The Vodacom Bulls sounded a stern warning ahead of their Super Rugby campaign as they demolished the Toyota Cheetahs 32-10 in their pre-season friendly at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Bulls website
It may be early days and both teams will downplay the significance of the win, but with both fielding near full-strength sides, the Bulls looked far sharper and played at a significant pace, denting the Cheetahs hopes ahead of a big season.
Led by an exceptional Francois Hougaard, who showed he is just as dangerous behind the pack as on the wing, the Bulls struggled to find their feet in the first half, but accelerated in the second to leave the Cheetahs trailing in their wake.
Hougaard was exceptional on attack, determined on defence and combined well with his forwards to leave a lasting impression, while loose forwards Dewald and Jacques Potgieter both played their hearts out, the latter denting the Cheetahs defence with some massive runs.
However, a special mention must go to Francois Venter. Under pressure from IRB Junior Player of the year Jan Serfontein, the other Grey College centre was dangerous on attack and made some telling hits when it counted to come close to a man of the match performance.
The scoreline could have been much bigger, had the Bulls not fluffed four chances in the first half. In reality, while the Cheetahs defended well in the first half, they also scrambled well but had little ball to play with and did little when they got it.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske will be happy his charges defended against the tide in the first half, but with so much to attack from the Bulls finally found an opening.
The only score from the first half was Dewald Potgieter’s drive over from a lineout maul. The Cheetahs played into the Bulls hands by losing no less than a half dozen lineout balls, and struggled to get going.
In the second half, it didn’t take the Bulls long to add to the scoreboard. While the Cheetahs had missed two penalties through Elgar Watts in the first half, Morne Steyn added two of his own in the second to stretch the lead – the second being a 56metre bomb from inside his own half.
At 13-0 the game was delicately poised, but Hougaard and co ripped it away from the visitors as they scored twice in three minutes to make the result safe.
Hougaard took the ball from a scrum, stepped Sarel Pretorius so perfectly that his opposition number was left grasping at air, then chipped over the Raymond Rhule and was about to score, but was taken out by Francois Brummer in the tackle. The ball rolled forward and Venter pounced to score.
A minute later, a Cheetahs mistake at a ruck was exploited, with the ball popping out and no scrumhalf, Hougaard nabbing the ball and sending Lionel Mapoe away for a try to make it 25-0.
The Cheetahs finally found their heart, and found some phases to attack, putting the Bulls defence under pressure. It was no surprise when Willie le Roux stabbed a perfect grubber behind the defence and only Johan Sadie and Raymond Rhule were left to chase, with the winger dotting down for his side’s first try.
Rhule and Sadie combined again a few minutes later, attacking the blindside and Rhule this time giving the scoring pass for Sadie to go in at the corner, but it was too little too late.
The Bulls ended as well as they had begun, with Wynand Olivier ghosting through the defence to be stopped short of the line, and Jurgen Visser there to collect and finish off the try.
The Bulls will feel rather healthy at the end of all this, knowing they have depth, talent and are looking better prepared than last year. The Cheetahs will scratch their heads and do a rethink. The same old problems are back again and unless coach Drotske finds a solution they may have a long season ahead of them.
In the curtain raiser between the Vodacom Cup sides, the Blue Bulls beat their Limpopo Blue Bulls counterparts 89-5 with the game being stopped in the 69th minute. Limpopo Blue Bulls will play in the competition for the first time as a province this year, and already the task ahead of them looks massive.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls:
- Tries: Dewald Potgieter (1), Francois Venter (1), Lionel Mapoe (1), Jurgen Visser (1)
- Conversions: Morné Steyn (2), Visser (1)
- Penalties: Morné Steyn (2)
Toyota Cheetahs:
- Tries: Raymond Rhule (1), Johann Sadie (1)
Wait for it… Wait for it… I told you so!
If one reads between the lines and from comments on the Bulls website during the game, it appears that the Bulls had a plethera of possession and great field position…. and stole quite a number of the Cheetahs lineouts.
If one also considers that the Bulls were leading 25 / 0 at a stage before the consolation tries by Rhule and Sadie was scored, this was a good win… 4 tries bagged.
But hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, it was only a warm-up match, not the real macoy.
I like the fact that some depth seems to be coming through nicely at the Bulls, specially in the backline.
