Bulls into final with crushing victory over Crusaders

By AP, 24 May 2009 AP is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: Bulls, Crusaders, Rugby Union, Super Rugby

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Morne Steyn kicked 21 points on Saturday to guide the Bulls to a 36-23 win over the Canterbury Crusaders and into the Super 14 final.

Steyn slotted four drop goals, kicked three conversions and a penalty as the Bulls outscored the defending champion Crusaders by three tries to two after trailing 20-7 late in the first half at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

But a yellow card for Crusaders No.8 Thomas Waldrom in the 35th minute allowed the Bulls to score 13 points against 14 men and lead 27-20 at halftime.

“Morne kicked really well,” Bulls captain Victor Matfield said. “But we showed we are a good team. Everyone says we’re a ‘kick and hope’ outfit, but we showed how we can run from broken play.”

Bulls winger Bryan Habana sliced through the midfield to score in the 12th minute for a 7-3 lead. But the Crusaders hit back two minutes later with a converted try to winger Adam Whitelock in the corner after a move down the blindside.

Crusaders fullback Leon MacDonald kicked a penalty in the 21st and then launched an up-and-under toward Bulls winger Akona Ndungane on his tryline. Crusaders flanker Kieran Read challenged for the ball, caught it and tumbled over for the try.

“We felt as if we had momentum when we scored our two tries early on,” Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said. “But those 10 minutes before halftime really turned things around for the Bulls, and in the end we were beaten by a team that was hungry enough.”

The Bulls came back when fullback Zane Kirchner drew the cover to send Ndungane over for a try in the 33rd minute. Then came Waldrom’s dismissal and Steyn began his drop-kicking spree, kicking two in two minutes to level at 20-20.

Springbok No. 8 Pierre Spies scored a long-range try right on halftime after galloping clear from the defenders.

Crusaders scrumhalf Andy Ellis kicked a drop goal in the 51st, but Steyn replied with a penalty in the 65th and then nailed drop goals from 22 meters and 50 meters in the 69th minute and toward the end of the match to send the Bulls into the final.

They play another New Zealand side, Waikato Chiefs, who beat the neighbouring Hurricanes 14-10 in Hamilton on Friday night.

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The Crowd Says (90) | Page 1 of Comments

Hemjay said | May 24th 2009 @ 7:53am | Report comment

Bulls deserved winners of the semi-final. However surely this is another time to highlight how highly overvalued the drop goal is. Seriously 4 in one match by one team is utterly ridiculous.

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Sam Taulelei said | May 24th 2009 @ 8:56am | Report comment

I have no problem with seeing the skill in kicking 4 drop goals rewarded as sweetly as Steyn demonstrated. Anyone who has ever mucked around before training in trying to kick them from all over the field knows how much you have to practice it so that it looks as effortless as Steyn did. Watch the replays slowly and observe the perfect positioning of the ball in Steyn’s hands before he drops it to the ground and his body positioning. I don’t find it any more ridiculous than watching someone kick 4 penalties.

Drop kicks are a valid means of scoring. We had this same argument following the last world cup and when Australia lost to Francois Steyn’s two goal effort in the Tri Nations the same year. It should also be acknowledged how organised the Bulls were in creating the opportunities for Steyn to kick and they didn’t rely on the drop kick to win the game. The Bulls were irrepressible and at times brilliant with their handling and counter attacking, they were very professional in taking their opportunities – exactly the kind of qualities the Crusaders are renowned for who also contributed to an exciting and enthralling match.

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Hemjay said | May 24th 2009 @ 11:09am | Report comment

Sam I have never said they weren’t valid but theyre highly over valued I too played rugby and know all too well how hard it is to kick one. And I personally don’t think they are that hard to kick as some make out now Steyn you could just about guarantee he’d say yes they are hard but not nigh impossible and difficult as made out. Like I said they were deserved winners they scored 3 tries to two. I have no qualms in teams taking valid pt scoring oppurtunities what I am saying is the drop goal is worth more than it should be. Take the four dropies away and the Bulls still would’ve won.

