VIDEO: Bulls signal end of Lions era
SUPER RUGBY REPORT: It is the end of an era, as the Bulls embarrassed their Trans-Jukskei neighbours, the Lions, with a 30-12 demolition at Ellis Park on Saturday.
This was a great surprise – the Bulls winning and by such a big score against the Lions and in Johannesburg. After all, the last time the Bulls won at Ellis Park was in 2012, and the Lions had played in the last three Super Rugby finals while the Bulls have been very much also-rans.
Yet again, this sort of result makes a farce of equating results and form. These are three successive weeks’ results: the Lions beat the Bulls in Buenos Aires, the Bulls lose to the Jaguares in Buenos Aires and the then the Bulls beat the Lions in Johannesburg. And do so comprehensively.
At no stage during the match did the Lions look as if they were going to come even close to winning. In fact in the first half, when the Bulls led only 14-0, the Bulls had enjoyed 67% possession and 77% territory. The Lions were left to defend, which, for the most part, they did.
The Bulls had two main weapons – their young pack and Handré Pollard. The young pack got the ball and Pollard determined how it would best be used.
If you thought the match was close because the try score was two-all you were misled. Pollard kicked 20 points in the match to top the Super Rugby individual points table after three rounds, but he made sure, after the match, that people knew that his opportunity to score points was created by his team’s efforts. Pollard kicked a conversion and six penalty goals in eight kicks at goal.
The Lions kicked off to start the match and the Bulls went on the attack, as they ran at the Lions with the dancing feet of 38-year-old Schalk Brits prominent. They were close to scoring when Rosko Specman went bobbing down the left, stopped only by a diving tackle by Ruan Combrinck.
Forced onto the defensive, the Lions conceded penalties – six in the first half to the two conceded by the Bulls. On 13 minutes, Pollard goaled one from 48 metres out but straight in front. 3-0.
The Bulls had another promising attack when Brits and Embrose Papier did clever things at the front of a lineout to send Brits speeding down the left touchline. The chance was lost but the Bulls bashed on, and Jason Jenkins was close. Marnus Schoeman was penalised at a tackle in front of his posts. 6-0 after 26 minutes.
Inside centre Dylan Sage and Specman combined to set up an attack from another lineout variation and again the Bulls were battering at the gate, bashing their way across the Lions’ goal-line till Duane Vermeulen forced his way through three defenders to get the ball down for the first try of the match. 11-0 after 29 minutes.
Back came the Bulls, the Lions were penalised and Pollard made the half-time score 14-0.
When the Bulls drove a maul towards the Lions’ line and Rhyno Herbst was penalised for collapsing it, Pollard made it 17-0.
After Specman was penalised for a high tackle on Combrinck, which sent the Lion off for an HIA test, the Lions got onto the attack. They mauled from a lineout and then bulky young Carlü Sadie forced his way through three defenders to score a powerful try. 17-5 after 48 minutes.
The Lions., flatter and faster, were playing much better than they had in the first half. They varied their play more and did well out of pick-‘n-drive, but that man Pollard increased the distance between the two teams with two more penalty goals 23-5 with 18 minutes to play.
From a lineout the Lions charged some more, and suddenly Marnus Schoeman broke free. Tackled, he passed to Dylan Smith and, with Jannes Kirsten hanging onto the back of his jersey, the prop burst over for a try under the posts, which Elton Jantjies converted. 23-12 with 15 minutes to play.
Changes were been made in the second half, and when the Lions’ replacement hooker, Pieter Jansen, came on, Marx moved to flank in Schoeman’s place.
Pollard kicked a long kick down into touch on the Lions’ left and well inside their 22. The Lions opted for a quick throw-in which Ivan van Zyl, the Bulls replacement scrumhalf, got hold of and the next thing Pollard sent a long pass to Warrick Gelant and the fullback was untouched as he scored in the corner. Pollard converted from touch. 30-12 with five minutes to play. That was the score when Pollard kicked out to end the match.
The victory lifted the Bulls three places to fourth, three points behind leaders and defending champions the Crusaders from New Zealand.
Man of the Match: Handré Pollard is the obvious and best choice. He was indeed the general whose skills and judgement made a massive contribution to his team’s victory.
The scorers:
For the Lions:
Tries: Sadie, Smith
Con: Jantjies
For the Bulls:
Tries: Vermeulen, Gelant
Con: Pollard
Pens: Pollard 6
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Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Marnus Schoeman, 6 Albertus Smith, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx (captain), 1 Dylan Smith.
Replacements: 16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Vincent Tshituka, 21 Ross Cronje, 22 Franco Naude, 23 Courtnall Skosan.
Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Dylan Sage, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 Eli Snyman, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 19 Jannes Kirsten, 20 Tim Agaba, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Manie Libbock, 23 Divan Rossow.
Referee: Paul Williams
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni, Griffon Colby
TMO Marius Jonker
