Ken Borland

Marcel van der Merwe on one of his bullocking runs

As it often is with the Bulls, it was a long and drawn-out process, but they managed to beat the Cheetahs 26-21 in their Vodacom SuperRugby match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night and in so doing kept their slim playoff hopes alive.

The Cheetahs, meanwhile, who are back at the bottom of the SuperRugby log, will wonder how they managed to lose a game after leading 18-9 at halftime and looking much the better side.

Their supporters will be wondering why the exciting Cheetahs backline, which stretched the Bulls dangerously in the first half, was hardly used in the second half. Although the visitors will be livid that they were penalised for holding on to the ball in the ruck late in the game when Jan Serfontein was clearly not supporting his own body weight, they had only themselves to blame because they made it easy for the Bulls defence by simply bashing the ball up for phase after phase. Their backline looked on, standing deep and way out of the action.

“It was frustrating, but credit to the Bulls because they manage to mould you into their game plan of kicking and driving,” Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss, celebrating his 100th SuperRugby match, admitted afterwards.

While the Bulls managed to con referee Marius van der Westhuizen with that Serfontein breakdown steal, they were generally more accurate at the ruck, especially in the second half, helped by the fact that their big ball-carriers were mostly getting over the advantage line.

“We clawed our way back and we managed to squeeze them in the second half. The maul was working well and momentum and quick ball meant we had a lot of attacking plays and every time we got penalties we kept the pressure on them.

“It was a team effort at the breakdowns, everyone was really switched on to ensure we secured the ball. We had to work hard and it was like slow poison in the right areas,” Bulls coach Frans Ludeke confirmed.

The Cheetahs, going backwards, struggled to stamp their mark on the breakdown and the scrums were also an area of concern for them, a tendency to push inwards not winning the favour of the referee.

Loosehead prop Caylib Oosthuizen was penalised for hinging to allow Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard to open the scoring with a 52-metre penalty, but Cheetahs loose forwards Boom Prinsloo and Jean Cook then combined well to snuff out a promising break by William Small-Smith and earn an Elgar Watts penalty to level the scores in the ninth minute.

Handre Pollard, who was singled out for praise by Ludeke for the way he bounced back, then went through an awful five minutes to give the Cheetahs a 13-3 lead.

Pollard, so used to calling the shots at flyhalf against minors, flew a long flat pass in the face of the defence as the Bulls probed away in the Cheetahs 22, and centre Johann Sadie read it perfectly, intercepting and running 75 metres to score under the poles.

Watts added the extra two points and, in the 23rd minute, referee Van der Westhuizen seemed a tad pedantic when he yellow-carded Pollard for not retreating the full 10 metres when Cheetahs scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius took a tap-penalty. Watts again added the three points.

A crowd of 17 606 welcoming the Bulls back from their winless overseas tour were no doubt contemplating stronger drink at this point, but the Bulls, to their credit, would not be distracted from their game plan.

Strong runs by eighthman Grant Hattingh and prop Dean Greyling earned a penalty, kicked by fullback Jurgen Visser, as Strauss went off his feet at the ruck, and the Bulls were unfortunate to be denied a try by the bullocking tighthead Marcel van der Merwe five minutes from the break when the TMO harshly ruled that captain Victor Matfield, standing to the side of the ruck, had been obstructing an offsides Heinrich Brussow.

Brussow erred again two minutes later, lying all over the ball at a ruck, and Pollard, back on the field, slotted the penalty to bring the Bulls back to 9-13.

But the half belonged to the Cheetahs, who always seemed the more likely team to score, thanks to the spark of the backline and they scored what seemed to be the crucial try in the final minute of the first half.

Sadie took the gap with the sort of hard, straight running he seldom produced while at the Bulls, and the powerful Benjamin was on his shoulder for the offload, making further ground before flinging a long pass out to Raymond Rhule on the right wing.

The Ghanaian-born flyer finished clinically, beating two cover defenders, and the Cheetahs went into the break as the team in charge, leading 18-9.

“At half-time I thought we had done reasonably well. But in the second half, the Bulls maul was really effective, they would force penalties and then make us defend for the next four or five minutes.

