Ken Borland

While there has rightly been a storm of protest over a diabolical penalty try decision against the Stormers by the TMO, the less said about the team’s actual performance in their defeat to the Rebels in Melbourne, the better.

The Bulls weren’t anywhere near their best on attack against the Highlanders at Loftus Versfeld, but where they impressed was in their suffocating defence, their ferocity at the breakdown and their ability to capitalise on opposition mistakes.

The margin of victory – 35-18 – was comfortable enough, but the Bulls struggled for much of the second half to get any continuity with ball in hand, and the bonus-point try only came in the 78^th minute courtesy of some individual brilliance from replacement scrumhalf Jano Vermaak, who capitalised on the Highlanders’ defence worrying about substitute wing Bjorn Basson lurking out wide on the blindside.

And it was a crucial bonus point too as it lifted the Bulls into second on the overall log, above the Brumbies, from where they would qualify for a home semi-final if they remain in that position.

The Bulls’ first try came in just the third minute as they turned over possession from the kick-off and then bashed away at the Highlanders for 13 phases and created the overlap on the left. Francois Hougaard’s terrible pass – the returning scrumhalf’s service was scrappy in general – didn’t matter as outside centre JJ Engelbrecht gathered the ball off the ground and went over for the opening points.

The reliable boot of Morne Steyn added the next 11 points through the conversion and three penalties before what Bulls coach Frans Ludeke afterwards admitted was “the turning point of the game” came just two minutes before half-time.

The Highlanders, trailing 6-16, were pushing hard on the Bulls’ tryline but excellent defence saw the ball turned over. Flank Dewald Potgieter pounced and sparked a counter-attack, before feeding Engelbrecht, whose pass under pressure to wing Akona Ndungane, who then ran 80 metres to score, was referred to the TMO.

The television pictures seemed clear enough, but the TMO ruled there was insufficient evidence that Engelbrecht’s pass had been forward, and the try was allowed.

Pierre Spies, the Bulls captain celebrating his 100^th SuperRugby game, then charged over for a try six minutes into the second half to decide the contest, but the vagaries of the referral system were once again in the spotlight after the controversy in Melbourne the previous day.

Matt Goddard’s decision to award a penalty try against the Stormers – who were leading 21-20 at the time – was based on hooker Martin Bezuidenhout pulling replacement scrumhalf Nick Phipps back as he chased his grubber over the tryline – but the Australian ignored Scott Higginbotham’s clear knock-on moments before and the fact that Bryan Habana, probably the fastest player on the field, was also racing towards the ball.

While it was a shocking call, the Stormers once again really had only themselves to blame for the defeat. In the minutes leading up to the Rebels’ comeback, they had turned down three kicks at goal to set the lineout and get their rolling maul going. The Rebels defended superbly close to their line, but poor decision-making by the Stormers saw them turn over the ball. They then contrived to lose their own lineout throw and conceded a soft penalty for offsides, which allowed the Rebels back on to attack.

The decision by coach Allister Coetzee to substitute halfbacks Elton Jantjies and Louis Schreuder also needs to be questioned as the Stormers, playing off flyhalf more than in previous weeks, had scored three tries with them on the field.

But while the Stormers improved on attack, their defence was softer than it has been practically all season and the Rebels were able to make ground far too easily with ball in hand. The physicality of Duane Vermeulen and Rynhardt Elstadt was obviously missed, but the Stormers are going to have to show more adaptability in tough circumstances if they are ever to win the SuperRugby trophy.

Captain Jean de Villiers also continues to elect to kick for touch and go for tries rather than build the scoreboard – and the pressure that creates try-scoring opportunities – as the Bulls do so successfully.

With the Waratahs scoring a stunning victory over the log-leading Brumbies a few hours earlier, the Reds had the opportunity to take first place when they took on the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

But a sloppy performance by the 2011 champions, and a clinical performance by the Cheetahs, who were magnificent in defence and ruthless on attack, saw the Reds slide to a 27-13 defeat.

