Advertisement
The blockbuster game of the URC this weekend was 2nd place Glasgow hosting 3rd place Bulls. This was a game with everything that you want in a sporting fixture: stakes, back stories and quality.
Dobie (34'), Steyn (76'), McDowall (78')
Tries
Grobbelaar (50'), Kriel (59')
Horne (35', 79')
Conversions
Goosen (51', 60')
Penalties
Goosen (16', 23', 39', 55')
The blockbuster game of the URC this weekend was 2nd place Glasgow hosting 3rd place Bulls. This was a game with everything that you want in a sporting fixture: stakes, back stories and quality.
The stakes: a home semi final for the team that finished 2nd on the log, Glasgow holding a 4 point advantage over their guests.
The back story: this was a repeat of last season’s grand final where Glasgow ripped up the script to steal the title away from the Bulls in their own back yard down in Pretoria.
The quality: these are two excellent teams coach by two world class coaches in Franco Smith and Jake White. They have different styles, but once you understand them, both are a joy to watch.
Glasgow very, very rarely lose at home. One defeat at Scotstoun in 2 years in the league. The Bulls, meanwhile, are the best South African side away from home, having become the first team from the rainbow nation to win away at munster just a week before.
What’s more, we knew that Jake White had made a plan for this game. We knew he was out for revenge for the final defeat and he would have spent all year devising a strategy to topple Glasgow. We learned what that might be with the team announcements on Thursday as Jake named 4 locks in his starting pack and one of the biggest front rows any of us had ever seen. Glasgow, meanwhile, were starting to look a little thread bare with no Fagerson (of any variety) and no Dempsy in the forwards whilst neither Jones nor Tuipulotu were present in the centres.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels (loosehead prop)
Johann Grobbelaar (hooker)
Wilco Louw (tighthead prop)
Cobus Wiese (second row)
JF van Heerden (second row)
Jannes Kirsten (flanker)
Ruan Nortje (flanker)
Marco van Staden (number eight)
The game started at breakneck speed, both throwing everything at each other in their own ways. The tone was set by an unbelievable hold up by Jan-Hendrik Wessels to prevent an early Scottish score. the next 10 minutes was characterised by Glasgow possession and fearsome bulls tackling. At times, though, it seemed the visitors would get on the wrong side of referee Andrew Brace. The Bulls, though, managed to paint all the right pictures at a scrum on 15 minutes - their Scrum is the best in club rugby and a sight to behold for the rugby purist. It lead to an opportunity for the first 3 of the game which Goosen duly converted.
In defence, Bulls were shooting up hard to make big hits and to block the passing lanes but Glasgow didn’t panic and had unbelievable discipling on attack. 21 minutes in you really wondered if the players could maintain the intensity… and if not, who would break first? Meanwhile, a 60m kick from Goosen took the lead to 6.
By 25 minutes, we were starting to see one of Jake’s plans come to fruition. The Bulls, with their 4 locks, were jumping at every lineout. Whilst they weren’t stealing the ball, they were denying Glasgow a clean platform, forcing them to come up with creative solutions and preventing them from setting up their deals mauls. When they did finally maul on 27 minutes, Bulls were able to bring it down legally.
Bulls were clearly given licence to make mistakes, with Goosen the culprit for a couple. On 33 minutes he gave away a breakdown penalty he had no right to commit, referee Brace issuing a warning for a yellow card. For sure, Glasgow’s phase attack was levels above the Bulls’. Eventually they solved the Bulls’ defensive Rubik's cube and a floated ball over the top that took a deflection off Canan Moodie’s legitimate intercept attempt into the grateful hands of Jamie Dobie. 7-6.
Glasgow made the next mistake, a schoolboy error of going for the choke tackle off a kick, gifting the Bulls a scrum. You don’t want to do that! The Bulls duly earned themselves a shot at goal and Glasgow’s tighthead a yellow card warning. Goosen made amends for his errors by slotting another 50m attempt, even if he did try unsuccessfully to get a 10m discount. Half time, 7-9.