“We let it slip in the second half, our discipline was bad, we gave away too many penalties at their drives and we missed opportunities of our own,” Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske lamented.

It was Pollard who sparked the comeback – the boy’s clearly got something – with a lovely chip-and-gather that put the Bulls hard on attack in the Cheetahs 22, with lock Paul Willemse, another of the young brigade that is exciting Loftus Versfeld, muscling over for a try from a ruck.

Pollard converted but then Jono Ross took too long to roll away in the tackle and Johan Goosen, back in SuperRugby after what feels like an age on the sidelines, kicked the penalty to stretch the Cheetahs’ lead to 21-16.

The power ball-carrying of the Bulls forwards would be the deciding factor, however, as the under-pressure Callie Visagie did well to storm over from 10 metres out after the home side had kicked a penalty to touch but elected against the rolling maul. The penalty came after Brussow had once again infringed at the ruck.

Pollard converted to give the Bulls the lead (23-21) for the first time since the sixth minute and, after Goosen had missed an angled penalty attempt in the 60th minute, the sniping skills of centre Serfontein saw the Cheetahs trapped offsides and the boot of Jacques-Louis Potgieter provided the final points of the match.

“It’s taken a lot of the pressure off, we had that sick feeling in the stomach that we really wanted to win,” Matfield said afterwards. “Things just seem to happen easier here at Loftus, I don’t know why.”

The Southern Kings have neither the funds nor the players that the Bulls and Stormers do, but there will be as much attention on their Vodacom SuperRugby debut in Port Elizabeth as there will be on the humdinger expected at Loftus Versfeld for the north/south clash.

The Western Force should provide reasonable opposition and at least some chance of victory for the Kings, but the downside for the competition newbies is that there has been precious little time for their team to gel as a unit for one of the games they would have targeted for a win.

Captain Luke Watson has a key role for the Kings in this regard and is one of the few members of their squad who knows what SuperRugby is all about, having played in 82 matches for the Stormers and Sharks.

Lock Steven Sykes, centre Andries Strauss and hooker Bandise Maku have also played enough SuperRugby to know what to expect, but such is the pace and intensity of the southern hemisphere competition that the Kings are most definitely being thrown into the deep end. Most observers expect defeat on Saturday to be the precursor to a series of batterings for the Eastern Cape minnows.

While many are eagerly preparing themselves to mock the Kings’ efforts this season, the chance their participation gives the likes of former Western Province flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, 18-year-old SA Schools wing Sergeal Petersen, fullback SP Marais and young forwards Wimpie van der Walt and David Bulbring to play on this stage should be welcomed.

The Kings enter a whole new world at 19:10 on Saturday night, but at the same time on Friday night, all eyes will be on Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria when two of the title contenders clash.

The Stormers will be chasing a third successive win on that hallowed turf and victory will certainly set them on their way to another strong challenge.

Some key injuries will count heavily against them, though. Schalk Burger’s imminent return has just turned out to be a fanciful yarn, while the absence of lock Eben Etzebeth means the Bulls pack now nears the Stormers’ in terms of physicality and ability.

The absence of hooker Tiaan Liebenberg and centre Juan de Jongh, both Springboks, are further spokes in the Stormers’ wheel, but eighthman Duane Vermeulen is a man who can inspire a forward pack and there is still plenty of quality in the backline.

Elton Jantjies has been entrusted with the number 10 jersey and the responsibility of sparking that backline, with the Stormers also calling on the experience of Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana to ensure they keep calm in the cauldron of Loftus.

Bulls captain Pierre Spies called the Stormers/Western Province the best team in South Africa last year and he is aware that the Bulls’ prospects in their second season since the Great Trek saw the likes of Matfield, Du Preez, Rossouw and the two Bothas depart, will be measured against how they perform against the 2012 SA Conference winners.

The Stormers can expect little leeway from a Bulls side that will be steely in midfield with Wynand Olivier teaming up with JJ Engelbrecht, and physical up front with the likes of Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Flip van der Merwe and Werner Kruger thriving on the tight exchanges.

While the Bulls and Stormers are competing for an early psychological edge and a quick start to the competition, the Cheetahs start their campaign aware that they are already probably standing on the ledge with a huge drop beneath them.

