Bulls player ratings: Captain fantastic displays ‘one-man masterclass’ while little too late bench ‘save face’
Bulls player ratings: Captain fantastic displays 'one-man masterclass' while little too late bench 'save face'
The Bulls fell 19-50 to the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening in the final warm-up match of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
Here are the Bulls player ratings:
Backs
15 Willie le Roux: He tried to create a spark within the Bulls attack, but much of his playmaking efforts fell short, with his supporting runners being wrapped up before being able to exploit the slivers of space. As he found himself more desperate to create space, he became looser with the ball, losing it on a couple of occasions. You can’t knock him for trying, but he was always going against the grain. 5
14 Thaakir Abrahams: The slippery winger was evasive when afforded his limited opportunities, but found himself closed down and often without support. Like many of his teammates, his defence left a lot to be desired, missing three tackles over the duration. 6
13 Stedman Gans: Again, defence was woeful, being shrugged off four times in total. In attack, he wasn’t evasive like his winger, but he was certainly persistent. His yardage gain wasn’t impressive, but he tried time and time again, eventually giving his side the upper hand on occasions. 5
12 Harold Vorster: Found wanting in defence, missing a game-high of six tackles. In attack he wasn’t quite as visible, but simply because he struggled to create much at all. Not a great showing. 4
11 Stravino Jacobs: Like many of his teammates, he was starved of opportunities. But when he was afforded time on the ball, he was electric, making 52 metres and scoring one try from just four carries. 7
10 Curwin Bosch: He didn’t have the benefit of playing off front-foot possession, but did what he could when tracking back. He had the fortune of playmakers around him taking the pressure off, which allowed him to focus on his running game, but even so, he never really took control of the game. 5
9 Embrose Papier: The Bulls played off nine, and Papier was the hub of all that was happening in the Bulls ranks. Like his halfback partner, however, he struggled with a platform to work from, meaning that his efforts to keep his team ticking over were met with a great black wall. 6
Forwards
8 Jeandre Rudolph: One of the stars of the Bulls show, he put in a huge defensive effort, making 16 tackles and winning three turnovers. His giant frame was vital in ensuring the Bulls’ go-forward ball, making 31 metres from just five carries. 8
7 Hanro Liebenberg: The former Leicester Tigers man was clearly up for this one. He was ferocious in the tackle, and dead-eyed in the carry. The only criticism is that he ought to have got himself involved in the game more. 6
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6 Marcell Coetzee: This was, simply put, a one-man masterclass. Every collision was made with intense venom, precision and intention. Defensively, he topped the charts with 16 tackles made, and in attack he made almost double the nearest Bulls player with 13 carries. His 74 metres gained from four defenders beaten dwarfed anyone else in the Bulls squad. He may be 35 years old, but there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet. 9
5 JF van Heerden: Again, defensively solid. 15 tackles in the bag and a very secure defensive line. In attack, however, he struggled to see much of the ball, and when he did, he did very little with it. Led the lineout with ease, however. 7
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4 Ruan Vermaak: Put his body on the line in defence. Although his tackles weren’t dominant, they did the job. Was a handy option in the lineout when Else chose not to use Van Heerden. His effort over the whole game has to be admired, and was well deserving of his late try. 5
3 Francois Klopper: Struggled at scrum time, but did a shift in open play. Against a strong All Black front row, he won’t be too disappointed, but will still feel like he left something out there. 5
2 Juann Else: A pretty industrial shift all in all. He was constantly in the breakdown, made plenty of effective tackles, and wasn’t afraid to take the ball into contact. 6
1 Alulutho Tshakweni: Poor scrum performance, and even worse in the tackle, getting brushed off five times in total. The All Black scrum was a strong one, so in a sense you can excuse the poor showing, but he will have wished to have made a better showing of himself. 4
Replacements: The game was done by the time the replacements arrived, but still, they did a good job at halting the All Black rampage. Paul de Wet was superb at scrum half, Sti Sithole and Khutha Mchunu solidified the scrum, while the other arrival added the intensity needed to level the scales. All a little too late, but at least they saved face. 7