Super Rugby: Bulls vs. Force in Pretoria (02/03/2013)

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Referee: Jason Jaftha
Assistant Referees: Lourens van der Merwe & Sieg van Staden
TMO: Johan Greeff



​

 

[TRF_heineken]

Nice to see the mods getting an early start with the fixtures!

I'm going to the game and hoping to see a 4-try bonus point win for the Bulls

 

[Gena_ZA]

What the Force thought they'd do to the Kings the Bulls WILL do to them

 

[Gena_ZA]

Bulls injuries update:

The biggest blow for the Bulls is Dewald Potgieter who left the field with a knee injury that is likely to keep him out for 3 to 4 weeks.
JJ Engelbrecht has a hip flexor injury and is expected to miss the next 10 days of Super Rugby while Deon Stegmann is looking at the same time frame with a hamstring injury.
Potgieter's injury means that he will miss the Bulls overseas leg as they play the Blues in Auckland in two weeks' time, but a call on Engelbrecht and Stegmann will be made later.
According to Bulls team doctor Org Strauss, players like Werner Kruger (ankle) and Grant Hattingh (sick) will only train on Wednesday, but Akona Ndungane and Jacques du Plessis will be able to take the field today.
Ndungane recovered from the ankle strain that ruled him out of the Stormers clash and SA under 20 flanker Du Plessis has recovered from an AC joint.
Wilhelm Steenkamp and Dean Greyling are on track to train with the team next week after their shoulder and foot injuries respectively.
The two shining lights in the Blue Bulls win over the Free State this weekend, Jan Serfontein (quad) and Ulrich Beyers (ankle) will join the fray on Wednesday.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

What the Force thought they'd do to the Kings the Bulls WILL do to them

Bend over and anally rape or something to that effect, yeah. I can see it too.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Bulls Team vs the Force:

15 Zane Kirchner
14 Sampie Mastriet
13 Lionel Mapoe
12 Wynand Olivier
11 Bjorn Basson
10 Mornè Steyn
9 Francois Hougaard
8 Pierre Spies (c)
7 Arno Botha
6 Jacques Potgieter
5 Juandrè Kruger
4 Flip van der Merwe
3 Werner Kruger
2 Chiliboy Ralepelle
1 Mornè Mellett

Substitutes:
16 Willie Wepener
17 Frik Kirsten
18 Grant Hattingh
19 Jean Cook
20 Jano Vermaak
21 Louis Fouchè
22 Jan Serfontein

So only 3 changes in the starting 15 with Arno Botha and Jacques Potgieter in the place of the injured Dewald Potgieter and Deon Stegman. Lionel Mapoe moves to 13 in the place of JJ Engelbrecht and Sampie Mastriet comes in at 14.

To me, that is a better 15 than the team that played against the Stormers last week.

And the Bench excites me even more!! Jean Cook and Jan Serfontein... the 2 youngsters getting a chance.

Cook has been brilliant for Tuks in the Varsity Cup so far, and Jan Serfontein has been electric for the Bulls U/21 and Vodacom Cup teams...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

^

I thought the same thing. And I think the Force is the perfect game for these 2 youngsters to be introduced to SR off the bench. The Bulls have at times struggled against the Force but I don't think that'll be the case on the weekend with them playing at Loftus and the Force not the Force they were 2 years ago.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Agreed, Bulls can go all the way in 2013
Time for Basson to get some action I think

 

[Darwin]

I'm interested to see how Mapoe goes at centre. I remember watching him for the Lions at centre a couple of times last season and his defense was hopeless - he continually ran out of the line and created a big hole for the opposition to run through. I'm assuming inside a more structured team like the Bulls he will learn to stop doing this. He is certainly an intriguing option at centre on attack, as he seems to have plenty of pace....

I can't see the Force getting close in this match - I picking the Bulls by 20+

 

[dasNdanger]

Am I the only one who thought Ebersohn's 58m kick was just a thing of beauty? Would have loved to see that from overhead.


das

 

[TRF_heineken]

Was at the game, what a frustrating game!

I have to rant about the ref, Jason Jaftha, it felt to me he stopped the game way too much, talked way too much, and he didn't allow the game to flow either.

Morne Steyn was again brilliant, apart from the interception pass. The forwards was awful and we were lucky to win this one.

 

[Gena_ZA]

It was Jafta's first Super rugby match as ref. Didn't look to bad on the TV
Though Arno Botha was exceptional and Bulls pulled it back in the 2nd half.
Serfontein made an immediate impack and Jean cook also looked good in his first stint.
Bulls should have won this much more comfortably

 

[TRF_heineken]

It was Jafta's first Super rugby match as ref. Didn't look to bad on the TV
Though Arno Botha was exceptional and Bulls pulled it back in the 2nd half.
Serfontein made an immediate impack and Jean cook also looked good in his first stint.
Bulls should have won this much more comfortably

I don't care if it was his first game or not. If you are allowed to ref in these matches you should be up for the task. It could just have been bad for us spectators at the game who felt this way, but i promise you, the fans in the stadium was not impressed by him at all.

On another note, i have to applaud the Loftus Management. When Sias took his first shot at goal, the announcer said that he just wanted to remind everyone that it is a tradition that you shouldn't boo the kicker from the other team when he's attempting a shot at goal.