Second half started and Bulls were immediately on top but their phase attack let them down again. One wonders what they’d look like with Kurt-Lee Arendse back with them. Another bad option by Goosen concedes the ball and field position. He is spared by a bad mistake from his opposite number who misses a kick to touch. Glasgow changed their front row, another moral victory to the Bulls, but proactive from Franco. It made no difference though as the Bulls won yet another scrum penalty soon after.
Another scrum to the Bulls came when Glasgow dropped the ball in their own half, Bulls licked their lips but Glasgow held firm. The Bulls attack really lacks width and deception, despite the size advantage Glasgow had no issue dealing with it. However, the visitors held the pill long enough to earn a penalty and for the first time Goosen turns down the 3 and kicks to the corner. This was the closet the Bulls had come to Glasgow’s line and they simply had to score. They did, burrowing over from close range. 7-16.
Following the Bulls score, Glasgow discipline started to go out the window. A succession of soft penalties piggybacked the Bulls down town and eventually gave Goosen his easiest shot of the night and Glasgow are 2 scores down with 25 minutes to go. 7-19.
Moodie’s blitz defence was absolutely sensational, the confidence to shoot out like a mad man and smash players behind the gainline was nothing short of a masterclass.. If the Springbok coaches were watching, they’d have loved every moment of what he was doing.
Then the big moment. Moodie shuts down yet another attack and George Horne looks to box kick. However, Tom Jordan overrules him and goes for a cross field kick. It was highly ill-advise. The Bulls caught it under no pressure and kicked long into acres of space. Jordan realised too late no one else is going back to cover it and set off in persuit, but his legs had left him. The Bulls won the race and Kriel - the top man for URC try involvements last year, got his name on the scoresheet once more. 7-26.
Glasgow gifted the Bulls yet another attacking scrum and it was an incredible drive from the Pretorians. At that point, 3s is all they needed, but Le Roux emerges from the bench and sends them to the corner. It went wrong and the Bulls gave away an offside penalty. Could the Warriors grasp the lifeline? No. A fruitless attack and Akker van der Merwe of all people toed the ball down deep into Glasgow’s 22.
With 70 minutes on the clock, Glasgow had a reprieve as a Darge charge got them from their own 22 to the Bulls, but the visitors win the race to get back into shape and snuff out the attack. The game became frantic and almost end to end from there as tired players dropped balls and kick aheads lead to huge metre gains but no one could convert the low percentage chances.
That is, until the 76th minute, when two quick fire scores got Warriors right back into it. The first a well executed strike play that got Steyn beyond the Bulls blitz and into the corner. The second a brilliant breakaway from their own half finished by MacDowell. Horne missed the first conversion but nailed the second. 19-26.
And so it was to finish as Glasgow infringe on the restart. There was one final twist in the tail as the Bulls had a chance to deny Glasgow a losing bonus point by kicking another 3 - of which they had not kissed a single attempt all night - but Le Roux decided he’d had enough and kicked the ball out, meaning Glasgow are still one point ahead of the Bulls in the table.
It might not end up mattering; Bulls now head back down to Pretoria where they will have a rest week and then back to back games at home to Welsh opposition, which you expect them to win with bones points.
Glasgow, by contrast, face two away trips: the first to Benetton, who are hunting a play-off spot of their own, and away to Leinster who have already brutalised the Warriors once this season. It’s advantage Bulls in the race for a home semi final.
Glasgow Warriors Starting XV (1-15) Nathan McBeth, Gregor Hiddleston, Patrick Schickerling, Max Williamson, Alex Samuel, Gregor Brown, Rory Darge, Jack Mann, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe, Stafford McDowall, Kyle Steyn, Sebastian Cancelliere, Ollie Smith
Glasgow Warriors Replacements (16-23) Johnny Matthews, Jamie Bhatti, Sam Talakai, Scott Cummings, Euan Ferrie, Sione Vailanu, Jamie Dobie, Adam Hastings
Vodacom Bulls Starting XV (1-15) Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johann Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Cobus Wiese, JF van Heerden, Jannes Kirsten, Ruan Nortje, Marco van Staden, Embrose Papier, Johan Goosen, Sebastian de Klerk, Harold Vorster, David Kriel, Canan Moodie, Devon Williams
Vodacom Bulls Replacements (16-23) Akker van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Jaco Grobbelaar, Juann Else, Keagan Johannes, Willie le Roux, Stedman Gans