Never mind his refusal to toe the line on matters of team discipline, Quade Cooper provided plenty of justification for Wallabies coach Robbie Deans’ decision not to include him in his initial Australia squad to face the British and Irish Lions with an error-strewn performance.

But scrumhalf Will Genia also made several mistakes in a similarly unfocused display and it is difficult to know whether it was the 40 hours of disrupted travel the Reds had to endure to get to South Africa or the Wallaby squad announcement that distracted them so much.

The Cheetahs deserve immense credit though because of their ability to get themselves out of trouble despite teetering on the ledge of the precipice on numerous occasions.

The Reds enjoyed 64% of possession and the Cheetahs had to make 125 tackles compared to the 57 of the visitors. But it was that uncompromising defence, right up in the faces of a team that likes to throw the ball around flat on the gain-line, that also led to 13 turnovers.

And the Cheetahs were clinical in turning their few opportunities, especially from turnover ball, into points.

Scrumhalf Piet van Zyl scored two brilliant individual tries in a superb performance that suggested the 23-year-old could be the answer to the worrying lack of depth for the Springboks’ number nine jersey.

The Cheetahs’ loose trio, especially Lappies Labuschagne and Philip van der Walt, were immense, and new flyhalf Elgar Watts was practically unerring with the boot, keeping the scoreboard ticking over with five penalties and a conversion.

The selection of Watts had been trumpeted by the Cheetahs’ management in the build-up to the game as an indication that they wanted to use their backline to run at the Reds, but that turned out to be a red herring.

Instead of trying to match the Reds at their own game, the Cheetahs chose to attack from the set-pieces and use the powerful ball-carrying abilities of their forwards.

The Sharks, having lost their previous five matches, desperately needed someone to spark them against the Force, even though laughable newspaper reports during the week that skipper Keegan Daniel was “anti-Afrikaners” undoubtedly added fire to their bellies.

It was loose forward Marcell Coetzee, who had been quiet in previous weeks, who provided the inspiration as he defended like a Trojan, leading the Sharks’ stats with 21 tackles, winning turnovers and carrying the ball strongly.

He made the tackle and then claimed the turnover as the Force inexplicably took a short tap on their own 22 in the 64^th minute, with the scores level at 13-13, that led to Riaan Viljoen’s brilliant match-winning try.

Fullback Viljoen broke the line and then he handed off one would-be tackler before breaking through another to score the Sharks’ second try.

Fellow flank Willem Alberts also enjoyed a powerful game as he returned to the starting line-up. He also no doubt made Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer smile at the thought of having one of his favourite weapons available for the internationals next month.

Lock Franco van der Merwe was also impressive as he once again dominated the lineouts and he contributed significantly at the collisions and breakdowns.

Daniel expressed his relief after the game that the Sharks had managed to end their torrid tour on a winning note.

“We were under a lot of pressure this week,” he said. “That was guts and effort. We knew we have been strong in the second half of games and that’s what happened tonight.”

What will be a concern for coach John Plumtree is that the Sharks once again made a slow start, conceding 65% of first-half possession to the Force and giving away much of their own ball. They were fortunate to just be trailing by three points at the break, which was a credit to their defence.

That same defence came to the fore in the closing minutes with the Force pushing hard at their line. Hooker Heath Tessmann and replacement scrumhalf Brett Sheehan both had a go at diving over, but the TMO correctly ruled that Tessmann’s initial attempt had led to a little knock-on at the base of the ruck.

The Sharks’ set-pieces were also a key factor in the triumph and the pack remains a formidable outfit despite the raft of injuries.

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One of their favourite sons, former Springbok captain John Smit, has been earmarked for a return to the Sharks as CEO – something the union has not denied.

But that good news was offset by a selection controversy that makes one wonder whether the current Sharks management has got to grips at all with transformation imperatives.

Starting on the right wing against the Stormers on Saturday is one Sean Robinson, a 19-year-old originally from Waterkloof High School in Pretoria, who has played just one Vodacom Cup game off the bench, although he did score the match-winning try against the SWD Eagles last weekend.

