[2015 Super Rugby] Bulls vs. Sharks (Round 3) 28/02/2015

[TRF_heineken]

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

17:05 CAT, (SA, GMT+2)​

Teams:

Bulls: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Handre Pollard 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Pierre Spies (captain), 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Morne Mellett

Substitutes: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Dean Greyling, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Grant Hattingh, 20 Hanro Liebenberg, 21 Tian Schoeman, 22 Travis Ismaiel, 23 Jurgen Visser

Sharks: 15. SP Marais, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Waylon Murray, 12. Andre Esterhuizen, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Cobus Reinach, 8. Ryan Kankowski, 7. Renaldo Bothma, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4. Lubabalo Mtyanda, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis (captain), 1. Dale Chadwick

Substitutes: 16. Kyle Cooper, 17. Thomas du Toit, 18. Lourens Adriaanse, 19. Marco Wentzel, 20. Jean Deysel, 21. Conrad Hoffmann, 22. Fred Zeilinga/Lionel Cronje, 23. Jack Wilson

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Critical game for both teams. Bulls really need a win at home to save face and start getting some confidence back to their game while the Sharks will be wanting to build on round 2 and get their ***le campaign back on track after the shock loss to the Cheetahs.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Critical game for both teams. Bulls really need a win at home to save face and start getting some confidence back to their game while the Sharks will be wanting to build on round 2 and get their ***le campaign back on track after the shock loss to the Cheetahs.

I think this game will be the defining one for Frans Ludeke.

After the Stormers game, he was called in to face the board, and after this past weekend's loss, the media and fans have also expressed their dismay. If we lose this one too, to make it 3 losses in a row at home, I think we might get a new coach.

Marcel v/d Merwe has been declared fit to play, as well as Akona Ndungane and Travis Ismaiel for the Bulls. Which is good news...

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

I can't see the Bulls losing three on the trot at home. I'm expecting an arm wrestle, but in the end a five or so point win to the Pretorians.

 

[Jaguares]

An interesting game, by the South African rugby style, this game will be a real war

:ar15firing5de::gun_smiley::hunter:

 

[TRF_heineken]

WTF!!??

Only one change to the Bulls starting line-up... And that is the change at scrumhalf, but still no Hougaard at 9.

Hey Frans, why not just throw in the f***ing towel already!!!

 

[Draggs]

Dodgy stuff from TMO. Regardless, we played like kak.

 

[bazwaz]

Could'nt help but hear the ref saying "penalty for the ( Bismark's) punch" (to Matfield's head and while he was lying prone on the ground). Yet previous week this was an automatic red card offence when Triggs dropped Vermulen. Would be nice if their was a bit of consistency in these matters don't you think?.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Could'nt help but hear the ref saying "penalty for the ( Bismark's) punch" (to Matfield's head and while he was lying prone on the ground). Yet previous week this was an automatic red card offence when Triggs dropped Vermulen. Would be nice if their was a bit of consistency in these matters don't you think?.

Hmmm. Bismarck's alleged punch wasn't a closed fist which dropped Victor to the ground like Triggs did with Vermeulen.

Also the video evidence wasn't conclusive to warrant such a harsh penalty for a red or yellow card. Also inTriggs' case, the assistant referee saw the punch and made the call to the ref. in Bismarck's case the assistant referee didn't see it as a punch, and more as a push to the face.

Can't compare the 2 incidents with each other IMHO.

I'm glad we got the win. But luck was definitely on our side. I thought the ref was a bit over-technical and made a few weird calls.

 

[Bull]

I felt Bismarck was lucky not to get a yellow because he clearly went for Victors face. Bismarck again showed why he is a poor captain. Yes there were a few strange calls, Sharks might feel hard done by the forward pass from Kriel to Hougaard. The ball did go forward but what a lot of people fail to realise whether it's convenient or they don't know the rules, is was the motion of the pass forward? According to the ref and tmo it was fine. Marcell Coetzee was lucky not to get a yellow as were the Sharks forwards in general at two rolling mauls in the Sharks 22 after repeated penalties.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yeah I also don't think you can compare the two 'punches'. A punch needn't land though for it to be carded but It'd be a stretch to call Bismarck's shve a punch IMO. That said I'd love some consistency in refereeing even if it's a pipe dream.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Yeah I also don't think you can compare the two 'punches'. A punch needn't land though for it to be carded but It'd be a stretch to call Bismarck's shve a punch IMO. That said I'd love some consistency in refereeing even if it's a pipe dream.

There were 2 factors to consider which I think helped in not punishing Bismarck any further.

1. His hand was open.
2. He was in the process of falling towards the ground.

In all honesty when I saw it the first time, I thought he was just trying to get his hands on the ground to prevent his face from plummeting into the ground.

 

[nickdnz]

I felt Bismarck was lucky not to get a yellow because he clearly went for Victors face. Bismarck again showed why he is a poor captain. Yes there were a few strange calls, Sharks might feel hard done by the forward pass from Kriel to Hougaard. The ball did go forward but what a lot of people fail to realise whether it's convenient or they don't know the rules, is was the motion of the pass forward? According to the ref and tmo it was fine. Marcell Coetzee was lucky not to get a yellow as were the Sharks forwards in general at two rolling mauls in the Sharks 22 after repeated penalties.

Regardless, there is no way that the ball went backwards out of Kreil's hands, nor the momentum of Kreil running forward would have caused the ball to travel that far forward. It was simply a terrible call in which the TMO was obviously wrong. Both important TMO decisions for the Bulls were very suspect. The try to Jan Serfontein was also in my mind a ball lost forward - yes a player was trying to strip him from behind, but it still looks as if the last point of contact was the ball off Serfontein's arm.

 

[Draggs]

Regardless, there is no way that the ball went backwards out of Kreil's hands, nor the momentum of Kreil running forward would have caused the ball to travel that far forward. It was simply a terrible call in which the TMO was obviously wrong. Both important TMO decisions for the Bulls were very suspect. The try to Jan Serfontein was also in my mind a ball lost forward - yes a player was trying to strip him from behind, but it still looks as if the last point of contact was the ball off Serfontein's arm.

Yep, dodgy calls didn't help us. If they got the forward pass, I would have liked Odwa's try-setup to be allowed

 

[TRF_heineken]

Regardless, there is no way that the ball went backwards out of Kreil's hands, nor the momentum of Kreil running forward would have caused the ball to travel that far forward. It was simply a terrible call in which the TMO was obviously wrong. Both important TMO decisions for the Bulls were very suspect. The try to Jan Serfontein was also in my mind a ball lost forward - yes a player was trying to strip him from behind, but it still looks as if the last point of contact was the ball off Serfontein's arm.

Yeah that Hougaard try as well as Ndungane's denien try were 2 of the weirdest decisions I ever saw! That was at least a 10 point switch. But I'm going to disagree on Serfontein's try.

He placed the ball, and if you look at the replays, even in slow-motion, there was no clear gap between his arm and the ball with the process of grounding the ball. The hand of the Sharks player during that process is in my opinion irrelevant. Had there been a gap between Serfontein's arm and the ball however, then the hand of the Sharks player could come in contention.

 

[Bull]

Still getting hints from fellow SA rugby viewers that when the Bulls get shafted it's ok and somehow it's not the ref or tmo that is at fault but the Bulls, go figure. Bulls supporters have been complaining about inconsistent refereeing for years...