Western Province rugby will have you believe that they are well pleased with a ‘test-like’ victory over their arch-rivals the Blue Bulls on the weekend, but the reality is that the team that took more from this game is in fact the men from Pretoria.
When Allister Coetzee joined Western Province there was a clear indication that Western Province rugby and Stormers rugby wants to move away from being labelled a running or attacking team by placing a lot of emphasis on structure.
Two of Coetzee’s assistants played a massive part in this process in Matt Proudfoot who took charge of the forwards and Jacques Nienaber who is in charge of the defensive structures within the team.
Province and the Stormers suddenly adopted a more pragmatic approach to their game where patience was key, and through that they achieved a lot of success especially in 2010 in the Super 14 and currently enjoying an unbeaten run in the Currie Cup.
They followed this approach doggedly sometimes to the frustrations of their fans where a more open, risky approach was never even considered or delivered against the weaker Currie Cup teams. They did win comfortably in all those matches but it left you wondering as an observer to their games if they can actually read the situation correctly in a game situation?
Throughout the Currie Cup campaign Western Province followed to route of forwards grinding out ascendency, keeping opposition players at bay through clinical defense and dominating territory and the scoreboard mainly through the boot of Willem de Waal.
The test however was always going to be the Blue Bulls – a team that has had the wood over them for the best part of the 21st century and one has to say, their ability to read the situation again left a lot to be desired.
It was actually ironic Allister Coetzee mentioned a test like victory, because some of the decision making on the park especially in the first half where Western Province dominated territory and possession, resembled anything but a test match.
In test match rugby there is a term which refers to ‘scoreboard pressure’. This basically means that you increase and maintain pressure on your opponents not only through your domination in play, but also by taking every point on offer to create a gap between you and the opposition. This of course allows you to dominate where the opposition more often than not are forced to play outside of their preferred structures and end up playing catch-up rugby. As they do this, the likelyhood for more mistakes from them, or more gaps opening up increas as you have now succeeded in taking them out of their comfort zone and a win, or even big win is now more likely provided you stick to what you are good at.
In the first half Western Province carried the ball into tackled situations close to 50 times, losing only two balls. In comparison the Bulls only had enough ball to do this 20 odd times also losing the odd ball or two or conceding a penalty.
Apart from this dominance Western Province had 5 opportunities to put 3 points on the board through the boot of Willem de Waal who has been deadly accurate throughout the competition. Each time they declined, opting for line-outs or scrums instead and once the half-time whistle went, they only lead by 3 points (6-3).
There was no doubt that the team that took confidence into the change room were the Blue Bulls and it showed when they came out. They drew level in the 42nd minute and all of a sudden the stats which favoured the Province boys in the first half was now dominated by the Blue Bulls as they took the ball up time and time again.
Western Province defense stood tall as they did throughout the season, but had the Blue Bulls not lost key players like Gary Botha and Dewald Potgieter during the game leaving them with a couple of inexperienced youngsters on the park the result may have been well different.
In the end Province prevailed 15 – 12 where all points were scored through the kickers of the respective teams but in a game where it was thought initially that Province will be way too strong for the Bulls and where they dominated for large parts of the first half only to lead by 3 points one can only again go back to the decision making of the Province players and management staff on game day.
Why they decided to abandon a game plan and strategy they were more than happy to bore us with against minnows and try and intimidate the Blue Bulls by taking them on physically (and losing) only they will know – especially if you sit with the best kicker in the competition at flyhalf.
Perhaps it can be put down to the fact that they are in fact psychologically intimidated by even a second string Bulls team who has enjoyed this mental, physical edge over their Cape rivals for the last decade?
Either way, what we saw on Saturday is Western Province playing dumb rugby which was anything but test-rugby or winning rugby if I have to consider their lack of understanding the match situation, their application and their patience.
From where I sit it is Bulls 1, WP 0.
We’ll see how smart they are against the Sharks this weekend…the Sharks are adaptable and unpredictable.
Sadly, I have to agree with you Morne. There seemed to be a distinct lack of leadership and ideas against the Bulls and it spells trouble against the Sharks.
But Morne, why now go and refer to the Bulls team as “second string”? Dis mos nou kos vi Super, Blouste, bdb et al….. 😉
@ fender:
Only reason was that man for man, I reckon that WP had more class than the Bulls from a player perspective.
With respect to the Bulls of course.
However, the less fancied players were the ones that made a point on the day.
WP are missing a number of players, as are the Bulls so both teams are theoretically ‘2nd string teams’, but WP had the better 2nd stringers of the lot.
