Bulls regain some pride

The Bulls recorded just their third win of the Super 14 season by drubbing the Highlanders 47-17 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

The Bulls recorded just their third win of the Super 14 season by drubbing the Highlanders 47-17 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

A barnstorming first-half performance from the Bulls set up the win which finally gave the Loftus faithful something to smile about.

Zane Kirchner and Akona Ndungane scored two tries each as the Bulls ran out easy winners.

The hosts were out to restore some pride in the blue jersey in their 70th anniversary year and the absence of captain Fourie du Preez seemed to be no hindrance as the Bulls back-line scored five of their six tries.

Under blue skies and temperatures in their mid-twenties, the teams couldn't have asked for better conditions. The stands were conspicuous by their emptiness however. It seemed that there were more dancers on the field for the pre-game entertainment than bums in seats in the stands.

The Bulls got off to a perfect start as referee Paul Marks awarded them penalty for off-side right in front of the posts after just 30 seconds. Morné Steyn couldn't have missed if he tried and put his team ahead.

Things went from good to great as full-back Zane Kirchner scored the game's first try three minutes later.

In a rare occasion this season that saw the world's best winger actually get his hands on the ball, the Bulls managed to spread the ball out wide to Bryan Habana who turned on the gas and put in a clever chip for Kirchner who dived onto the ball to send the spectators wild.

Bulls fans had suddenly appeared from hidden corners and although the stadium couldn't have been more than 20 per cent full, those who were there were screaming their lungs out.

Memories of what had won them the Super 14 last year must have come flooding back to the Bulls as the used a line-out to create another opportunity. A classic Bulls move saw them win a line-out, drive up a maul and then spread it wide. The Highlanders crept off-side again and Steyn did the rest to make it 11-0.

Scrum-half Heini Adams must have been cursing his luck as he was forced off the field after taking a knock to the tibia that had taken so long to heal pre-season. Francois Hougaard, brother of Bulls fly-half Derick made his Super 14 debut as Adams' replacement.

Steyn's boot then punished the Highlanders for going offside again to make the score 14-0, but the home side were looking like the slow and all too predictable side they have been all season. In eight phases they were unable to move forward as the Highlanders could see them coming from a mile away.

Steyn was forced to snap his side out of their repetitive ways and awoke the crowd with an interception. Steyn off-loaded to Kirchner who sold the Highlanders' defence an extravagant dummy before putting Akona Ndungane away in the corner.

The Highlanders then finally got some possession. Their forwards rucked and mauled their side back into the game and James Wilson converted a good passage of play for the visitors with a penalty.

The Bulls had an 'all Hougaard axis' when Habana was forced into the blood bin to tend to nasty cut on his forehead and Derrick Hougaard earned his 50th Super Rugby cap.

When Highlanders winger Fetu'u Vainikolo received a yellow card for tackling Ndungane in the air with a little more than half an hour on the clock, the game slipped out of the visitor's reach.

The Bulls used their extra man in the back-line to produce potentially the try of their season. Some wonderful inter-passing resulted in Kirchner scoring his second try from a Ndungane pass. Steyn added the extra two points and the home side led 28-3 at half-time.

The second-half started in similar fashion as Kirchner joined the Bulls line at a great angle to pierce the Highlanders defence and send JP Nel over the line for the Bulls' bonus point try.

The Highlanders were forced to throw the ball around in an attempt to get back into the game but the pressure from the Bulls proved too much for them to handle and their attacking moves went a little pear shaped.

With twenty minutes to play the Bulls' concentration and intensity levels took a dip. The Highlanders cashed in as their pack crashed over the line as one after mauling it up from a line-out.

An inevitable Bulls yellow card followed shortly afterwards as Danie Rossouw continued their poor disciplinary record this year. Despite every referee he has crossed paths with this season reminding him that you are not allowed to play the ball when off your feet, Rossouw still seems to have trouble understanding the concept.

One had the impression that after all their hard work the Bulls had switched off. The Highlanders continued to fight though and when Tom Donnelly barged through a half-hearted tackled from Jaco Engles to score under the sticks, those Bulls fans who had been screaming earlier must have raised an eyebrow and said “here we go again.”

But that try seemed to remind the home side that they still had ten minutes to play. Two late tries from Pedrie Wannenburg and Ndungane coming from more good handling and some great work by Pierre Spies in broken play sealed the Bulls best performance of the season.

Man of the match: Steven Setephano's performance in the number eight jersey for the Highlanders was one of the few good points that they could take from the game. Akona Ndungane was clearly enjoying all the ball the Bulls back three were seeing. But Zane Kirchner was excellent for Bulls, apart from his two tries he joined the back-line at pace and threw a few super passes, he only played 60 minutes, but they were good enough to earn him the day's honours.

Moment of the match: Bulls back-line produced a few good moments but we thought Kirchner's second try was the best.

Villain of the match: No fisticuffs of any significance to report.

The Scorers

For the Bulls:
Tries: Kirchner 2 , Ndungane 2, Nel, Wannenburg
Cons:Steyn 4
Pens: Steyn 3

For the Highlanders:
Tries: King, Donnelly
Cons: Wilson 2
Pens: Wilson

Yellow cards: Vainikolo (32nd minute – Highlanders – dangerous tackle), Rossouw (65th minute – Bulls – killing the ball)

Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JP Nel, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Wikus van Heerden, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün, 1 Guthro Steenkamp
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Jaco Engels, 19 Danie Rossouw, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Derrick Hougaard, 22 Pedrie Wannenburg

Highlanders: 15 Paul Williams, 14 Matt Saunders, 13 Niva Ta'auso, 12 Johnny Leota, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 James Wilson, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Steven Setephano, 7 Craig Newby, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Hoani MacDonald, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Jason Macdonald, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
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