went from line-out, to ruck, to scrum ... and so the cycle repeated itself.

The next try was brilliant in its simplicity - from a scrum Fourie du Preez passed to Steyn and with Van den Heever the dummy runner, Steyn put Wynand Olivier over for the filth try. Steyn slotted the conversion and at 41=31 it left the Waratahs with a mountain to climb in the last 10 minutes.

They started the climb from the restart and a slipped tackle on Rob Horne - down the left touchline - put Drew Mitchell over for a great try. Kurtley Beale landed the conversion to make it a three-point game again - 41-38.

The 'Tahs launched another strong raid from the restart, but this time it ended with a penalty against them for obstruction.

Then it was the turn of the Bulls to control possession, but they conceded a penalty inside the Waratahs 22. It gave the chance a chance to attack, with five minutes to go, but that raid ended when Drew Mitchell lost control of the ball.

And when Waratahs captain Phil Waugh was penalised by the referee at the neck tackle/ruck, the Bulls went back to their line-out option.

The next play was mesmerising in its brilliance - from a rolling maul and a penalty advantage, Morné Steyn produced a banana kick of Carlos Spencer vintage for replacement Jacques-Louis Potgieter to collect and score under the uprights. Steyn added the conversion to put the game beyond the visitors - 48-38.

The Bulls, through a hack ahead by Van den Heever, tried to reach their third 50-pointer of the season, but the Bulls wing was tackled into touch metres from the tryline as the hooter for full-time sounded.

It left the Bulls firmly entrenched in first place an still unbeaten at Loftus after nearly two years.

Man of the match: Berrick Barnes had his moments for the Waratahs, such as his sweetly-struck drop-goal, and there was the workload of never-say-die captain Phil Waugh, the stepping feet of Lachie Turner and the pace of Drew Mitchell.. The Bulls forwards deserve a few pats on their collective backs for grinding down the Waratahs, while Fourie du Preez was a general dictating terms and Wynand Olivier was a monster on defence. However, our award is going to Bulls flyhalf Morné Steyn - who maintained a 100 percent goal-kicking record, distributed like a master and always got his backs on the front foot. But the clincher was his deft little chip that put Jacques-Louis Potgieter over for the match-winning try.

The scorers:

For the Bulls:
Tries: Hougaard 2, Dippenaar, Van den Heever, Olivier, J-L Potgieter
Cons: Steyn 6
Pens: Steyn 2

For the Waratahs:
Tries: Polota-Nau, Mowen, Turner, Mitchell
Cons: Barnes 2, Beale
Pens: Barnes 3
DG: Barnes

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 Danie Rossouw, 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Derick Kuün, 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 Deon Stegmann, 19 Dewald Potgieter, 20 Heini Adams, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Jaco van der Westhuyzen.

Waratahs: 15 Sosene Anesi, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Tom Carter, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Daniel Halangahu, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (captain), 6 Ben Mowen, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Dave Dennis, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Will Caldwell, 19 Locky McCaffrey, 20 Josh Holmes, 21 Kurtley Beale, 22 Rob Horne.

Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jason Jaftha (South Africa), Reuben Rossouw (South Africa)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

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