Morne Steyn kicks Bulls to another Super 14 title
By AAP, 30 May 2010
- Tagged:
- Bulls, Morne Steyne, Northern Bulls, Ricky Januarie, Rugby Union, Stormers, Super Rugby
Springbok fly-half Morne Steyn bagged 20 points as Northern Bulls defeated Western Stormers 25-17 at Orlando Stadium Saturday to win a third Super 14 title in four seasons.
Trailing 16-0 during the first half of only the second all-South African final, Stormers clawed back within six points midway through the second half only for Steyn to kick three penalties.
A late Ricky Januarie try gave the scoreline a flattering look as the Bulls always appeared likely winners of the southern hemisphere championship climax watched by a sell-out 36,500 crowd.
Bulls started favourites at their adopted home ground in the black township of Soweto with Pretoria fortress Loftus Versfeld being readied for the FIFA World Cup that kicks off next month.
The defending champions made one change from the team that finished 15 points ahead of Canterbury Crusaders in a semi-final last weekend with Gerhard van den Heever returning to the right wing after serving a two-match ban.
But the scorer of eight Super 14 tries this season lasted just 10 minutes before an injury forced him to retire and be replaced by veteran former Springbok Jaco van der Westhuyzen.
Appearing in their first Super final, Stormers kept faith with the starting line-up from the 19-point triumph over New South Wales Waratahs at Newlands in Cape Town seven days ago.
Bulls shrugged off the Van den Heever blow to lead 16-3 at half-time with the usual suspect contributing most of the points as top 2010 Super 14 scorer Steyn kicked three penalties and converted a Francois Hougaard try.
Guest of honour President Jacob Zuma said he wanted to see tries and his wish came true on 24 minutes as scrum-half Fourie du Preez set up Hougaard from a ruck and the wing rounded fullback Joe Pietersen to dot down.
Stormers pack was struggling to assert itself, regularly being turned over, but they got on the scoreboard nine minutes before half-time when fly-half Peter Grant succeeded with his first penalty attempt.
A more even but scrappy second half came to life on 54 minutes when 2007 Rugby Player of the Year Bryan Habana intercepted a pass just inside Bulls territory and raced unchallenged to the line for a try Grant converted.
Steyn widened the Bulls lead to nine points with his fourth penalty, but failed for the first time in the match when another attempt from near the touchline just missed the target.
Not that it affected his confidence as two more penalty chances presented themselves in the closing stages and Steyn struck both between the posts to give the Bulls a 25-10 advantage.
With time ticking away on a cool, overcast evening, Stormers got a second try through Januarie and Grant converted.
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- Explore:
- Bulls, Morne Steyne, Northern Bulls, Ricky Januarie, Rugby Union, Stormers, Super Rugby
May 30th 2010 @ 4:18am
nicksa said | May 30th 2010 @ 4:18am | Report comment
well done bulls!!! best team in the comp by far!
May 30th 2010 @ 5:17am
Jecker said | May 30th 2010 @ 5:17am | Report comment
That headline isn’t going to change very much in the near future. “Morne Steyn kicks Boks to another Tri-Nations title.”
They come along every now and then, players who are good for 2 pointers, and penalties and drop goals from outrageous distances. There’s little other teams can do except play disciplined rugby and try to retain possession. Tall order.
May 30th 2010 @ 7:09am
Jimmy said | May 30th 2010 @ 7:09am | Report comment
Fourie is light years ahead of any scrummie on the planet – possibly the best half back since the war.
May 30th 2010 @ 9:07am
ISO said | May 30th 2010 @ 9:07am | Report comment
It couldn’t have been contexturalised more adequately!
May 30th 2010 @ 7:16am
Coach Ed. said | May 30th 2010 @ 7:16am | Report comment
It just proves once again that there is no substitute for experience. If the Bulls played the Stormers again next week the score could be different because the inexperienced Stormer players were slightly shell shocked today. That is why the current crop of Springboks are so good and why the All Blacks under Fitzpatrick and Aussies under Eales were so good. It takes years to get to that point, which is why, personally, I am already stressing about 2012 when the current Crusaders and Reds teams have that ingredient called experience, throughout their teams.
May 30th 2010 @ 7:50am
Ziggy said | May 30th 2010 @ 7:50am | Report comment
Coach Ed., agree 100% re comments on experience. And it induces a confidence which puts fear and uncertainty into opponents.
May 30th 2010 @ 7:21am
Coach Ed. said | May 30th 2010 @ 7:21am | Report comment
I agree with Jimmy. Fourie du Preez is the most complete rugby player in the world. That try against the Crusaders last week sealed it for me. With a wheeled scrum, he saw the Crusaders scrumhalf has anticipated the ball going wide and that the flank was not aware. Bang, pick and go against the flow to score. awesome rugby player and a pleasure to watch, not because he is a South African, but because of the class.
May 30th 2010 @ 7:33am
Jimmy said | May 30th 2010 @ 7:33am | Report comment
For some light comic relief, have a look at Adam Freiers pick of the best Super 14 team published in the SMH. Hopefully they can make this man an Aussie selector!