Taking on last year’s two finalists – the Sharks in Bloemfontein on Saturday and then the defending champions Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend – is not the kindest of draws for the Cheetahs, who will be keeping an eye on the progress of the Kings lest they get caught up in the horror of promotion/relegation at the end of the season.

And the Sharks are obviously over the “bogey side” phenomenon, having beaten the Cheetahs in their last four encounters.

It will be a massive blow to the Cheetahs’ confidence if they lose at home hours before flying to New Zealand, but it is a very real possibility given the depth, experience and quality that the Sharks will be bringing to Bloemfontein.

And it does not help the home side’s cause that the one area of improvement the Sharks are focusing on is starting the competition well, after they lost four of their first seven matches last year, which came back to haunt them in the end as they had to travel for all their playoff games.

The Cheetahs backline is a dangerous one, however, with Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn and Raymond Rhule all players that should be on the radar of Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer. Johan Goosen is back at flyhalf to direct the show, while scrumhalf Piet van Zyl is one of the most improved players in South African rugby.

The Sharks backline is blessed with current Springboks though in JP Pietersen, Frans Steyn, Pat Lambie and Lwazi Mvovo, while Louis Ludik and Paul Jordaan are great talents.

The Sharks loose trio is regarded as one of the best in the competition and will play a key role as defenders and stiflers of the quick ball that makes the creative Cheetahs so threatening.

Veteran Lions lock Franco van der Merwe makes his debut as a Shark in the number five jersey alongside Anton Bresler, who emerged as one of the country’s most promising second-rowers in last year’s Currie Cup.

Jannie du Plessis and Beast Mtawarira are as formidable a pair of props as their journeymen Cheetahs counterparts, Trevor Nyakane and Lourens Adriaanse, could hope to come up against.

Coenie Oosthuizen is on the bench for the Cheetahs but, as one of just four Springboks against the 14 in the Sharks’ squad, not even he can provide enough firepower to avoid the home side being rank underdogs.

Other fixtures

Friday: Highlanders v Chiefs (Dunedin); Rebels v Brumbies (Melbourne).

Saturday: Hurricanes v Blues (Wellington); Reds v Waratahs (Brisbane).

South African teams

Bulls: Zane Kirchner, Lionel Mapoe, JJ Engelbrecht, Wynand Olivier, Bjorn Basson, Morné Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Juandré Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Morné Mellett. Replacements: Willie Wepener, Frik Kirsten, Grant Hattingh, Arno Botha, Jano Vermaak, Louis Fouché, Francois Venter.

Stormers: Jaco Taute, Gio Aplon, Jean de Villiers, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Elton Jantjies, Nic Groom, Duane Vermeulen, Rynhardt Elstadt, Siya Kolisi, Andries Bekker, De Kock Steenkamp, Pat Cilliers, Deon Fourie, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Martin Bezuidenhout, Frans Malherbe, Don Armand, Nizaam Carr, Dewaldt Duvenage, Gerhard van den Heever, Joe Pietersen.

Cheetahs: Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn, Raymond Rhule, Johan Goosen, Piet van Zyl, Philip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagne, Frans Viljoen, Francois Uys, Lood de Jager, Lourens Adriaanse, Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane. Replacements: Ryno Barnes, Coenie Oosthuizen, Waltie Vermeulen, Boom Prinsloo, Sarel Pretorius, Elgar Watts, Ryno Benjamin.

Sharks: Louis Ludik, JP Pietersen, Paul Jordaan, Frans Steyn, Lwazi Mvovo, Pat Lambie, Cobus Reinach, Ryan Kankowski, Marcell Coetzee, Jacques Botes, Franco van der Merwe, Anton Bresler, Jannie du Plessis, Craig Burden, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Kyle Cooper, Wiehahn Herbst, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean Deysel, Charl McLeod, Meyer Bosman, Odwa Ndungane.

