Bulls stuck in the previous decade?
October 22, 2012 in Uncategorized
All in all the Bulls had a pretty dreadful ’12 CC season. Only sneaking into the semi’s by beating a second string Lions team that had nothing to gain or to lose. Which also lifted them from bottom of the log.
Then this weekend they were out muscled, out thought, out played, out kicked by a very good Sharks team in dreadful weather.
This made me wonder the Bulls squad is not a bad squad. They have signed a plethora of young talent in recent years and have loads of Springboks in their camp.
They have props that have played for the boks, a bok hooker, locks that is a bok pairing, lose forwards that has either played or been in boks squad, 2 bok scrumhalves, Bok FH, a bok centre and all their outside backs has played for the boks. This is hardly an experimental or developing squad. They also do not have an extraordinary amount of injuries.
Thus the only conclusion that I can make is that their style of play is just so out of date that they struggle to win even with the amount of talent that is available to them.
In the wet weather of Durban I thought that their kick and chase game plan might still hold some ground but every time they kicked the ball they just gave Ludick possession and he made them pay.
When Rassie took over at the WP in 2008 he tried to model their game around the then dominant Bulls game plan. And it sort of worked for WP but because WP never had a strong enough front row they came unstuck at finals. Now that the game has moved on the Sharks and Lions game plans seems to be better and even though it took the WP a while even they have started to keep more possession.
The Bulls bought every school boy that could catch and pass the ball (and even a few who can’t) but this will not help them unless they also realize that the game has changed and so must they.
Yes the Bulls lost a lot of stalwarts at the end of ’11 but it wasn’t like the bulls were on fire in the S15 or CC in ’11. And it isn’t that the Bulls do not have the players or the youngsters to be competitive.
Maybe just a shift in their game plan will work wonders for them?
gillbert said on October 22, 2012
if the bulls are stuck in last decade pls explain, bulls u/19 &/21 cc final and the bulls qualified for both super rugby and cc play offs. and that with a basic new team from that from last year. next year there should be no excuses and the bulls will show once again why they are regarded as the RSA flagship
GEN DE LA REY said on October 22, 2012
As I said the Bulls do have the players and do have a lot of young talent.
But they looked seriously out classed on Sa. And during most of the CC.
I have no doubt the Bulls can turn it around but they to will have to wake-up and realize that with the new laws (even more so next season) ball in hand tactics overshadow ball in air tactics.
GEN DE LA REY said on October 22, 2012
WP also has o/19 and o/21 teams in finals. But as I said they too were to slow to adapt to the new style of play and only started this CC and now are behind the Sharks and Lions.
Herman Steytler said on October 24, 2012
I’m sorry but I can hardly see why WP is behind the Lions?? If I remember correctly WP beat the lions in their own backyard..
Danny Zulberg said on October 22, 2012
I wonder if HM has anyone reading the scribe’s comments and articles? If so, then someone should “tell” him to pick this team to play Ireland – 15 Ludik. 14 Pietersen. 13 Taute. 12 Jordaan. 11 Habana. 10 Lambie. 9 Pienaar (if available or Reinach). 8 Vermeulen. 7 Alberts. 6 Louw (if available or Coetzee). 5 Etzebeth. 4 Van der Merwe. 3 J Du Plessis (capt). 2 Strauss. 1 Mtawarira. I had a bit of a struggle with captain, but Strauss is the best bet for now. This should be the vision, in place NOW, for the next world cup. Any comments.
GEN DE LA REY said on October 22, 2012
Also rates Jordaan but he is deff no 12. If JdV is injured we have a problem.
JdJ can fill 12 be he also is a better 13.
gillbert said on October 22, 2012
THAT I CAN AGREE ON, we will only know next year if ludeke can pick up a team like HM could.
as for pine hes way out of his league
provincefan said on October 22, 2012
As much as i love to hate the Bulls…
Pine started with a very Vodacomcupish team.
Werner Kruger has struggled for form all year, and Willie Wepener wouldnt make the matchday 22 at any of the other provinces.
I can’t even remember who he had to play at lock, and his loosies were spending half their time either in the Bok camp or inured. I do believe Pine should have played Stander more, but all the major provinces look at CC as a Superrugby development phase.
Jano helped a lot when he came back halfway through, and suddenly Fouche didnt seem so clueless (even though i still dont rate him)
At centre they had contractually obliged starter Johan Sadie… until he figured out that Loftus isnt such a great place if you cant tackle.
Their back 3 should have been good enough. Especially after Basson came back and JJ moved to 13 (which he yet has to excel at)
But Pine’s problem all season was that his players were loosing the collisions. They couldnt get over the advantage line, and they got pummeled at the breakdown. The same thing happened on Saturday and it was evident in the way first Morne and the Hougaard crumbled (After 5 min i told my Shark supporting wife the Sharks are bossing the breakdown and are going to win the game.)
Unfortunately South Africa has only one flyalf capable of playing behind a retreating pack, and he’s currently plying his trade in Japan. And the only reason he is so adept at it is because that was all the Stormers pack was doing for a long time.
I heard from someone in the know that young Pollard’s offer from the Bulls was significantly smaller than the Sharks and WP’s. But he wants to play for the Bulls since they play his type of rugby, so that why he left for Pretoria.
GEN DE LA REY said on October 23, 2012
I am not buying the depletion of players theory WP, Sharks both lost same or even more players.
I can understand that the Bulls lost all their supporting coaches.
But having a different coach in CC and S15 makes no sense. As do their GP.
guntz27 said on October 23, 2012
and the Cheetahs had 16 players out, almost half of the squad!
BBF said on October 23, 2012
The Bulls are silly by having a different coach for the CC and SR. They do have brilliant players but yes their game plan is boring. Basson is under utilised!
GEN DE LA REY said on October 23, 2012
Can’t agree more. Basson one of the most prolific tre scorers in SA. But is only used as kick chaser.
the inside story said on October 24, 2012
a poor article bulls finished fourth in s15 with all revamp pine is the problem
the inside story said on October 24, 2012
bulls wereat one point top in s15 with 6 group matches left the problem was home matches droppped v blues and wp pine is problem in cc
Buzzie said on October 24, 2012
Agree with De La Rey..I have been a Bulls supporter all my life and can honestly say that the brand of rugby that they are currently playing is boring and dated…people forget that they succeeded with this kick-and-chase approach while Fourie Du Preez was still around. None of the current players have Fourie’s ability when it comes to kicking precision… hence their inability to enforce their game plan.
Fourie’s absence has also revealed Morne Steyn’s weaknesses (at the Bulls and Boks) with the latter’s strengths being limited to goal kicking (until recently) and up-and-unders…his tactical kicking, touch kicking, ball distribution and tackling is average at best.
In summary – the Bulls will continue to struggle until they have picked an all-round flyhalf such as Lambie or Goosen, which will also allow them to vary their game plan.
Pieter said on October 24, 2012
I am really fed up with the Bulls this year. As a Bulls supporter, I am usually not the most loved supporter at a braai, but it used to be so much fun when the Bulls used to strangle other teams in the second half. Now everyone just runs around on the field as if they have no clue what to do. I am not even going to comment on the kicking, because their kicking game was horrible. They also do not look very motivated and this is definately where a coach plays a very vital role.I also called the game after the first few minutes, and I was actually quite surprised that the Bulls managed 3 points!
I am still a huge Bulls supporter, but hell, someone should get kicked in the backside for ruining my Saterdays!