2013 Super Rugby Semi Final - Bulls vs Brumbies

[RoffsChoice]

The pinnacle was when they turned down the second three. To quote Clyde Rathbone "The Bulls aren't playing Bulls rugby."

 

[flat_eric]

What an amazing performance.

I used to hate it when South African teams played so direct. Now I see one of our own teams do it so well..I could get used to it.

 

[hawktrain]

don't listen to those lot. Radio for me with tv turned down. The best commentator for me is Tony Johnstone.

I would do the same if more of the S15 games were covered on the radio in Australia.

 

[Brumby Runner]

It was very impressive that the Brumbies appeared to not have any problems with playing at altitude. The whole team seemed to be still firing on all cylinders at the end; even George Smith despite his perpetual motion performance. And how fresh did he look at the post match interview. I've never seen a visiting team handle the conditions so well.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

don't listen to those lot. Radio for me with tv turned down. The best commentator for me is Tony Johnstone.

Do you know Greg Growden's mate, and secret source for much of his rugby gossip column, "Radio"?

 

[Blue]

As a Bulls fan it hurst to say this. The only reason we won the SA comp was becuase the Sharks and Stormers are better at being shit than we could ever be. They are loaded with talent but seem to love the feeling of disappointment.

If the Bulls could unearth decent props and have a bit more luck with injuries they will be there again next year.

I am now going to go away and pretend that this never happened.

 

[Athilnaur]

I am now going to go away and pretend that this never happened.

You aren't alone, there is 13 teams out there doing the same thing. And next week it will be 14. Factor in all the close games, the 50 50s, the unlucky injury streaks for some. Sport is a cruel yet beautiful mistress.

 

[Sidbarret]

As a Bulls fan it hurst to say this. The only reason we won the SA comp was becuase the Sharks and Stormers are better at being shit than we could ever be. They are loaded with talent but seem to love the feeling of disappointment.

If the Bulls could unearth decent props and have a bit more luck with injuries they will be there again next year.

I am now going to go away and pretend that this never happened.

hmm, you lot are missing Pierre Spies and Arno Botha through injury and Juandre Kruger through an inability to read a calender properly.

Stormers were missing Tiaan Liebenberg, Frans Malherbe, Andries Bekker, Siya Kolisi, Schalk Burger , Micheal Rhodes, Duane Vermeulen, Peter Grant, Joe Pietersen and Jaco Taute when we nailed your asses two weeks ago, so dry your eyes princess.


Anyway I wouldn't be too disheartened with your team this year. The Bulls are still in the process of retooling after losing a great team in 2011 and showed some positive changes to the way they play the game this year. They deserve their home semi over the course of the season, but their form faded towards the end, much like the other play-off teams, but unlike the Brumbies and the Chiefs they were unable to pull a good performance when it counted.

It will be interesting to see the direction the Bulls go next year. The Bulls have been stock-piling SA school teams over last half decade and will be looking to release them onto top level in next couple of seasons.

I am a bit worried about how the Bulls will go about filling their front-row though. A couple of seasons back they had some weaknesses in the midfield, they responded by signing every single SA schools centre for about five years straight until finally finding Jan Serfontein. In the meantime a number of very talented youngsters have been biding their time in the Vodacom and Tuks sides and are only now moving on to other provinces for gametime (Francois Venter and Lindique to the Cheetahs next year, look for William Small-Smith to leave soon). I fear the Bulls might end up doing the same thing with all the props in the country until in five years time someone actually sticks.

 

[Blue]

I am not so sure we had it that easy with injuries, but you have lost more big names I'll give you that.

Greyling and W Kruger were both out early in the season (should have been the whole bloody thing)
Frik Kirsten had a few weeks off
Chiliboy was injured for a couple of weeks early on
At one stage both the starting locks were injured and Flip was injured a second time.
Both backup locks were injured with the one still out
Spies as you mention - big loss - leadership
Arno Botha - MASSIVE loss
Sideshow Bob - OK also not that bad
Hougaard missed more than half the season and clearly came back unfit.
Meisiekind was out for the first half of the season - good thing becuase it gave Sefontein the opportunity
Willie Wepener gone halfway through
Jacques Pottie missed the first half

That's off the top of my head.

We have now lost ten Boks to overseas clubs including M Steyn, J Kruger, Chiliboy, both Potgieters, Olivier, Vermaak and Kirchner. There might be a couple more going I hear.

We will field a very green 22 next year. As you note the BIGGEST worry is at prop. They HAVE to blood young props even if they get shunted around.Will be interesting to see if they try and recruit an old head. There must be a better scrummager that Greyling somewhere in the Currie Cup.

Greyling is the real problem. W Kruger has always done quite well if he had a strong loosehead on the other side but Greyling folds too easily.

Second worry is at 10. Will they blood young Pollard? We will see in the Currie Cup although I don't know if he is fit.

If we had to rebuild after Vic and Fourie Doep left I don't know what to call this.

Rethink, re-architect and rebuild.

 

[terry j]

As a Bulls fan it hurst to say this.

It hurts so much there was a freudian typo??

 

[Rassie]

I am not so sure we had it that easy with injuries, but you have lost more big names I'll give you that.