May 30th 2010 @ 9:15am
ohtani's jacket said | May 30th 2010 @ 9:15am | Report comment
That had all the inevitability of a Crusaders win back in the day. I guess the Bulls are now officially the third great Super rugby dynasty behind the Crusaders and the Blues though arguably in front of the latter. It’ll be interesting to see how they adapt to the new format next year. Congratulations Bulls supporters.
May 30th 2010 @ 10:24am
Ziggy said | May 30th 2010 @ 10:24am | Report comment
I’m not sure I would rate them ahead of the Blues just yet – close, very close. Crusaders, of course, reign supreme and, I suspect, will continue to do so as they rebuild their depth. Probably from South African schoolboys
May 30th 2010 @ 3:47pm
brian said | May 30th 2010 @ 3:47pm | Report comment
well seeing they’re only allowed to pick three players of colour, they’ll have to look towards south africa, won’t they ?
May 30th 2010 @ 9:34am
ISO said | May 30th 2010 @ 9:34am | Report comment
The article seemingly – and I’m taking a guess here, is designed to state what readers and fans would like to hear.
The reality is not nearly adequately portrayed. Yes, let’s hand it to the Bulls for players like Fourie du Preez. Although a Morne Steyn Fan, his points were gained out of penalties and his performance was well anticipated and covered by the Stomers as said in another journalistic article – having said that, let’s take nothing away from a star, given the short time of exposure.
The Stormers went through an entire S14 season with virtually, if no penalties against them at the scrums and breakdowns – why now? In view of the fact that Matfield illegally kicked the ball to his men during one of these, to name but many offences. Two out of three high tackles by the Bulls were ignored. The same is evident re: knock-on’s from the Bulls, holding onto the ball, worse still, ensuring that Stormer players were grinded to a flat halt with no chance of releasing the ball and penalised for it.
It was not a test that the Nation or the ref can be proud of. Was it his conscience that lead him to award the try to Januarie – and it was not a try by a far shot. No insults to Januarie intended – as it was not the players as much as the poor South African ref!
Taking all technicalities into account (not percieved emotions et al), did the Bulls win the Super14 or was it a 16-man side?
The South African captains, SARU, et al, raised huge rauka’s against other international refs, perhaps rightfully so – how now do they account for a South African ref with his own “record” et al??
No Ed, there’s an immense difference between disappointment & knowing the rules, feeling betrayed, versus being on the back-foot! Check out what McCaw said about the Stormers…..
May 30th 2010 @ 2:07pm
johno said | May 30th 2010 @ 2:07pm | Report comment
Ag shame did you okies not get what you wanted, stop whining. There were iffy decisions both ways. The decision that went against Spies when Bekker drove him back was incorrect. Bekker never even attempted to release the tackler. The light westerly breezes wer exactly that when they had to play the A team.
It was time to shut up and put up, and they couldn’t. They had a lot to say this week, but couldn’t walk the walk.
May 30th 2010 @ 9:54am
Harry said | May 30th 2010 @ 9:54am | Report comment
Congratulations to the Bulls and SA teams for a dominant S14 teams. Thought it was a good game with the Bulls 15 man toal rugby – it is, if people would just put aside their prejudices and watch them – triumphing. The Bulls made more breaks and were more dangerous with ball in hand than the Stormers. Thought the Stormers backs were poor in attack, particuarly Fourie and Habana – apart from his usual intercept try, Habana did little.
3 titles puts the Bulls ahead of the Brumbies. This time a decade ago they were a farce.
May 30th 2010 @ 10:26am
Ziggy said | May 30th 2010 @ 10:26am | Report comment
Fourie could prove to be a liability for the Boks – seems to have lost a bit.
May 30th 2010 @ 10:01am
mampara said | May 30th 2010 @ 10:01am | Report comment
ISO…ref was nowhere as bad as you make out…fact is the Bulls tight 5 belted the living daylights out of the Stormers. That and Fourie Du Preez were the difference. And for your information the Nation is VERY proud of the Bulls and the Stormers. Furthermore, JAnuarie was short of the line, Pieter Louw scored the try when he picked up the ball, short from Januarie, and dotted down. Your suggestion of a 16 man team is about as rediculous as a kiwis chances in the tri nations 2010.
May 30th 2010 @ 10:49am
ISO said | May 30th 2010 @ 10:49am | Report comment
Mampara,
I respect your opinions – sincerely. Without going into war, the footage demonstrated zero try by Januarie, Louw or anybody. We scanned & scanned footage in the studio – sorry, but IMO a no-try should have been upheld – as much as the Stormers deserved it looking at their determination!
Not sure about the All Blacks and 2010 Tri-nations… They’re unpredictable and seemingly on a downward spiral – but personally, I’m wary of them, although the heart is with the South Africans – and there’s little reason (paradoxically), why they shouldn’t take the tri’s. S.A. is losing players currently to other parts of the world as per the media – some of those players critical ones IMO. Media is one thing however, albeit that there’s mostly fire at the end of the smoke trail – I’d rather wait. We’ve sufficient depth perhaps except for the centre players.
As for the technical comments, they are at large and difficult to dispute. But let’s not go back there and rather celebrate the victory! Thanks for a sobering remark / reply!