Bulls show little enterprise in seeing off a valiant Sharks team.

Loftus Versfeld.

Friday 24 February 2012

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan

The Sharks team
1. Dale Chadwick , 2. Bismarck du Plessis , 3. Jannie du Plessis , 4. Steven Sykes , 5. Anton Bresler , 6. Keegan Daniel (Captain) , 7. Marcell Coetzee , 8. Ryan Kankowski , 9. Frederic Michalak , 10. Patrick Lambie , 11. Lwazi Mvovo , 12. Tim Whitehead , 13. JP Pietersen , 14. Louis Ludik , 15. Riaan Viljoen

Replacements
16. Craig Burden , 17. Wiehahn Herbst , 18. Ross Skeate , 19. Jacques Botes , 20. Charl McLeod , 21. Meyer Bosman , 22. Paul Jordaan

The Bulls team
Zane Kirchner, 14. Akona Ndungane, 13. Johann Sadie, 12. Francois Venter, 11. Bjorn Basson, 10. Morne Steyn, 9. Francois Hougaard, 8. Pierre Spies(c), 7. Jacques Potgieter, 6.Deon Stegmann, 5. Juandre Kruger, 4. Flip van der Merwe, 3. Werner Kruger, 2. Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1. Dean Greyling.

Replacements
16. Willie Wepener,17. Frik Kirsten, 18. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19. CJ Stander, 20. Jano Vermaak, 21. Louis Fouche, 22. JJ Engelbrecht.



An almost capacity crowd saw their home team ward off a late charge by an enterprising Shark team. They are most likely going home with mixed feelings, satisfied with the win, but concerned about what the Bulls have to offer for the season ahead.

Sometimes you walk out of the Cinema feeling disappointed because of the way it ended, the hero was surely not supposed to die?

That is how the Sharks supporters will feel about the loss they suffered to an uninspiring Bulls franchise who walked away with an 18-13 victory tonight.

The only way to describe the scoreless first half is error ridden. In a half where both teams missed twice with kicks to goal it would have been the Bulls who would have felt more satisfied going into the dressing room.

They lacked any intent to run the ball and spent most of the first stanza in their half - if it wasn’t Francois Hougaardt who were under clear instruction to give the ball air, it would be Morne Steyn kicking high and deep.

It was a display reminiscent of the same tactics used by the Springboks in 2009, kick and chase, trademark mauling and very little attack with ball in hand.

The Sharks however did everything they could to run the ball at pace, clearing rucks effectively, but wild passes, poor communication and needless penalties thwarted any possibility to score points.

The Sharks would have been very disappointed with their efforts, they showed enterprise and a willingness to play rugby, but sadly nothing came of the 60% possession they had.

Early in the second stanza, the same kick and chase tactic put the Sharks under sufficient pressure for the Bulls to gain turnover ball and from the ensuing ruck the Bulls forced a penalty under the posts which Morne Steyn successfully converted, 3-0.

From the kick-off the Sharks made another error and the Bulls were awarded a scrum, which turned out fortunate for the Sharks, Greyling was penalised for incorrect binding and Lambie immediately put the Sharks level, 3-3.

Continuing their kick and chase, the Bulls successfully forced another penalty and Steyn converted, Bulls 6-3.

In the next 16 minutes the Bulls continued to get a string of penalties and soon they led 15 - 3.

On the 60 minute mark Lambie brought the score line back to 15-6 with a penalty, only to be countered with a Morne Steyn drop goal minutes later.

At last 70 minutes into the match, the Sharks were rewarded from an attack deep in their 22, a well worked overlap move and the ball went wide to Mvovo who got all the way to the 22 of the Bulls. Quick ruck ball was won and Jacques Botes went over for the try, converted by Lambie.

The Sharks upped their intensity, but it was to no avail. They threw everything at a Bulls team satisfied with defending their line, and eventually they ran out winners by 18-13.

Two things are clear from watching this match.

This season the Bulls are going to play it safe - they will be playing the numbers game, low risk, kick the ball high and deep, chase hard, get numbers to the breakdown, force the penalty and convert. If there is a clear overlap from spilled or turn over ball, they will chance their arm. At line outs the maul will be employed and they will grind their opponents down, waiting for the attack and play a defensive game. The big question is how successful this tactic will be against those teams who show enterprise and a willingness to run at them.

The Sharks on the other hand should be disappointed with the result, but they have the most promise. There is balance in their attack, JP Pietersen is looking dangerous at centre, looking for the offload and possessing the speed to put defensive lines under pressure. They will go away and work on their error rate, but overall John Plumtree shouldn’t be too unhappy.

The Bulls on the other hand have shown nothing to worry the big teams.
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It's the top two teams in South Africa who are playing. Was enterprise/creativity expected?

Lost count of up and unders from the Bulls, at least Sharks tried to run it a little. On a plus note for Bulls, Kruger looked excellent and it looks like Matfield has mentored him well. Future Bok 5?

Thomond, the sharks ran from their 22 a number of times, their backline looked very good and beat a good number of defenders with their back line.

Their passing was a little wild, but they played good enterprising rugby.

The Bulls on the other hand was pedantic, Hougaardt is the only Bulls player who shows an eye for a gap and any intention of creating play.

SGT Pooly, perhaps he could move to 4, but with Andries Bekker around I doubt it.

Bekker seems to a very unlucky player, never seems fit at the right times. Who do you see as your engine room going forward Biltong?

I like the Stormers pairing of Els/Bekker, Elstadt especially looks a star in the making.

I think the no 4 spot is open at the moment, no one stands out.

Elstadt
Van der Merwe
Kruger
Sykes
Michael Rhodes (lions) my pick, promising young player.

What I would like to see in our tight five is Coenie Oosthuizen.

He was the forward with the most tackles, most rucks arrivals, great runs and he is big, he does need some technical improvement in the scrums still.

But if this could be our forward pack.

Coenie Oosthuizen (Beast on the Bench)
Bismarck du Plessis
Jannie du Plessis ( Werner Kruger on the bench)
Michael Rhodes
Andries Bekker
Shalk Burger ( Brussouw on the bench)
Willem Alberts
Josh Strauss

That is one hell of a mobile pack.

And yet they came away with a win. This result may well reinforce the belief that these tactics are worth adopting. But the other teams will be quietly pleased if the Bulls prefer to play that way.

As long as steyns there, thats how it will be. He knows no other way and is very good at what he does. Theyre just passed their use by date. Showed last year. Vision is not something the bulls appear to be entertaining yet. Effective but not title threatening.

Id rather be in their shoes than the canes! 20-9 down. Burger though went down heavily with his knee. Similar to masagas injury.

Well-put Biltong. As a Sharks fan, your description pretty much sums it up for me. It felt as though we should have won, but couldn't quite get it together.

Pietersen is looking promising at centre: if he settles into that role then he could become a force to be reckoned with, especially in combination with Mvovo.

I did feel that the Sharks were unlucky that none of the onfield officials picked up the cheap shot on Lambie! That should have been a yellow card!

Mr fishpaste, I am sure the sharks will work on their handling in the back line, I could see what they wanted to achieve with those long passes out wide to Mvovo, it was just unfortunate that it wasn't accurate enough.

Other than that they did very well.