The decision has baffled and outraged many, however, because Robinson has come from nowhere and suddenly leapfrogged Odwa Ndungane and S’bura Sithole in the queue.

Springbok Ndungane has injury issues, but is well enough to sit on the bench, while Sithole has had few opportunities to display his undoubted talent, but has never looked shy of work.

It’s a controversy that the Sharks really did not need ahead of such a vital game, at a venue as daunting as Newlands. The Stormers may be struggling at the moment, but they have been the best South African side in SuperRugby for the last two years and they will be desperate to turn things around in front of their increasingly impatient home support.

The match is a huge one for the Sharks because victory over the Stormers significantly lowers the chances of them competing for first place in the conference and a home playoff.

Lwazi Mvovo and Louis Ludik are both out injured, which complicates the backline situation, and openside flank Jacques Botes has now joined the crocked list with a broken arm.

Ryan Kankowski replaces him and will play in the number seven jersey, where his pace and attacking ability will still be highly valued. Marcell Coetzee shifts to six and Jean Deysel returns on the bench, and he could be a key factor later in the game because his physicality is exactly what is needed against the Stormers.

It is difficult to pinpoint what exactly is wrong with the Stormers, but one senses coach Allister Coetzee’s confusion as to what his best halfback pairing is does not help.

His decision to restore Dewaldt Duvenhage at scrumhalf makes one wonder what the experienced 24-year-old was doing sitting at home last weekend when the Stormers were lurching to defeat at the hands of the Cheetahs.

The Stormers were only too delighted to loan Elton Jantjies from the Lions, but they don’t seem to have complete faith in him and they haven’t utilised the Springbok to the best of his abilities.

Jantjies is now injured anyway, officially with a knee complaint, although the damage to his confidence is probably more severe, and the Stormers have chosen 23-year-old former Matie Gary van Aswegen at flyhalf.

They will be relying on him to match the kicking game and game-management skills of Pat Lambie, but for that to happen, Van Aswegen will need a solid platform from his forwards.

The Stormers got destroyed in the lineouts by the Crusaders and, last weekend, the Cheetahs were able to snatch victory thanks to their ascendant scrum which got a tighthead in the final minute.

While defensive patterns and scoring tries are important, rugby is as much about the set-pieces, where the Sharks are strong, and the Stormers need to return to basics. Once those are in place, the rest could well click and there is too much quality in their side for them to be written off just yet.

Stormers captain Jean de Villiers said this week that his team was not about to press the panic button, but if they lose to the Sharks and the Cheetahs beat the Bulls, then it might be time because the race for conference honours will then effectively have become a two-horse race.

The Cheetahs are wonderfully in-form after five straight wins, their scrum has been solid, their defence superb and their attack consistently dangerous, which is exactly the sort of confidence-boosters they need if they are to reach another milestone in this fairytale season and beat the Bulls for the first time in SuperRugby.

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has stressed that his team need to be precise on Saturday because pouncing on mistakes and turning them into points is what the Cheetahs are particularly brilliant at doing.

“They are definitely an in-form team. They have five wins on the trot and that builds confidence in itself. They are very dangerous in broken play – they’ve scored 11 tries in broken play this season. If you make a mistake, they are very accurate in punishing you and their speed to the ball-carrier is very good. That’s why I say we need to be very accurate in the way we play and very disciplined.

“We need to do the basics well. If we have the ball, we need to be accurate, to keep the ball and to create that pressure on the opposition to make sure opportunities come for us,” Ludeke said.

What emphasis the Bulls will place on a kicking game if they want to dominate possession remains to be seen, but what will count against the Cheetahs is their wobbly lineout which will allow the home side to put them under pressure in their own half.

What the Cheetahs can’t do anything about is the fact that the Bulls will be well-rested after a bye and the advantage playing at Loftus Versfeld always give them.

