Stormers coach Allister Coetzee is delighted withhis team’s successful start to the season with a 29 / 17 rout of the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
However, he warned that it was only the beginning of a long Super Rugby season.
“It is a very good start for us and I maintain that it is never easy to come here and win, that is why we have so much respect for the Bulls,” Coetzee said after the match.
“We had to turn up and give our best performance, so I am really proud of the team and especially the youngsters that came out and put their hands up.
“It is only the first match of the competition and we are not going to get carried away by this, we have the Blues next week at home and that is how you roll in this competition and start all over again.”
The visitors managed to break the Bulls’ proud unbeaten record at home with the hosts suffering their first home defeat since their semi-final loss to the Brumbies back in 2013.
The Stormers continued a trend on the opening weekend of the competition with 6 of the 7 matches going the way of the visiting team.
Starting the match with a bang thanks to a pushover try to Bulls flanker Deon Stegmann in the 4th minute, the momentum soon swung the way of the Capetonians as they scored thanks to a Dillyn Leyds try 4 minutes later.
The Bulls’ scrum woes would have the greatest effect on their game with tighthead prop Werner Kruger leaving the field due to an ankle injury in the 14th minute and Trevor Nyakane shifting from loosehead to bind out of place on the other side.
The Stormers opened a 12-point lead going into the 2nd half thanks to a converted Duan Vermeulen try and a Demetri Catrakilis penalty conversion.
Coetzee said having the Bulls’ number at the scrum had a major impact on the game and added that it was a facet of play that received a lot of attention during the pre-season.
“We put a massive focus on our scrummaging in the off-season and Matt Proudfoot did extremely well,” Coetzee said.
“We are really pleased tonight with even the young props that came on in the last 20 minutes to do their job.”
The Bulls found some composure in the 2nd half as they got within 3 points of the visitors courtesy of 4 Handré Pollard penalty conversions.
The hosts, however, lost possession at crucial periods with the Stormers being a menace at the breakdowns.
“I am proud of the leadership because I haven’t seen a Stomers team so clinical in the last 15 minutes like we’ve been tonight,” Coetzee said of his team’s ability to absorb the pressure.
“It is always field position here, territory is massively important in Super Rugby, you cannot score tries from 50, 60, 70 metres out,
“You’ve got to be in the opposition’s half and that was the difference between the two sides, we were clinical in exiting our half and putting pressure on the Bulls when we got into their half.”
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said 2 crucial turnovers against them when his charges were getting the upperhand proved to be the deciding blow to their fightback.
“I thought the 2nd half we almost got back into the game converting some points where we got within 3 points,” Ludeke said.
“1 or 2 big moments turning us over at the breakdown, which I thought was telling, it is a pity and not the way you want to start.
“But credit to the Stormers, they applied pressure, they were clinical and they converted their opportunities.”
Sapa
Kotze and Leyds both played really well, great for the future.
Botha looked no worse for wear after his injury and brought the pain to Vic.
Duanne as usual dominated first Botha and then Spies
Spies had 1 good run but otherwise looked MIA
Ah. A Stormers thread. Now there’s a thing.
WP jou lekka ding.
The intensity of the collisions were huge. I felt them sitting in row M. Typical north v south derby.
This is a long competition. One weekend at a time. That is my motto.
Amen, no one is installing themselves as season favorites or anything like that, for now its one match at a time as you say. Next the Blues.
Very impressed with the boys.
Played astute rugby, was clinical, out thought and outmuscled the Bulls at crucial stages.
Hopefully it bodes well for a very long and difficult few months and hopefully the key players remain injury free.
Already for the Boks it’s not looking good with Beast and Bissie getting injured at the Sharks, Arno Botha again not even making 80 minutes.
Maybe Jono Ross can answer Ludeke’s SOS to bring some grunt and work rate to the Bulls.
nortie wrote:
That’s a sign of desperation if ever I saw one…
6 @ Stormersboy:
I think I saw a fundraising campaign being run to buy him a economy class ticket back to SA. Apparently it’s being run by 3 blokes who go by the names of GBS, MacroBull and Ben-die-Bul 😆
A great start with no one giving the Stormers much of a chance. I thought the young tight five never got intimidated by the more experienced Bulls tight five. Duane was massive and the Stormers centres were getting the ball on the front foot which made a huge difference. It is not all doom and gloom for the bulls though. It is the first game and can only get better.
@ Gumboots:
Hello Gummi.
How are you mate?
Sent you a mail earlier….are you going to watch the I,yes against Tuks?
@ nortie:
Ikeys not I,yes
nortie wrote:
Yes I will be going. My son in law has arranged. Are you going?
@ Gumboots:
I’m seriously tempted.
Nice Monday night out
@ Gumboots:
We missed you at Loftus yesterday….was brilliant
nortie wrote:
See you there… 🙂
@ nortie:
Yeah wanted to go, but work kept me busy
Will check emails later… Have to run…
@ Gumboots:
Cheers
Hopefully we can catch up tomorrow at Tukkies
nortie wrote:
I am going to try and make.
Sommer mos.
Stormersboy wrote:
Se ek ook mos
I never understood the hype about Jacque Dup, he takes a relaxed jog right into the opposition when the other team can lift their intensity (like the Stommers did) he is as ineffective as hell, they run into him full speed and tackle him backwards, hy verdwyn soos mis voor die son… en dan kak mense in hulle broek oor Spies.
Guys like Dean Greyling would have had a wonderful springbok career at he Sharks or Stormers, where there are actually scrum coaches that would have worked on his scrum technique, at the Bulls he just foks voort with the same flaws for years, promising players like Trevor can only go backwards now under Wessel Roux that regularly blames the referees interpretations for penalties against them.
The sharks game is probably the only game where the bulls scrum could be able to dominate. They are the only team with a shitter scrum.
True what Mallet said afterwards about the Bulls scrum.
Sorry to say but things will not improve until Ludeke get’s out of the mix
To me it is sad that a brilliant young center like Jan Serf is turning into another Bulls battering ram.
Hope he watches the game again as De Allende totally overshadowed him
This favoritism they have in under-performing players is also a pot of k@k
Ahhhhhhhhh….
Three visits to Moftus
For me
And my Brumbies jersey
And 3-0 is the score
Cheers all!!!
P.S. And after seeing I was sitting in seat No 13 the Bulls’ fate was sealed…
@ Gena_ZA:
Hey gena
To be fair. De allende was also used as a battering ram.
I am not confident ludeke leaving will change much because matfield will take over and it is unlikely that he will stray from “the plan”.
Then again better selections will change a few things already.
@ BrumbiesBoy:
Forkoff 👿
XII Springboks in the starting XV playing at altitude against at least VI “new boys”?
Sorry, but
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