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Thread: Bulls hold on for crucial Super 14 win

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    Veteran pieter blackie's Avatar
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    Bulls hold on for crucial Super 14 win

    Bulls hold on for crucial Super 14 win


    PRETORIA (AFP) — Northern Bulls of South Africa were pushed all the way by Western Force of Australia on Saturday before winning 32-29 to occupy second place on the Super 14 table with two rounds to go.

    Force picked up two bonus points and although ninth in the standings are far from out of the running for a semi-finals place in the southern hemisphere championship.

    While the Bulls went ahead with a third-minute penalty by fly-half Morne Steyn, Force scored the first try a minute later and silenced the Loftus Versfeld crowd.

    Fullback Drew Mitchell crossed the line after collecting a perfect chip kick by fly-half Matt Giteau, whose conversion made it 7-3 to the Perth franchise.

    Just five minutes later Bulls edged ahead again when Springbok flyer Bryan Habana turned on the gas to power his way past a host of Force defenders and score his team?s first try.

    Leading Super 14 points scorer Steyn missed the conversion and for a long period the score remained 8-7 in favour of the home side.

    Giteau then knocked over a 35th-minute penalty to put his side 10-8 up, but three minutes from the interval, the Bulls went back into the lead thanks to a superb try by tighthead prop Werner Kruger.

    After a quick tap penalty by scrum-half Fourie du Preez on the Force '22', the ball was sent wide and when centre Jaco Pretorius failed to take the ball over the line, Kruger was on hand to pick it up and score.

    Steyn converted to give his side a 15-10 half-time lead.

    Bulls scored their third try early in the second half when fullback Zane Kirchner crossed the tryline. Steyn again failed to convert but opened up a 16-point gap soon after when succeeding with two penalties.

    Force hit back in the middle of the second half when backs Cameron Shepherd and Josh Tatupu scored tries with a Steyn penalty sandwiched in between to leave the match delicately poised at 29-22 to the Bulls with 10 minutes left.

    Replacement No 10 Burton Francis, who came on when Steyn was sent to the 'sin bin' - put his side 10 points clear on 74 minutes from a penalty, but Force scored a late try through centre Ryan Cross and Giteau converted.

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    Apprentice henry's Avatar
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    The Force know how to cross the line...

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    Yeah Mitchell

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    Veteran pieter blackie's Avatar
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    I haven't watched the game yet Why was JOC replaced so early?? was he injured

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    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
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    Shoulder apparently.

    We really need to find a way of coping with slow ball out of the breakdown, we lost at least 4 or 5 because Valo and the forwards were faffing around like a CWA meeting!

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    C'mon the

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    Veteran force addict's Avatar
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    sounds like a great game, even though we lost. good one foxtel for screwing yourself

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    Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force

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    Player The Ethicist's Avatar
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    The performance was absolutely magnificent despite the loss. The Bulls were absolutely on fire and would have taken apart just about any other team. It was very physical. The breakdown contest and tackling from both teams was ferocious. There will be some very sore bodies this morning. It was played like a final as the stakes were high. The Bulls dominated possession and territory for the first 20 minutes after half time and as they mounted wave after wave of attack, the penalties mounted. The Force did amazingly well to stay in it. The Bulls were in one of those moods. The Force ended up scoring more tries and it is frustrating and disappointing to go so close but it was a real gutsy performance and a quality match. Rugby was the winner

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    Kangaroo Court is in session..........all rise




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    Veteran pieter blackie's Avatar
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    to score 4 tries against the bulls and the bulls only managing 3 tries is no easy task and that very seldome happens

    It is a pitty about the final score but I am looking forward to watching this game this arvo

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    Senior Player Hoolly Doolly's Avatar
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    Cant take anything away from the blue balls. The bulls forwards played like they were pissed off cos someone abused their mums. They were ferocious at the breakdown, counter rucking was hardcore and running at the defensive lines with ball in hand like run away trains. The force did extremely well to stay in the game while the bulls were in that mood and to be honest they didnt look like anywhere near competing in the game until the last 10 minutes or so.

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    Champion Elf1's Avatar
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    were faffing around like a CWA meeting!

    At least you would get lammingtons at a CWA meeting

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    Champion welshrugbyfan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by force addict View Post
    sounds like a great game, even though we lost. good one foxtel for screwing yourself
    Why did they screw themselves?

    Loftus is a shrine to rugby in the Transval and any team going there needs to be at their best to beat the bulls. They really step up a level most weeks at home. To lose by 3 is and get the two bonus points is just about a win.

    Imagine if we had a shrine like ground?

    Ok I've seen the other thread now as well. I finished work at midnight and got home with only 20 to go.

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    Last edited by welshrugbyfan; 03-05-09 at 10:28.

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    Veteran force addict's Avatar
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    yeah 1st 20 minutes were completely blanked from the telly

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    Veteran robyn <3's Avatar
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    I'm afraid I'm actually dissapointed. The Bulls wanted it more than us - I think that's what cost it. VERY physical indeed. The Bulls had so much more possession than us and last time I saw we made more tackles than them and they'd missed more. It was a good game considering how much more ball the Bulls had than us, but the result is shattering

    5 full arm penalties in our own half is too many to conceed when they have a boot like Morne Steyn on their side. Stupid, stupid little things like passing the ball to Cameron when Cameron isn't there - how many times can that actually happen before it stops!! Drew's failure at a restart caused a great deal of stress in my life.

    Sigh

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    A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
    Courtesy of quality South African commentry

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    The Bulls did play well and credit to the boys for hanging in there, a few little mistakes,lack of urgency at the breakdown and some ill discipline ensured we were on the back foot most of the game.

    Real happy with the set piece work from the forwards

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    Champion welshrugbyfan's Avatar
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    I only got to see the last 20 minutes and by the time I had mad a cup of tea the last 15. What I did see was the Bulls forwards dominating the rucks as they do but our boys dominating in the backs. Why wasn't the ball fed out to them more?

    Each time it was there were more holes than swiss cheese (I think thats the one with the holes in it).

    Needed that little rabbit in the last 15 to put himself into some of the rabbit holes.

    When your forward pack is getting smashed by a bigger forward pack you get it out to the backs, if they get dominated as well your f*****. Our backs were good last night, not saying the forwards weren't but the Bulls pack is one of if not the best.

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    Veteran Contributor normie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Elf1 View Post
    were faffing around like a CWA meeting!

    At least you would get lammingtons at a CWA meeting
    not to mention scones.

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