The other South African franchise, the Southern Kings, have already done enough to suggest they could become part of the furniture in SuperRugby and the rookies will be aiming for the second win of their dramatic first season when they take on the Melbourne Rebels in the last game of their overseas tour.

The Kings pulled off the upset of the year when they drew with the Brumbies, who were top of the log, in Canberra last weekend, and the same heroic defence and skilful finishing should see them emerge with the win against the Rebels, who are not the same stellar outfit as the men from ACT are.

The Kings are rapidly shedding the underdogs tag, the valiant losers label, and the unfamiliar weight of expectation is now on their shoulders. The Rebels are a team the Kings can – some would say should – beat and the pressures that creates are the next thing the debutants need to overcome.

The Rebels were in a state of disarray just three weeks ago when they were thrashed 64-7 by the Sharks, and two players were sent home after fighting on the team bus. But since then they showed improvement against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein and then claimed the spoils against the Western Force in Perth last weekend.

Wimpie van der Walt, who owned the astonishing stats of making 19 tackles and missing none last weekend against the Brumbies, will once again spearhead the Kings’ defensive effort at close quarters.

The midfield of Andries Strauss and Waylon Murray was also safe as houses, which they will need to replicate against a talented Rebels backline that will now have the brilliant James O’Connor pulling the strings at flyhalf.

Teams

Southern Kings (v Rebels, Saturday 11.40am): George Whitehead, Sergeal Petersen, Waylon Murray, Andries Strauss, Ronnie Cooke, Demetri Catrakillis, Shaun Venter; Cornell du Preez, Wimpie van der Walt, Devin Oosthuizen, Rynier Bernardo, Steven Sykes, Grant Kemp, Hannes Franklin, Schalk Ferreira. Replacements – Bandise Maku, Kevin Buys, David Bulbring, Jacques Engelbrecht, Nicolas Vergallo, Marcello Sampson, Siviwe Soyzwapi.

Stormers (v Sharks, Saturday 5.05pm) – Joe Pietersen, Damian de Allende, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Gio Aplon, Gary van Aswegen, Dewaldt Duvenage, Duane Vermeulen, Michael Rhodes, Siya Kolisi, Andries Bekker, De Kock Steenkamp, Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements – Martin Bezuidenhout, Pat Cilliers, Gerbrandt Grobler, Nizaam Carr, Louis Schreuder, Kurt Coleman, Cheslin Kolbe.

Sharks (v Stormers, Saturday 5.05pm) – Frans Steyn, Sean Robinson, Paul Jordaan, Meyer Bosman, JP Pietersen, Pat Lambie, Cobus Reinach, Keegan Daniel, Ryan Kankowski, Marcell Coetzee, Franco van der Merwe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jannie du Plessis, Kyle Cooper, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Craig Burden, Wiehahn Herbst, Anton Bresler, Jean Deysel, Charl McLeod, Riaan Viljoen, Odwa Ndungane.

Bulls (v Cheetahs, Saturday 7.10pm) – Jürgen Visser, Akona Ndungane, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Lionel Mapoe, Morné Steyn, Jano Vermaak, Pierre Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Juandré Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Frik Kirsten, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Morné Mellet. Replacements: Callie Visagie, Werner Kruger, Paul Willemse, Arno Botha, Rudy Paige, Louis Fouchè, Ulrich Beyers.

Cheetahs (v Bulls, Saturday 7.10pm) – Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn, Raymond Rhule, Burton Francis, Piet van Zyl, Phillip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagne, Heinrich Brüssow, Francois Uys, Lood de Jager, Lourens Adriaanse, Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane. Replacements – Ryno Barnes, Coenie Oosthuizen, Ligtoring Landman, Frans Viljoen, Tewis de Bruyn, Francois Brummer, Ryno Benjamin.

Other fixtures

Friday: Highlanders v Brumbies (9.35am).

Saturday:Chiefs v Reds (6.35am); Blues v Hurricanes (9.35am); Force v Crusaders (1.45pm).

Bye: Waratahs.

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