Bulls vs Leinster

Sorry if I've missed an existing thread.

That was one of the clearest tackles off-the-ball you could ever see. Bulls can have no complaint about the disallowed try.

Leinster needed that try by Lowe. The Bulls were getting some momentum with those crossfield kicks, and it felt like Leinster had missed some early opportunities.

Nice touchline conversion, after that earlier missed long range penalty.

Bulls 0-7 Leinster after 26 minutes

Beautiful 50-22 by Willie le Roux, and the Bulls turn it into a try and the posts, which should level the scores.

The Bulls have done that with 14 men.

Le Roux is a real pest in the Leinster half, and someone the Irish side hasn't yet worked out how to counter.

Scrum penalty to the Bulls, and the score is Bulls 10-7 Leinster at half time

The referee played half a minute of advantage from the scrum. If there'd been time on the clock when he finally blew, I wonder if the Bulls might have kicked to the corner. Conceding only three might have been a decent result for Leinster.

10 - 7 at half time probably fair. Goosen and Le Roux are showing Byrne and O'Brien how it should be done. The last penalty to the Bulls at the scrum looked a bit lucky as Leinster should have had the penalty directly before that, but is probably a fairer reflection of the way the scrums have gone over the half.

Bulls have been worth the lead so far going in 10-7 at half time.

They have had the Leinster pack on toast at scrum time. Also looks like they have them a little rattled in the lineout as well.

Again I am amazed no linesman or the ref are picking up on the Leinster offsides. Has to be one of the easiest laws to ref and for some unknown reason Leinster just do not get penalised for it. I counted 5 blatant ones in that half alone as well as 3 in front of the kicker chasers.

If this was isolated I'd say these things happen but its something I've seen on a lot of Leinster games this season.

One more reasons we need to really think about the officiating of the game because at the moment it is holding back the league when we can't get simple offside lines calls correct. Maybe they need to bring a 4th ref in purely to monitor the offside line but that really shouldnt be needed.

I always wonder if having a rush defence works in South Africa. I imagine at altitude that must really impact stamina over 80.

It seems like the Bulls are playing a simple, effective plan, while Leinster have a lot of moving parts, which means more can go wrong for them in attack.

If a couple of passes stick for the Bulls, they can score. Leinster seem to need six or seven.

And the Bulls just scored.

Bulls 17-7 Leinster after 43 minutes

Bulls won against the head, and might have made something off it, if their chasing player hadn't pushed JGP off the ball.

Leinster rolled the dice with a tap penalty, instead of going for the three. It came off, and they have closed the gap.

Bulls 17-14 Leinster after 51 minutes

Terrible call. McCarthy may have made the turnover initially, but couldn't play it on the floor.

The South African crowd, and South African twitter hate the referee.

The referee has finally spoken to both captains about off the ball incidents.

You think?

I'm an Ulster supporter with a default to Irish teams, but that was poor call.

Lowe makes a break and Leinster win a penalty. Byrne gets it.

Bulls 17-17 Leinster after 60 minutes

Definitely feels like Leinster are fortunate to be level.

Rugby Fan wrote:The South African crowd, and South African twitter hate the referee.

And they would have a point. He's been really poor this game. Leinster have been getting away with murder in defence. At rucks, offside and some kick chases.

As a Neutral watching this I dont think Bulls have been getting any calls so far. Just from the amount of scrum penalties a Leinster prop should have been in the bin.

Bulls nudge ahead though to 20-17.

Bulls restore the lead a minute later, after the referee notices a Leinster infringement.

Bulls 20-17 Leinster

Clear crossing there by Leinster....another missed called.

I'm actually questing if this ref is actually watching this game.......Anyone know who the ref for this game is?

Leinster pull it back to 20-20

Leinster held at bay by the Bulls but the South Africans give away a penalty.

Bulls 20-20 Leinster after 65 minutes

Lowe looked hurt during that move.

Le Roux went off earlier for an HIA and commentary has just said he won't be returning.

Try Bulls - Peterson scores with a lovely strip - once in his hand Leinster cant get near him.....

You got to say SA sure have some fast wings...

Sucker-punch by the Bulls

Leinster drove the Bulls back to half-way but a good kick chase produced an easy try.

