The Bulls’ victory in the Super 14 final in Soweto not only broke down all boundaries by becoming the biggest rugby game ever to take place in a township, but it broke all television records as well.
Figures released on Thursday by BMI Sport Info, South Africa’s leading independent sport and sponsorship Research Company, show that rugby made significant inroads into the black population, with black viewers accounting for almost 30 percent of the total viewing audience.
According to the latest AR viewership figures, a new record viewing audience of 2.9 million South Africans of 16 years and older watched the final between the Bulls and Stormers at Orlando Stadium on television this weekend.
Read the rest of this entry »
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has named one change to his 22-man squad for Saturday’s Super 14 final against the Bulls at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Prop JC Kritzinger has been included on the bench at the expense of the Argentine-born Eusebio Guinazu. The 23-year-old Kritzinger made his debut for the WP Currie Cup team against the Bulls in 2008, and now he’s set to play in his first Super 14 final, also against the Bulls.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said it was always on the cards to recall Kritzinger to the match-day squad once he overcame a calf injury which sidelined him for the last four matches.
“JC came through a fitness test on Tuesday, so we’re pleased to be able to use him for the final,” said Coetzee.
Read the rest of this entry »
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has made only one change to his starting lineup to face the Stormers in the Super 14 final at Orlando Stadium.
Gerhard van den Heever, who has served his suspension for a dangerous tackle, returns on the wing in place of veteran Jaco van der Westhuyzen who drops to the bench in place of Stephan Dippenaar.
Ludeke has again decided to go with a 5-2 bench in stead of the traditional four forwards and three backs. This is made possible by the versatility of the backs where Jacques-Louis Potgieter can cover at flyhalf and centre and Van der Westhuyzen is at home at flyhalf, wing and fullback. Francois Hougaard will take over at scrumhalf if the need arises.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Wallaby coach Robbie Deans reckons the Bulls made a mistake by resting their top players last week.
That is one of the reasons why Deans, who won five Super rugby titles as coach of the Crusaders, believes the New Zealand side will beat the champions in this coming weekend’s Super 14 semifinal at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Deans believes that the Crusaders, who are now coached by Todd Blackadder, will also benefit from the Bulls’ move from Loftus Versfeld to the unknown Orlando Stadium.
He also has a sound reason for arguing that the Bulls erred with their decision.
Read the rest of this entry »
Fijian Sireli Naqelevuki has payed the highest price for his blunder against the Sharks last week by being left out of the squad for Saturday’s game against the Bulls.
The Stormers wing produced an elementary error when he failed to pick up a ball that had been kicked into the Stormers’ ingoal area by Sharks flyhalf Ruan Pienaar, who came through and pounced on it to score the Durban team’s second try in their upset Super 14 win over the more favoured side.
The score came at a critical time as the outplayed Stormers had done well to limit the Sharks to a lead of just 7-0 up to that point. As a result of the “gift” try, the Sharks had a comfortable buffer at half-time and on a night where their own defensive game was outstanding, John Smit’s men just left the Stormers with too much to do in the second half.
Read the rest of this entry »
Vodacom Stormers 42 Crusaders 14
Vodacom Stormers – Tries: Jaque Fourie (2), Sireli Naqelevuki; Conversions: Peter Grant (3); Penalties: Grant (7).
Crusaders – Tries: Daniel Carter, Colin Slade; Conversions: Carter (2).
Vodacom Bulls 27 The Sharks 19
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Gerhard van den Heever; Conversion: Morne Steyn; Penalties: Steyn (5).
The Sharks – Try: Rory Kockott; Conversion: Kockott; Penalties: Andy Goode (4).
Vodacom Cheetahs 36 Blues 32
Vodacom Cheetahs – Tries: Juan Smith, Jongi Nokwe, Bjorn Basson, Phillip van der Merwe, Waltie Vermeulen; Conversions: Naas Olivier (2), Meyer Bosman (2); Penalty: Olivier.
Blues – Tries: Isaia Toeava, Rene Ranger, Alby Mathewson, Anthony Tuitavake; Conversions: Stephen Brett (3); Penalties: Brett (2).
Read the rest of this entry »
Reds 16 Vodacom Stormers 13
Reds – Try: Will Chambers; Conversion: Quade Cooper; Penalties: Cooper (3).
Vodacom Stormers – Try: Andries Bekker; Conversion: Peter Grant; Penalties: Grant (2).
Chiefs 25 Vodacom Cheetahs 25
Chiefs – Tries: Colin Bourke, Hika Elliot, Toby Smith, Dwayne Sweeney, Liam Messam.
Vodacom Cheetahs – Tries: Devon Raubenheimer, WP Nel, Meyer Bosman; Conversions: Naas Olivier (2); Penalties: Olivier (2).
Vodacom Bulls 51 Auto & General Lions 11
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Gerhard van den Heever (2), Derick Kuün, Morné Steyn, Wynand Olivier, John Mametsa; Conversions: Morné Steyn (3); Penalties: Steyn (5).
Auto & General Lions – Try: Wandile Mjekevu; Penalties: Herkie Kruger (2).
The Sharks 23 Blues 10
Scorers: The Sharks – Tries: Ruan Pienaar; Penalties: Pienaar (4), Kockott (2).
Blues – Tries: Peter Saili; Conversion: Stephen Brett; Penalty: Brett.
Read the rest of this entry »
Victor Matfield has revealed how the Bulls manage their players to avoid player burnout.
Matfield, who has not missed one of the nine rounds of the Vodacom Super 14 this year, has been given time off in the weeks leading up to games to ensure he is battle fresh when he leads his team onto the field.
The same goes for the other core Springboks – Pierre Spies, Danie Rossouw, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Morné Steyn, Wynand Olivier and Fourie du Preez during the overseas leg of this year’s competition.
Du Preez was rested this week due to a niggling shoulder injury, but with the way the Bulls are controlling their playing resources, would probably have started the game.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Bulls and the Cheetahs will play their remaining regular season including Super 14 games at their home stadiums despite earlier reports.
Parliamentary committee on sport chairman Butana Komphela said on Tuesday that football and rugby had “pledged to support each other as brothers” after meeting with representatives of the teams and South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Bulls and Cheetahs may be forced to play the remainder of their Super 14 home games somewhere else than Loftus Versfeld and Vodacom Park. This could be a financial headache for the Bulls in particular who have to host three crowd-pulling matches against the Lions, Sharks and log-leaders Crusaders over the next three weekends.
The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Limited CEO Barend van Graan, has to appear before the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport on Tuesday, together with the Free State Rugby Union’s president Harold Verster and the president of the SA Rugby Union (Saru), Oregan Hoskins.
Read the rest of this entry »