Morne, I can only but agree with you.
Does that mean that the Bulls don’t have the general depth of player (locks excluded, hehe!) that their supporters so often claim they have?
@ fender:
One thing I did not mention is that WP scored a hat-trick over the Bulls, both age-group teams beat the Bulls so the debate currently on Superrugby whether there is a shift in rugby power from North to South might have some merit…
Sjoe, that won’t go down well here Morne. 😉
The Bulls will be salivating to cross swords with the WP for the return match at Loftus….
2 @ fender:
😆
You guys still won the match, so congrats…
But I will be lying if I don’t add I took a lot of heart from our performance 🙂
GBS and Blouste, what took you so long? 😉
9@ fender:
Have just picked up my jaw from the floor… took me some time… hehehe
@ fender:
Missing players list:
WP:
– Schalk Burger
– Andries Bekker
– Francois Louw
– Jaque Fourie
– Jean de Villiers
– Bryan Habana
– Juan de Jongh
– Gio Aplon
The Blue Bulls:
– Fourie du Preez
– Victor Matfield
– Bakkies Botha
– Danie Rossouw
– Flip van der Merwe
– Pierre Spies
– Morne Steyn
– Francois Hougaard
– Gary Botha ( out early aswell )
– Deon Stegmann
– Gurthro Steenkamp
– Wynand Olivier
– Chiliboy Ralepele
– Dewald Potgieter (sat out most of the match).
😆 😆 😆
But you guys did well 😉
O and….
Morne must be the coolest WP supporter I know 🙂 🙂 🙂
Jislaaik Blouste, that Blue Bull list of ouens out is long, hey?
And if they were all available to play you would’ve played with a what – 10 man pack?
14 @ fender:
Kom nou fender, selfs jy weet wat die implikasie daarvan is…
In sommige van die posisies moes ons julle maar aanvat met ons 3de keuses…
😉
Hehe!
Of course, Blouste – of course…. 😉
@ fender:
Fact is you’ve won…
Enjoy it while it lasts 🙂
Lanklaas so goeie artikel uit die Kaap gelees. Morne vir MOM.
Daar is hoop vir toekomstige goeie verhoudings tussen Noord en Suid, ek noem die kaap nou sommer die Kaap van Goeie Hoop, en nie meer Kaap van Hopeloosheid, soos na laasjaar se CB semi en hierdie jaar se S14 finaal nie 😉
Soos Leon Schuster vir Naas belowe het om hom nie meer te spot oor sy stel perdevoortanne nie, so sal ek vandag (ja, die hele dag lank!) ‘n woord verder rep oor die Bermuda Triangle daar in Nuweland se trofeekas nie.
Morne, dankie dat jy opmaak vir ouens soos fender en ashley … hierdie is die artikel van jaar, die dekade, ek glo GBS sal vir jou ‘n bloubultrui aanstuur, geteken deur homself, super, blouste en myself.
Ja, WP het gewen (ons bulle glo nog altyd aan looks at the scorebord), die wen is in die geskiedenisboeke, maar die WP se lyftaal na die eindfluitjie het alles gesê, met ‘n paar flou ‘hoera’s’ het die volgende deur hul gedagtes gegaan:
“Eish, ons het met 5 van ons top voorspelers gespeel, teen ‘n bul pak met 1 van hul topspelers, en ons het gesukkel, eish ja. Wat gaan gebeur as Bakkies en kie terug is ?”
Oor of daar “a shift in rugby power from North to South” is ?
Hier is my mening: hoe bepaal ‘n mens dit ? Al drie vrystaat se spanne was laasjaar in die CB finale van hul onderskeie ligas, die Bulle in net een. Vrystaat het 2 gewen, die Bulle die belangrike een. En, watter gevolg het ons gesien in hierdie jaar se S14 ?
Ja, netso: mens moet nie te veel inlees in een reeks vir ‘n ander reeks nie (Bokke se probleem), en ook nie in jongspanne teenoor die senior span nie. Elke reeks en elke groep is iets op sy eie.
Hier is vir my ‘n beter maatstok om te weet of momentum skuif:
Kyk na die inhoud van jou trofeekas
(Vir WP ondersteuners: eina!, jammer)
As die WP/Stormers die volgende klompie jare vier S15 titels kan inryg, en 6 CB trofees kan wen (dus een elk meer as die Bulle en Bulle wen niks in hierdie tyd nie), dan eers sal ek ja sê.
Maar ek vermoed dit gaan nog ‘n rukkie vat voor dit gebeur.
So, my goeie rugbyvriende van die Kaap: dream on … 😀
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