Bulls vs Stormers

Finally Super Rugby is starting for the South African sides, and it all kicks off with the Bulls playing the Stormers at loftus. I know that there are a lot more Stormers fans than Bulls here in the Ruckers Forum, so obviously the responses will be one sided, but I think the Stormers are not looking as settled as they have done the last couple of seasons, especially with Etzebeth out. The Bulls on the other hand, are looking a lot more balanced than they did, expecially last year. Granted, they don't look as settles as teams from Bakkies/Matfield era, but they still look good. 

Strictly from an objective point of view, I think man for man, the Stormers probably have the better side, but the Bulls are playing at home. A very close call! What do you all think?

Well, put it this way, I think the Stompies and the Bulls are equally crap this season and they'll probably both get man-shamed by similar one-sided scorelines when they play the Sharks.

For what it's worth, I went for the Bulls on Superbru by a very small margin and I'll probably tip the Stompies by a similar margin when the two sides meet at Newlands.

Start of season matches are always tricky to call as one never really knows were the guys are in respect of form.

My concern is the tight five. The absence of Tiaan and Etzebeth being problematic. So yes Bluebok a close one to call.

Jala, as much as I hate to admit it, I think you are right, the Sharks are the SA side that look most dangerous...on paper. The Bulls have a lot of really quality young players, especially Pollard, in their squad, but who knows if the youngsters will be able to mix it up with the big boys of Super Rugby...that will be the difference between the Bulls making it this year or not. The old war horses in the Bulls side are just not good enough to carry the squad.

Beans, I don't reckon Tiaan is such a major loss, but that is just my opinion, Etzebeth however, is a HUGE loss!!

Two unsettled teams, first match of the comp makes for a tough call....I'm tipping Bulls and that's only because of homeground advantage.

 Tough call, I think the Stormers will win this game.

I think the form of Morne Steyn will be a major factor, also Elton Jantjies.

 The bulls backline has lots of yoiung players who will probably only game more game time as the season goes on. 

The team will probably start with the Morne Steyn  at 10, with Missie at inside center. 

Serfontein, Pollard and co make get some time of the bench. 

The Stormers forwards should get the better, but who knows? 

Taking everything into consideration i have the notion that the Bulls will be at mid table towards the end of this season due to the lack of progression in the backline structure in the past, the tactics seemed to be predictable in some areas with Morne. Perhaps we see a change of mentality this season hopefully so, im not convinced. The outcome of this result should be interesting considering that etzebeth is unavailable that being said i think the forwards at breakdowns should be intense and tough to call what team would be dominant in that area. As far as the backlines are concern i regard the Stormers backline to be more effective executing the set peices in attack and recycling the ball more efficient and faster from the ruck, Stormers should most likely win. Most importantly discipline and composure in the ruck area will be the fundamental key to success that will reflect on the score at the end of the day.

i cant see the bulls winning this at all TBH. i think theres not a lot of credit being given to the stormers who were the best defensive team in the competition in 2012.
while they are building a  nice rep of being chokers at the knockout final stages of spXV, they along with the chiefs and crusaders were the most consistent teams in 2012, thanks to no small part to their defensive structures. those structures will be too much of a hurdle for the bulls this year, even more so if the stormers attack have made any kind of improvements.

the buklls may have a few new faces, but the core of the team is still lacking that strike power in the forwards and especially the backs, to say nothing of the fact that what strikepower they do have in the backs will be guided by morne and i will be surprised to see anything more then a kick fest from both teams, with the stormers winning with the defnsive edge.

Let me do an objective assessment - since I essentially is a Shark supporter and threfore most objective.   I would look at the individual teams and make an assessment from there.   During Super 15 in 2012 the Stromers backline could at best be described as suffring from a dead backline syndrome - so what I write here may in some respects be open for criticism:-

Expected backlines

15                 Taute                               Kirschner

Wings           Habana                           Basson

                     Van den Heever              Magoe

Centers        De Villiers                        Olivier

                     De Allende                      Engelbrecht

Halfbacks     Jacobs                            Steyn

                     Duvenhage                     Hougaard

Lets do n analysis if the teams are indeed as indicated:-

Full Backs   :   Throughout 2010 and 2011 Taute at full back out-performed Kirchner comphensively at full back and I do not expect that would change - Taute definitely the better performer

Wings         :    The Stormnmers definitely have the advantage here.   Habana on song is one of the best in the world.   Stormers are better in this Department.