Greyling and W Kruger were both out early in the season (should have been the whole bloody thing)
Frik Kirsten had a few weeks off
Chiliboy was injured for a couple of weeks early on
At one stage both the starting locks were injured and Flip was injured a second time.
Both backup locks were injured with the one still out
Spies as you mention - big loss - leadership
Arno Botha - MASSIVE loss
Sideshow Bob - OK also not that bad
Hougaard missed more than half the season and clearly came back unfit.
Meisiekind was out for the first half of the season - good thing becuase it gave Sefontein the opportunity
Willie Wepener gone halfway through
Jacques Pottie missed the first half

That's off the top of my head.

We have now lost ten Boks to overseas clubs including M Steyn, J Kruger, Chiliboy, both Potgieters, Olivier, Vermaak and Kirchner. There might be a couple more going I hear.

We will field a very green 22 next year. As you note the BIGGEST worry is at prop. They HAVE to blood young props even if they get shunted around.Will be interesting to see if they try and recruit an old head. There must be a better scrummager that Greyling somewhere in the Currie Cup.

Greyling is the real problem. W Kruger has always done quite well if he had a strong loosehead on the other side but Greyling folds too easily.

Second worry is at 10. Will they blood young Pollard? We will see in the Currie Cup although I don't know if he is fit.

If we had to rebuild after Vic and Fourie Doep left I don't know what to call this.

Rethink, re-architect and rebuild.

Cmon be honest. The Bulls positive attitude towards this game went around the time the Chiefs beat the Crusaders. Going to NZ and the fact that the Bulls in the history of the competition have only won 15 games in NZ and Australia!

 

[Rassie]

Do you know Greg Growden's mate, and secret source for much of his rugby gossip column, "Radio"?

If his mate speaks Afrikaans maybe your onto something

 

[daz]

Cmon be honest. The Bulls positive attitude towards this game went around the time the Chiefs beat the Crusaders. Going to NZ and the fact that the Bulls in the history of the competition have only won 15 games in NZ and Australia!

So, what you are saying is that the Bulls decided to lose the game because they didn't want to go to NZ to play in the final?

C'mon, be honest; is that one of the more ridiculous posts you have made recently? I know there are a few to choose from, but seriously, that one has to be right up there.

 

[terry j]

So, what you are saying is that the Bulls decided to lose the game because they didn't want to go to NZ to play in the final?

That's because they fly east instead of west (I think ) but what I simply don't understand why there has been no cunning master plan to combat it. It really IS quite simple if you sit and think a while.

Fly WEST to new zealand! Evidently west is fine, it is east that's bad.

 

[Rassie]

That's because they fly east instead of west (I think ) but what I simply don't understand why there has been no cunning master plan to combat it. It really IS quite simple if you sit and think a while.

Fly WEST to new zealand! Evidently west is fine, it is east that's bad.

Em no. The Bulls have won only 15 away games vs Australian and New Zealand sides in the history of the tournament. Their chances were pretty much done the moment the Chiefs beat the Saders

And remember when it was 5 5 4 SA teams dominated.
One less team mean one week less traveling. Which evened it out a bit.
And Brumbies got no chance. There should have been a extra week between the play off games to make the final at least something resembling a fair contest. No wonder people don't wanna watch anymore as they know whats going to happen next.

 

[Scoey]

Em no. The Bulls have won only 15 away games vs Australian and New Zealand sides in the history of the tournament. Their chances were pretty much done the moment the Chiefs beat the Saders

And remember when it was 5 5 4 SA teams dominated.
One less team mean one week less traveling. Which evened it out a bit.
And Brumbies got no chance. There should have been a extra week between the play off games to make the final at least something resembling a fair contest. No wonder people don't wanna watch anymore as they know whats going to happen next.

WTF man? You really should have started that post with the words ***SPOILER ALERT*** Thanks a lot, I was going to watch but now there's no point.

But in all seriousness, you have been banging this drum now for too long and across too many threads. Move on man. FFS.

 

[terry j]

Em no. The Bulls have won only 15 away games vs Australian and New Zealand sides in the history of the tournament. Their chances were pretty much done the moment the Chiefs beat the Saders

And remember when it was 5 5 4 SA teams dominated.
One less team mean one week less traveling. Which evened it out a bit.
And Brumbies got no chance. There should have been a extra week between the play off games to make the final at least something resembling a fair contest. No wonder people don't wanna watch anymore as they know whats going to happen next.

irony. everyone should know that word.

maybe there IS such a thing as home ground advantage?

In any case, I do agree there should be a week between for situations such as this. Would prob wreck something else tho.

 

[Rassie]

WTF man? You really should have started that post with the words ***SPOILER ALERT*** Thanks a lot, I was going to watch but now there's no point.

But in all seriousness, you have been banging this drum now for too long and across too many threads. Move on man. FFS.

Maybe because that is the thing wrong with the tournament? But as usual some chose to ignore it and point fingers elsewhere. Wait till monday you will be back here blaming the Saffer referee

 

[Phil]

Em no. The Bulls have won only 15 away games vs Australian and New Zealand sides in the history of the tournament. Their chances were pretty much done the moment the Chiefs beat the Saders

And remember when it was 5 5 4 SA teams dominated.
One less team mean one week less traveling. Which evened it out a bit.
And Brumbies got no chance. There should have been a extra week between the play off games to make the final at least something resembling a fair contest. No wonder people don't wanna watch anymore as they know whats going to happen next.

 

[Rassie]

2007, 2009, 2010 2 of them a all SA final