Bulls outmuscle Crusaders in cracker
The Bulls outmuscled the Crusaders in a cracking game in Pretoria on Saturday, to win this Super Rugby Round Seven encounter 31-19.
As at the wedding party in Cana of Galilee, the best was saved for last in this thrilling last match of this weekend's Super Rugby, a match that was all the more gripping for being unpredictable.
It was unpredictable in so many ways – the way the Bulls ran from the start, in the turnovers that produced many surprises and in both sides' enthusiastic approach to getting advantage from the other side's mistakes.
The line-outs were unpredictable, the scrums less so after a week of speculation and accusations in New Zealand of the Crusaders' cheating.
The Bulls held their own in the scrums, something they have been unused to doing in recent times. It was a surprise that the Crusaders, usually so calm and calculated, made basic handling errors and expensive errors of judgement.
It was a surprise that the Bulls outscored the Crusaders by three tries to one and that none of those tries were scored from mauls; two were scored by three-quarters and the third after a run of over 50 metres. Unpredictability is the life of sport just as plodding predictability is its death.
This game in its unpredictability, energy and intensity was a gem.
The first two Bulls' tries each had itsorigin in a charge-down. The Bull's teenage flank, Hanro Liebenberg, playing just his second Super Rugby match twice charged down attempted clearing kicks by 31-year-old Andy Ellis, a veteran of 126 Super Rugby matches and 26 Tests. The fearless exuberance of youth outplayed the mechanical processes of experience.
Both charge-downs were deep in Crusader territory on the Crusaders' right.
It all happened so quickly. Handré Pollard kicked off, the Crusaders caught the ball and a ruck formed. The ball came back to Ellis who kicked to clear and Liebenberg charged the kick down. The Bulls attacked, Ellis was offside and the Bulls kicked out for a line-out even though the kick at goal was an easy one. The Crusaders were penalised again and again the Bulks kicked out. This time they bashed and then went right where Jesse Kriel pulled in defenders and set Francois Hougaard free and the wing strolled nonchalantly over for a try in the right corner. 5-0 after 3 minutes.
The second charge-down was not long in coming. Again Liebenberg charged down an attempted clearing kick by Ellis. This time 10 phases followed as the Bulls attacked. Then they went wide right where Kriel broke and Hougaard did some sleight of hand to get a magical pass to debutant Burger Odendaal, playing after the late withdrawal of Jan Serfontein. Burly Odendaal raced down the touchline. Ellis tried to tackle him but missed, but Odendaal tumbled to ground, his momentum taking him over for a try in the right corner. From touch Pollard converted. 12-0 after 9 minutes.
Loftus was an exciting place to be but it was only 14 minutes later that the euphoria evaporated as the Crusaders took the lead.
In that time there were two magnificent breaks by Israel Dagg that would have been easy tries for the calm efficient Crusaders of the recent past. But Dagg hung on instead of passing and Kriel and JJ Engelbrecht got to him and the attack was thwarted. The second time he did pass but Bjorn Basson caught the 'no longer so speedy' Richie McCaw from behind and again the Bulls kept the great Crusaders out. Instead of 14 points they got six from penalties, one at a tackle, the other at a five-metre scrum. 12-6 after 18 minutes.
Ellis then raced away and a try beckoned but again the Bulls held out.
In the first half the Crusaders took two line-outs when the Bulls threw in, not a regular occurrence for Victor Matfield's boys. From the first one on their left, the Crusaders went wide right and then came back left on advantage till they got the ball to massive Nemani Nadolo on the left wing. He ran over Kriel and then, with Adriaan Strauss hanging onto his shirt tails, got the ball down in the left corner. From touch on his wrong side, Dan Carter converted. 13-12 after 23 minutes.
Pollard goaled two penalties, each when McCaw was penalised at a tackle, and between the two Carter goaled one when Spies was penalised at a tackle. That made the half-time score 18-16 to the Bulls.
Two Pollard penalties, the second from inside his own half, stretched the lead to 24-16 with 25 minutes to go.
The Crusaders dominated this period in terms of possession and territory but in that time they scored only three points to the Bulls' seven.
The Crusaders thought they had a try when Colin Slade took an inside pass from Nadolo and swept round to 'score', but that did not stand as Nadolo's pass was seen to be forward.
A penalty for offside in front of the Bulls' posts and five metres from their line gave Carter three easy points. 24-19 with 18 minutes to play.
Then came a rare Loftus treat for their fans.
The Crusaders were attacking inside the Bulls' half when Carter turned a pass back to the inside. Tall lock/flank Grant Hattingh stuck out a long arm and knocked the ball up in a little juggle, caught it and strode 54 straining metres down the middle of the field as desperate Sam Cane and David Havilli closed in on him. Hattingh scored and rose up to great the delight of his team-mates and other fans as he strove to get his breath back. 31-19 with 15 minutes to play. That was the final score.
Man of the Match: The romantic says Israel Dagg for the excitement he brought to an exciting match. The pragmatist says Handré Pollard for his bravery in general play, his calm method in directing play, the soundness of his judgement and his metronomic goal-kicking, a young man playing against one of the greats of the game. The fact is that even this supreme team game it was Handré Pollard who made the biggest contribution to a team's success and so he is our Man of the Match.
The scorers:
For the Bulls:
Tries: Hougaard, Odendaal, Hattingh
Cons: Pollard 2
Pens: Pollard 4
For the Crusaders:
Try: Nadolo
Con: Carter
Pens: Carter 4
Teams:
Bulls: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Pierre Spies (captain), 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Morné Mellett.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Dean Greyling, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Grant Hattingh, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Jurgen Visser.
Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Kieron Fonotia, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Tom Taylor, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Ben Funnell, 1 Joe Moody.
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Jimmy Tupou, 20 Matt Todd, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 Colin Slade, 23 David Havilli.
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Stephan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
TMO: Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)