Centers     :       This is really the weak point in the Bulls team.   Olivier is an average center not on par with De Villiers and Engelbrecht was a disaster in the Bulls CC campaign.   Both the centers of the Bulls are predictable with very little ball sense.   De Alende is one of the best potential centers in SA - a real relevation in the CC Final.   Stormers have the edge.

Halfbacks -        Morne will ever be Morne - a kicker of balls par excellence without a shred of ball sense.   Jantjies is in a way a replica of Steyn - but have a manufatured passing game added to his record.   Both are in fact not good flyhalfs and can let their teams down.  Steyn is the better defender - but his kicking game last year was atrocious.   Will it be better this year?   Hougaard had a brain implosion last year and played some really rubbish games.   Will it be better this year - nobody knows.  Duvenhage is average.   On th whole I believe that the Bulls have the edge in this Department

On the whole I think the Stormers has the better backline - but this will depend whether the selections are actually made as indicated.

Forwards

I am not going into details about this aspect.   In general the Bulls have serious prop and line out deficiencies and their loosies are problematic as well - as was evidenced in the Super 15 and CC competitions last year-    so despite the absence of Etzebeth - I think the Stormers have the edge here. 

Forecast

Despite the Bulls home town advantage I think the Stormers will win this one with a point differnce of 12+.   The outcome will to an extent be  influenced by the extent to which Steyn has recovered form as a goalkicking problems of 2012- and Hougaard is over his brain implosion of last yearl   And then there is Jantjies??????????

The more I read from you guys, the more unsure I am of things. Morne is very good at what he does, yes he lost form last year, but If he has found the form he had prior to last year, then the game might not be as one sided as many of you think. He is a good tactical kicker, and very accurate when kicking for posts. He also knows that if he does not have a blinder of a tournament this year, his Springbok career is over. Enough motivation to fix whatever went wrong last year. The success of his game depends very much on the performance of his no.9. Which bring me to Hougard. Hougard is a massive talent, yes he was poor at scrummy last year, but that was because he was playing at wing for a lot of the year, and never had a chance to settle at scrumhalf. He has now had a bit more time to get comfortable at scrumhalf. If he fires, and if Morne is able to kick accurately and play his usual kicking game, then I feel the advantage lies with the Bulls. At least when taking into account the homeground advantage and the altitude. The "kicking game" is their natural game after all. Nobody is a big fan of Olivier, because in his countless attempts in the Springbok jersey, he has achieved nothing! But he nearly always excells in Super Rugby, and this is Super Rugby. He is at least on par with the Jean "I am past retirement age" De Villiers. In the forwards, well, the advantage probably lies with the Stormers, but guys like Spies, Chiliboy, Potgieter all have the ability to take a game away from their opposition, especially in Super Rugby. Even if not so much as Springboks.

 It's difficult.  New season, new guys and also some new law veriations to cope with.  We saw what happened in the Reds game.  Man they had a lot of penalties against them.  If that is to happen on the weekend and Steyn has his sights set then it is over for the Storming ouens.  The Stormers also have a few top players out for the next few games.  I have a feeling it will be tight but the Bulls may just have them this time around.

Out for the Stormers are de Jongh, Grant, Schreuder, Burger, Etzebeth, Liebenberg - all big names these.

Bulls = Dark horse. Top 4 is within their reach

 Yes my good man I think so to.  If only they had a coach.  LOL

Freddie

You mention some players that the Stormers are without on Saturday.   Of those De Jongh realli is a maor advantage for the Stormers - he has been a hige liability for the Stormer in 2012 and was really a farce in their backline - and the remainder was out of Super 15 or CC last year.

I would not be worried by the absence of the above-mentioned  players - I am likely to worry more about their return. .