Southern Kings: SP Marais, Sergeal Petersen, Ronnie Cooke, Andries Strauss, Marcello Sampson, Demetri Catrakilis, Shaun Venter, Luke Watson, Wimpie van der Walt, Cornell du Preez, Steven Sykes, David Bulbring, Kevin Buys, Bandise Maku, Schalk Ferreira. Replacements: Edgar Marutlulle, Jaco Engels, Daniel Adongo, Jacques Engelbrecht, Johan Herbst, George Whitehead, Hadleigh Parkes.

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-02-22-superrugby-preview-telling-opening-weekend-for-sa-teams/#.UdNBODs3A6w

The Springboks were transformed at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, playing rugby of supermodel-level beauty as they overwhelmed Australia 31-8 to claim the first try-scoring bonus point in the Rugby Championship.

Of course, as is always the case with admiring supermodels on a Saturday night, there is a chance that beer goggles were involved in the form of a weak Australian team, further ravaged by injuries on the night, and we should all just calm down a bit and not start trumpeting the Springboks as the finished article just yet.

What is undeniable, however, is that they squeezed the Wallabies for 80 minutes with great success, winning over a Loftus Versfeld crowd of 44,463 fans that were strangely subdued and not their usual passionate, fiery selves at the start.

Perhaps the previous disappointments had made them wary and that seemed justified as Johan Goosen, the 20-year-old who was meant to be the Springboks’ saviour replacing Morne Steyn at flyhalf, missed two early penalties.

As coach Heyneke Meyer explained afterwards, Goosen had been dogged by a heel injury all week, “was not at 100% in the warm-up”, and then reported he was in pain again after 10 minutes. He felt he could soldier on, but would not be able to kick, so scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar took over the duties.

Pienaar also struggled though, missing four of his seven kicks at goal, so South Africa left another 16 points on the table – which could have made it a serious hiding for the Wallabies.

Goosen’s influence went way beyond mere goal-kicking, though. With the Free Stater standing flat and eager to engage the defences with ball in hand, the Springboks were now able to convert the pressure they created (through a pack that becomes more and more impressive with every outing) into space and try-scoring opportunities.

Meyer and captain Jean de Villiers were obviously delighted to score five tries, but were frustrated by suggestions from some media that the change of fortune had been due to a change in game plan.

“We haven’t changed one thing, that’s what people don’t understand. We’ve created those opportunities in previous weeks, but when we can execute and finish off those opportunities then it’s fantastic.

“We always say there’s space somewhere because, from a defensive point of view, you can’t cover everywhere. You need the ability to play into that space, if the space is at the back then you have to kick it there and contest to get it back. If they have guys back, then there’s the opportunity to run.

“We were really good at the breakdown. We put pressure on them there and territorially we were fantastic; we spent most of the time in their half. When that happens, then you can run the ball more. It all worked nicely for us today,” De Villiers exclaimed.

The predatory Bryan Habana was the chief beneficiary of all that space the Springboks found, scoring the second hat-trick of his 82-Test career and surpassing his former fellow wing, Breyton Paulse, as the leading try-scorer for South Africa against Australia with eight in 16 Tests.

Zane Kirchner also attacked well from fullback, scoring one try and being denied another by a mere centimetre as Adam Ashley-Cooper knocked himself out cold tackling him into touch. The rolling maul was used to good effect, too, with flank Francois Louw scoring from one in the second half. Taking that into account, this time South Africa’s kicking yips did not matter.

The Springboks certainly didn’t set out to be more flashy – that was just the by-product allowed by the hard grind of the men up front.

Thanks to a tremendous effort from the tight five, and an outstanding display from the loose trio of Duane Vermeulen, Louw and Willem Alberts, the Wallabies were knocked back on the gain line, putting the Springboks on the front foot and allowing them to impose their game plan on the visitors.

“South Africa played well tonight; they should be given credit. They were very good around the collisions and didn’t allow us much front-foot ball. Their defence was very effective and we used up players trying to run at them or to stop their ball-carriers,” Australia coach Robbie Deans admitted afterwards.

At almost every ruck, Vermuelen or Louw had their hands on the ball and the Springboks dominated the breakdown to an extent they have rarely enjoyed against the Wallabies.

Pienaar also enjoyed his best game of the year. Aware of the pressure on young Goosen, he took on most of the field-kicking duties and kept the Aussies back-pedalling and chasing the ball very well. His service was also slick and his decision-making good as he looked every part the general on the field.