I don’t care who won or lost games by drop goals all our teams have used them at some stage. But like many others I just think they are worth more than they should be.

I’m looking forward to the final two vastly different styles of play and rightfully so between the top two teams.
Full credit to the Crusaders they outdid everyones expectations a far cry better than some much hyped teams who have quite simply failed this year.

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Greg Russell said | May 24th 2009 @ 11:47am | Report comment

Just some observations on the game, some perhaps a little provocative:

1. When was the last time there was such a good advertisement for rugby as the first half of this match?

2. Is Richie McCaw the new Rueben Thorne: Mr Invisible? (And as I also mentioned yesterday, he is far from the only key All Black in totally underwhelming form – Woodcock, Ali Williams, So’oialo, Carter.)

3. Is Fourie du Preez not only the best halfback in the world, but in fact the best player in any position?

4. What was with the idiotic tactic of little chip kicks from the Crusaders? Maybe if they were down on the scoreboard and desparate, but they were winning 20-7. All the chip kicks did was to hand the match back to the Bulls at a time when they were in serious trouble.

5. All week in the NZ media, the catch-cry has been “If anyone can win in Pretoria, it’s the Crusaders”. The implication of this is presumably that the Chiefs have no hope. Do they?

I actually give the Chiefs some chance. A crucial difference between the Chiefs and the Crusaders is that the Chiefs have lots of gas in their outside backs. Last night the Crusaders had one wing who is a FB (Payne), another who is a 13 (A Whitelock), and a reserve wing who is a 10 (Slade). It showed – they were were all too slow. Although Sivivatu is not flying to South Africa (a big blow for the Chief’s chances), they still have lots of outside backs with gas to choose from: Muliaina, Masaga, Anesi, Sweeney, Kahui (who is flying over). And the Chiefs have more pace in their backrow (Messam, Latimer), even if not the size of the phenomenon that is Spies. So the Chiefs will be much better placed to turn linebreaks into tries than the Crusaders were. But they are still big outsiders given the travel, etc.

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wannabprop said | May 24th 2009 @ 11:55am | Report comment

Thought it was a great game – had everything. After first 20 -30 min thought it was gonna be a Crusaders [insert appropriate cliche]… Bulls deserved victors. Have to agree with Hemjay tho – don’t want to see drop goals taken out of the game, but they’re surely over-valued. I imagine this argument has been raised in this forum ad nauseam. Looking forward to the final (if I can stay awake!).

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Hemjay said | May 24th 2009 @ 12:16pm | Report comment

Greg,

i have noticed ever since visiting the pages of the roar that you generally have some very insightful viewpoints.
One thing however that I find common in alot of your posts of late is your readiness to drop the boot into any kiwi team when you get the chance. McCaw may well have had a quiet game in Pretoria and the Crusaders lost the game. However it is widely known around the world that he is the best number 7 and one of the best players in the world. I would say I do have to agree that Fourie is a freakishly talented player.

One point many people seem to also over look is that the Crusaders weren’t even expected to make the top half of the competition this year let alone make the semi finals. Much more highly rated opposition fell to the wayside this year namely the Sharks, Brumbies and Waratahs.
It seems all to many a roarer are loving seeing the Kiwis go down it seems to give many some kind of fulfulment that their own Aussie teams could not deliver this year. Although the Tahs acheived some remarkable feats in SA undefeated and their trip to the shakey Isles yet it still wasn’t quite enough to get them there. The Force lost some tight matches but showed what they were capable of and in my view were a great team who if they could’ve stayed together would’ve gone on to the finals next year.