Bulls 25-20 Leinster after 68 minutes

Ringrose and Ryan both substituted.

Long, long set by Leinster ended with a turnover, and the Bulls kicked upfield, to make it a goal line drop-out.

That Bulls No 8 looks a right monster......Leinster really havent been able to contain him in this game.....

If the Bulls get a penalty, you feel two scores will be beyond Leinster.

Another penalty for Bulls missed. Player was in the air when he kicked that and gets taken out. Hit was late and given he was in the air should have been a penalty for Bulls. Not called and Leinster kick it towards Bulls 22.

Bulls need to get it out of there now.

Even I'm rooting for Bulls now due to this Ref. Leinster shouldnt be in this game...

Does give Bulls a penalty now.....should let Bulls get field position now and play the clock down in the Leinster half.......

Just as I say that he goes for posts but its 60m. Surely not. If he kicks this the game is over though i reckon.

That could be it for Leinster. Bulls got the ball back and a poor grasping tackle gives them a penalty.

Bulls win - have to say they deserved that. They played the better game.

Leinster crash out.....you would have to say for them another season without silverware is disappointing.

Bulls the winners

They missed the shot at goal but kept Leinster trapped near their touchline as the clock counted down. Finally, they won a turnover, and kicked the ball dead for the win.

Of course Louw taking Larmour out in the air forcing a knock on for the scrums leading to a Bulls try seems to have passed you by.  Has the referee been faultless, no.  Have Leinster been smarter playing the offside, yes, but the Bulls have been offside repeatedly in this second half as well.

Bulls deserve the win, but don't blame the ref for the low margin of victory.

Isnt that just proving my point.....surely were in trouble if we cant even officiate the offside line which is a easy law to officiate.

I also wasn't saying any of those calls would have impacted the score per say.

But I dont accept your apparent premise that cheating the rules cleverly should be part of the game. With regards to Bulls being offside Leinster did actually get a couple of offside penalties in the second half. The bulls didnt get a single one in the first half.

As I said I'm a neutral so I didnt really care who won but my point is the officiating wasnt good today. I accept refs have a tough job and some of the rules are not easy to make at times but offside is a law that should be so well policed no team actually tests this out repeatedly.

And just to add this has been the story in a lot of Leinster games this season... This has happened on a lot of the games I watched them play.

I just think refs should be studying sides because I believe most of these style of offences are usually coached and not random.

From a distant outsider's perspective, Nienaber's Leinster haven't looked as dangerous in attack.

I'm a bit reminded of England, when we could never came back from a nine point deficit. That spell of games went on for ages. It makes all the times you don't convert possession into points prey on the mind much more.

If the opposition score, you feel more gutted, and it puts more pressure on your own attacking efforts.

I think part of the reason Leinster dont look as good as attack is less to do with Nienaber (although he probably had them working on defence a lot) but has more to do with Lancaster leaving. He did wonders for that team and I suspect him leaving has had a massive impact on their attacking game.

I also wonder if Cullen can actually keep the top job if he continues not bringing back trophies.....Wonder if Leinster fans think he may start to come under pressure?

Well done Bulls, the better team on the day but I feel gutted fir my Leinster friends & family. The signs were there vs us lot last week that Leinster were vulnerable. I'd hoped in vain that the little minute would be sorted during the week but I feel they may need more time to become an immovable object again.
C'mon Munster

Welshmushroom wrote:I think part of the reason Leinster dont look as good as attack is less to do with Nienaber (although he probably had them working on defence a lot) but has more to do with Lancaster leaving.  He did wonders for that team and I suspect him leaving has had a massive impact on their attacking game.

That or they are missing one of the best flyhalfs the NH has produced. Even when not playing, Sexton's rugby intellect and leadership would have been present behind the scenes. Possible a bit of both. Racing haven't exactly set the world alight despite a more than handy squad under Lancaster (they've scraped into the Top14 playoffs). Whether Nienaber is the right foil for Cullen might be a good question, Cullen has led Leinster to an unprecedented period of dominance. He's going to have to reshape the squad again and dismantling a dynasty to rebuild the next one is always the toughest job going.