Good morning gbs as I said its nice to get the win even if it was only a warm up
Reading this it seems coach Ludeke has a nice headache for centre picks, methinks he must be bold an go for the young Serfontein, Venter combination with insurance in Olivier on the bench, although not sure if that combo has much game time together
Was interested when reading through the comments from yesterday that Jurgens Visser came on for Morne and now see he had some succesful kicks at goal too, was this just an experiment or maybe part of Ludekes plan for the season, know Pollard is young but surely he must get confidence placed in him to be backup flyhalf and besides thought Visser was a fullback anyway, but at least it shows we have other options as place kicker
3 – 5 @ Bullscot:
Bully,
I think Jurgen Visser will mostly be used as fullback, I don’t think there is any serious intention to play him in any regularity at No 10… maybe it was just an experiment to see how versatile he is.
With him at No 10, it was the time the Cheetahs managed to score the 2 consolation tries out wide…. so makes one think that maybe defence was not so well organised with him running at No 10.
I think the pecking order at the Bulls as far as flyhalves is concerned is still, Morné Steyn, then Louis Fouché (although I think he should be relegated to Vodacom Cup duties), then Handré Pollard… and then there is still Tiaan Schoeman the Tuks and Bulls Under 21 flyhalf.
I think we might see an early season with Handré Pollard used as Blue Bulls Vodacom or Blue Bulls Under 19 and Under 21 flyhalf… to nurse him into the senior systems at the Bulls, but I would not be surprised to see him replace Louis Fouché on a more regular basis as Morné Steyn’s deputy on the bench for Super Rugby later in the season.
I said the other day that I am very positive about the Bulls centres this year, for the first time in many years. I hope JJ Engelbrecht stays as far as possible away from Outside Centre this year… concentrates on right wing… and stays there. I would play Jan Serfontein for sure, whether at No 12 or No 13… massive, massive potential there! Francois Venter is coming on in leaps and bounds and then we still have Wynand Olivier and Lionel Mapoe…. midfield sorted out, no problem.
Looks like preparations went well in pre-season too…. all seem to be fit and reading from the same hymn sheet.
The last number of years you had a Cheetah A-side and a Cheetah B-side.
The A-side had Coen Oosthuizen and WP Nel.
The B-side was without Coen and WP Nel. Like yesterday.
Man wat ‘n
lekkerNaweek! Het die braai afgestof en aangesteek, koue bier in die yskas en biltong gereed gehad vir die wedstryd tussen die Bulle en Cheetahs…. net om agter te kom ek’t my geld gemors want ou SuperStront was “te” besig om die meer “belangrike” wedstryde uit te saai. Soos Vyf sokker wedstryde(!!!!?), een hokkie wedstryd, een ses nasie wedstryd, en een krieket program!? Is daar ooit mense wat nog krieket kyk?Maar wat kan ‘n mens doen as SuperStront ‘n monopoly het oor sport in die land…
Dit klink of ons kan uitsien na ‘n goeie/interessante seisoen? Ons jong spannetjie het nie sleg gedoen verlede jaar nie, dit was net die baie dom konferensie formaat/reëls wat ons uit die semi-finaal gehou het… Inteendeel, SA het drie spanne in die top ses gehad, met NZ twee en AUS net een (dom konferensie reëls).
Louis Fouché het belowend gelyk jare terug… Maar die laaste 2(?) jaar was hy maar gemiddeld, so ek sal daarvan hou as Pollard bietjie meer speel kans kry. Olivier dink ek moet van die bank af speel, Basson en JJ op vleuel, met ‘n Serfontein/Venter as senter paar?
Ek hoop regtig Steyn is nou terug van honeymoon af en sy skop skoen is gereed om nog mylpale te haal. Kan nie bekostig om weer deur ‘n seisoen te gaan waar ons losskakel nie kan skop nie
@ grootblousmile:
jy noem nie die halftyd telling van 7-0 nie net 7 punte in 40 min?
9 @ smallies:
Ja, ek noem ook nie dat die Bulls 4 geleenthede vir drieë in die 1ste Halfte verbrou het nie.
Die artikel hierbo, deur iemand anders geskrywe, noem egter wel beide…
So, ja…. dit was ‘n gemaklike wen…. heel skaflik gemaklik!
@ grootblousmile:
shjoe vier kanse verbrou so as ek tussen die lyne lees se jy eintlik die bulls se hande is uiters swak
11 @ smallies:
Duidelik nie so swak soos die Cheetahs s’n nie… nie waar nie.
Early season blues vir beide spanne…. ek sou nie te veel in Saterdag se game bylees nie en heg nie veel waarde aan opwarmingswedstryde nie, so jy hoef duidelik nie so kordaat op jou perdjie te spring nie.
Dit was bloot ‘n opwarmingswedstryd.
@ grootblousmile:klink eerder of jy op jou perdjie gespring het….
13 @ smallies:
Trek die ander speen… hierdie ene werk nie vir jou nie.
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