Goosen was left to express himself with ball in hand and he showed his tremendous vision and deceptive pace on a number of occasions.

After the porous midfield defending in the second half of the Perth defeat, it was encouraging to see Jaco Taute make a fine debut at outside centre, tackling strongly and following the lead of skipper De Villiers inside him.

“You’re only as good as your defence. That’s how you put pressure on and then you score from turnovers. Our defence was awesome tonight. Australia wants a high-tempo game, but these players always put their bodies on the line,” Meyer said.

But, ever the perfectionist, he added: “I’m very proud of this young team tonight, but three tries were just a centimetre away and you have to convert those. So I’m not happy with that: if you create those opportunities, you must put them away.”

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-09-30-rugby-meyers-major-metamorphosis

South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer praised a top-class defensive effort for his team’s five-try, 31-8 victory over Australia in their Rugby Championship Test at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Springboks became the first team in this year’s competition to register a try-scoring bonus point as wing Bryan Habana collected a hat-trick, but Meyer said the new-found attacking spark had its roots in their defence.

“You’re only as good as your defence, that’s how you put pressure on and then you score from turnovers. Our defence was awesome tonight. Australia want a high-tempo game, but these players always put their bodies on the line,” Meyer told a news conference after the Test.

Captain Jean de Villiers also credited other factors for the try-scoring spree that took their tally from six to 11 in five matches.

“The space is not always there but when your territorial game is as fantastic as it was tonight and we were really good at the breakdown, then you can afford to run the ball more. It worked nicely for us tonight,” De Villiers said.

While the Springboks enjoyed a steady diet of front-foot ball, Wallaby coach Robbie Deans was bemoaning a total lack of momentum for his side.

“South Africa played well tonight, they should be given credit. They were very good around the collisions and didn’t allow us much front-foot ball. Their defence was very effective and we used up players trying to run at them or to stop their ball-carriers,” Deans said.

Australia also had tremendous misfortune with injuries, with fullback Berrick Barnes and outside centre Adam Ashley-Cooper having to leave the field in the first half. With eighthman Radike Samo and lock Kane Douglas also limping off, the Wallabies then had to finish the match with 14 men because referee Alain Rolland would not allow injured hooker Tatafu Poloto-Nau to be replaced, ruling the visitors had already used seven substitutions, with prop Benn Robinson returning to the field in the second half after going off before the break.

“It was bizarre and the carnage of all those injuries was unprecedented in my experience. We were still in the game at half-time, but had to finish with a halfback on the wing and, with all those injuries, it was just asking too much for us to get home,” Deans said.

The Wallabies coach believed the decision to not allow replacement hooker Saia Fainga’a on the field was unfair.

“The fourth referee said at the time we could replace Tatafu, then that decision was changed. Benn Robinson was a strategic substitution in the first half and his situation was irrelevant.”

Despite the impressive, convincing win, Meyer said the Springboks’ finishing still needed to improve, with flyhalf Johan Goosen, fullback Zane Kirchner and replacement centre Juan de Jongh all having close looks at the tryline but failing to score.

“I’m very proud of this young team tonight, but three tries were just a centimetre away and you have to convert those. So I’m not happy with that, if you create those opportunities, you must put them away,” Meyer said.

The Springbok coach also liked his team’s efforts in the lineouts and scrums, and their discipline at the breakdowns, while he said Goosen made a top-class first start at flyhalf, despite missing two early penalties.

“Johan struggled during the week with a heel injury and he wasn’t 100% in the warm-up. He said that after 10 minutes it was hurting, but he showed his character and said he would keep playing, he just couldn’t kick. He’s a thrilling prospect, he showed a lot of pace, he was superb, but it will take time before he is a finished package,” Meyer explained.

Australia already have a full XV of players out injured, but their previous fitness woes are starting to look like a mini-crisis with Deans admitting SOSs would need to be sent for players to join the squad in Argentina.

“We will need to bring players across, which is going to be very challenging because we’ve already delved deep into our resources. Getting visas is also not straightforward for Argentina and there’s a possibility some players won’t arrive in time for training,” Deans said.