Back to the Crusaders Greg before putting the boot into a team which was not even rated and Carter on his sabbatical they did exceptionally well and punched well above their weight and what anyone gave them credit for. What other team in this competition has seen so much talent go elsewhere and still managed to crack the top four?

the Crusaders record is almighty and its going to take alot more than one semi final defeat to write this team off and consign them to the dustbin. The Bulls have a long way to go and its going to take alot more than possibly winning the 09 title before they could even be put in the same class as the Crusaders.

In 14 years of Super rugby the Crusaders have contested 11 finals series only twice not going to the final 07, 09.
That leaves 9 finals they have contested of which they have won seven.
With the core base of players staying on at Canterbury for the next 2 years plus I would be a very confident Red and Blacks supporter planning for next season.

I do agree that the Chiefs have a much better chance to take the Bulls down it is sure as hell going to be a cracker of a match. If the Bulls can pull off a super win then the Boks take the Lions series I think they will go on to win the Tri-Nations also

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hammer said | May 24th 2009 @ 12:35pm | Report comment

GR – I get the fact you’re and Aussie living in NZ and you probably take a fair bit of shit at work … but with the stupid comments you regularly come out with you probably deserve it …

“Is Richie McCaw the new Rueben Thorne: Mr Invisible?” … what game were you watching his tackling alone was a standout … it’s well known due to ability he’s regularly double teamed and targeted .. throw in the Crusaders were outplayed for all but 20 mins and he’s going to be involved in tight stuff more so and with NZ – I get you ‘re probably hoping like hell he’s on the wane – but the evidence really isn’t there

(And as I also mentioned yesterday, he is far from the only key All Black in totally underwhelming form – Woodcock, Ali Williams, So’oialo, Carter.) … WTF … Woodcock, Williams and Carter have all been or still are injury … hard to base their form from the sidelines …. So’oialo over game has been down but he’s been worked to an almost standstill ….

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Greg Russell said | May 24th 2009 @ 12:37pm | Report comment

HemJ, I did say I was being a little provocative, and it seems I provoked you … that’s good, because I like reading the well argued opinions of others.

Are you aware that I am an Australian who has lived in Christchurch for 15 years? No-one admires the Crusaders more than I do. If I am sometimes a little cynical, it’s just because I’m a great believer that domination of a competition by one side is not healthy for the competition. Don’t get me wrong, I also like having “dynasties”, but I also think that a vibrant competition needs to have winners spread around. Of course it’s not the fault of the Crusaders that they keep winning because other teams are not good enough to rise to the standard set by them, but …

Anyway, no arguments that the Crusaders did fantastically well this season, and big ups to them for that.

Often I am critical of NSW (and other Australian teams) in my comments, so I don’t try to focus on the NZ teams.

A few weeks ago I wrote an article in which I basically argued your view that

“The Force lost some tight matches but showed what they were capable of and in my view were a great team who if they could’ve stayed together would’ve gone on to the finals next year.”

Many comments pilloried me for this view. Can’t please everyone!

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Greg Russell said | May 24th 2009 @ 12:50pm | Report comment

Thanks hammer. The great thing about sports-talk is the way it encourages people to open their minds to the views of others. You obviously aren’t listening to NZ radio today if you think that McCaw was a standout last night.

Incidentally, aren’t “tackling” and “involvement in tight stuff” what Rueben Thorne’s admirers always said in favour of him? Maybe that was part of the point I was making?

Mate, it’s just opinions. Someone’s not “stupid” just because they have a different opinion to you.

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Hemjay said | May 24th 2009 @ 12:53pm | Report comment

No defianetly not Greg its a hard job pleasing everyone for sure.
I’m rating the wallabies to be hot to trot this year I am concerned though that many it seems are placing much expectation on one man in Giteau and are already assuming him to be the great redeemer, if he fails or goes out injured will the team still do as well. Should the Wallabies lose with him in it will the public turn on him like the have done with other big name players. What do you think on this?
I rate Giteau he’s exceptional but how will he cope with the unprecedented expectation that it seems is being directed his way?

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