Ex Supersport
Everyone talks about how dangerous the Chiefs are from broken play and if the Bulls didn’t know it they do now after what looked like being a victory became a 28-22 defeat in their last Vodacom Super Rugby tour match in Hamilton on Friday.
There were several times in the match when the Bulls looked to have the game in hand and were set to keep their winning run against the Chiefs intact, a result which would have put them in a strong position on the South African conference log had it happened.
But while trying to control the game and camping in the Chiefs half with a one point lead in the 68th minute, the Bulls saw the Chiefs break out from inside their own 22 as they ran the ball to the left and wing Asaeli Tikoirotuma made good ground off the overlap upfield and into the Bulls’ half. The Bulls carried the ball out on defence, the Chiefs took a quick throw-in from which the ball went wide to Sonny Bill Williams, who produced a magical inside run before timing his pass perfectly to reserve loose-forward Sam Cane.
The converted try put the Chiefs into the lead with 10 minutes left in a game that was mostly dominated by the Bulls, and after that there was just no comeback opportunity for a Bulls side that for the second week in succession was finally denied by a breakdown turn-over off the final move of the game.
The Highlanders scored a similar win against them last week, but this time the Bulls couldn’t be accused of leaving their best attacking rugby until too late and of not carrying the ball enough early in the game. They were highly impressive for most of the first 40, by the end of which they led 16-8, and had they continued to be as frugal in their hogging of the ball on the drive through the middle in the second half as they were in the first, they would have won at a canter.
But you don’t have to give the Chiefs much of an opportunity for they tend to take their scoring chances, and the inventiveness and individual brilliance of players like Williams and fullback Matthew Horrell was ultimately the difference between the teams.
The Bulls started strongly and were effective in sucking in the Chiefs with their driving in the first 10 minutes, for which they were rewarded by a Morne Steyn penalty that put them 3-0 ahead. But little elementary mistakes even at that point were plaguing the Bulls, and a Bulls failure to control the ball at the back of a scrum near halfway saw the Chiefs seize on it and storm onto the attack for the first time in the game.
They didn’t score immediately but eventually forced a 15th minute penalty that enabled Aaron Cruden to level the scores before Morne Steyn capitalised on more territorial dominance for the Bulls by slotting over a drop-goal.
Then though came a sequence of mistakes that led to the Chiefs scoring their first try, with a mistake at the contesting of the restart allowing Aaron Cruden to put a kick downfield. Cruden was admittedly under pressure from the advancing Bulls when he kicked, but the chase onto Akona Ndungane was perfectly timed. The Bulls left wing was unable to control the ball, which spat out to the side, and Horrell was up to kick through and score.
It was the last scoring for the Chiefs in the first half, with the 17 minutes before halftime being all about the Bulls, who looked to be taking control of the game as much on the field as they were on the scoreboard. A Steyn penalty regained the lead for the Bulls and then as the hooter loomed Dewaldt Potgieter, who had an impressive game, launched off a maul and a great pass from Francois Hougaard saw Bjorn Basson go in at the corner flag.
The Chiefs did play a lot better in the second half, and they exhibited greater control than they had earlier. But although Cruden kicked two penalties against one from Steyn to cut the deficit to five points in the quarter hour after halftime, the Bulls still seemed to be in control until the Chiefs surged into the Bulls half and forced a penalty inside not far from their line.
The Chiefs’ decision not to kick for goal was debated by the commentators – they had also eschewed an earlier attempt – but the Chiefs did have momentum with them and the decision proved the right one. The Bulls defence should not feel happy though as no backline should ever concede a try off set-play, with the Chiefs going right, Cruden drifting wide to put Tikoirotuma in for the try off his inside shoulder.
With the conversion that made it a two point lead for the Chiefs, but it was promptly cancelled by another Steyn penalty, and it looked like the Bulls might be regaining the ascendancy as they played their way into the Chiefs half. There was though a twist in the tail and the Chiefs gamebreakers, with their ability to strike from anywhere, ensured their team goes back to the top of the log ahead of the Stormers, who will remain top of the South African conference regardless of what happens in Durban on Saturday.
The Bulls did though bag a precious bonus point which could prove invaluable to them if they recover from this defeat and the long flight home to beat the Stormers in Pretoria next week. Not that it will be too much of a consolation to them as this was a game where they should have got four log points. It was one they gave away.
Well well well. Who does one believe - Mike or this journalist who seems to think the bulle should have won.
Sitting bulle it appears you guys got lucky!
SCORERS
Chiefs –Tries: Andrew Horrell, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Sam Cane. Conversion: Aaron Cruden. Penalties: Aaron Cruden(3).
Vodacom Bulls – Try: Bjorn Basson . Conversion: Morne Steyn Drop goal: Morne Steyn. Penalties: Morne Steyn (4).
