Super Rugby in the South African conference kicks off with an absolute humdinger of a match at Loftus, hosting the top of the log finishing Stormers to face their beloved Bulls.
The Bulls have named a settled looking team with no big changes to the team that we saw taking part last year, with the only change being at wing where the Lions’ Lionel Mapoe makes his Bulls debut and Morné Mellett starting in the front row for the injured Dean Greyling.
For the Stormers, there are a number of changes in key positions, starting Elton Jantjies, Jaco Taute and Pat Cilliers after playing for the Lions last year, while Damian de Allende starts in midfield and Nic Groom starts ahead of Dewaldt Duvenhage.
This is set to be an intense start to the Super Rugby season in a match that could go either way, specifically taking into consideration the Stormers’ recent run of form at Loftus.
Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies (captain), 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Juandrè Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Morné Mellett.
Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Grant Hattingh, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Louis Fouché, 22 Francois Venter.
Stormers: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 De Kock Steenkamp, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Don Armand, 19 Nizaam Carr, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Gerhard van den Heever, 22 Joe Pietersen
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Bulls by 2
Go Stormers, keep my 100% record going.
Can someone keep this updated off to the last meeting of the week
Bulls are leading by 3 , PK by Morne….
Elton miss his first PK
Morne keeps the bulls in the Stormers half, Elton not getting the same distance on his kicks and struggling to get them away….
15 min
Scrapy game so far…. Morne almost corner vlag with a dropgoal-attempt
The Bulls not getting thru the stormers…
5 meter attacking scrum for the Stormers….
5meter line out for Stormers…. they loose it
first time on sharksworld….who to support bulls or stormers? stormers tight 5 i thought are too light
Morne PK from 52 meters….. over… bulls lead 6-0
@DBOY (Comment 10) : very welcome…..
a big crash in the middle…… Habana and 2 bulls….
@DBOY (Comment 10) : welcome to the best site in the world
Scrum penalty against Stormers….. Morne PK over
Bulls 9 – 0 Stormers
34 min
@Franshark (Comment 13) : ex lions players not pulling they weight
Stormer awarded a penalty, Elton PK miss
@Poisy (Comment 16) : absolutely, they costing the Stormers…..
Kak boring game so far.
@Pokkel (Comment 19) : its better than an aussie derby
Another chance for Elton to get the Stormers on the board…..
and its not happening….
Bulls 9 – 0 Stormers
HT
@Franshark (Comment 21) : lol morne must be having a laugh after last year with the boks its eltons turn
WTF Elton, has the Stormers ruined you already?
2nd half starts with another miss from Elton
Morne increase the score with another 3 points….
TMO for Stormers try….
Try awarded to Jean
Joe on, kicks the conversion
Bulls 12 – 7 Stormers
51 min
Stormers looking better
Joe with another PK
Bulls 12 – 10 Stormers
55 min
damn you eskom! cant watch the game power outage
Thanks alot!!!
You can have the best backs but without good forwar
ds u wont get the result. Stormers props looks pedastrain
Morne takes the Bulle further ahead again….
Bulls 15 – 10 Stormers
57 min
Morne with another pk
Bulls 18 – 10 Stormers
60 min
Chilly over…… TMO for a few questions……. Chilly in front of kicker…. try awarded…..
Bulls 25 – 10 Stormers
68min
Wtf, stormers?
BuLls win without a bonus is a better result for us. We have to pick up an away win this weekend
Stormers gets a try thru Becker….
Bulls 25 – 17 Stormers
Full Time
5 from 5 but sadly only 1 margin point.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JDV…dont look to sharp. hope we get a new Springbok Capt to lead us to the RWC
It is clear that Chillyboy was in front of the kicker, loiter off-side in fact. When the kicker kicks, his players must RETREAT and can not move forward untill put onside. How this rule escaped the complete referee ensemble (with slow motion cameras)is beyond the avid rugby supporter!:twisted:
It is clear that Chillyboy was in front of the kicker, loitering off-side in fact. When the kicker kicks, his players must RETREAT and can not move forward untill put onside. How this rule escaped the complete referee ensemble (with slow motion cameras)is beyond the avid rugby supporter!:twisted:
@KILLER SHARK (Comment 43) : Yep, so you say!
@diablo (Comment 44)
@KILLER SHARK (Comment 43) : sorry to say this but your emotions is running havoc, nothing wrong with the try beining awarded,it was a kick touched by the stormers thus all players are on side even if they were in front of the kicker(same reason why alberts’ try were awarded against england on the eoyt)
how this rule escaped you (with slow motion replayes) is beyond me.
@diablo (Comment 44) : congrats with your team’s victory, even though not one of teams were sharp today,they were the beter team
@BR (Comment 46) : No emotion here for either the Stormers or Bulls. Sharks only!
But as it beyond you to read the rule book, please get updated with the following IRB rules before forwarding it to the ref:
11.1 Offside in general play
(a)A player who is in an offside position is liable to sanction only if the player does one of three things:
• Interferes with play or,
• Moves forward, towards the ball or
• Fails to comply with the 10-Metre Law (Law 11.4).
A player who is in an offside position is not automatically penalised.
A player who receives an unintentional throw forward is not offside.
A player can be offside in the in-goal.
(b) Offside and interfering with play. A player who is offside must not take part in the game. This means the player must not play the ball or obstruct an opponent.
(c) Offside and moving forward. When a team-mate of an offside player has kicked ahead, the offside player must not move towards opponents who are waiting to play the ball, or move towards the place where the ball lands, until the player has been put onside.
11.2 Being put onside by the action of a team-mate
In general play, there are three ways by which an offside player can be put onside by actions of that player or of team mates:
(a) Action by the player. When the offside player runs behind the team-mate who last kicked, touched or carried the ball, the player is put onside.
(b) Action by the ball carrier. When a team-mate carrying the ball runs in front of the offside player, that player is put onside.
(c) Action by the kicker or other onside player. When the kicker, or team-mate who was level with or behind the kicker when (or after) the ball was kicked, runs in front of the offside player, the player is put onside. When running forward, the team-mate may be in touch or touch-in-goal, but that team-mate must return to the playing area to put the player onside.
In general play, there are three ways by which an offside player can be put onside by an action of the opposing team. These three ways do not apply to a player who is offside under the 10-Metre Law.
(a) Runs 5 metres with ball. When an opponent carrying the ball runs 5 metres, the offside player is put onside.
(b) Kicks or passes. When an opponent kicks or passes the ball, the offside player is put onside.
(c) Intentionally touches ball. When an opponent intentionally touches the ball but does not catch it, the offside player is put onside.
(a) When a team-mate of an offside player has kicked ahead, the offside player is considered to be taking part in the game if the player is in front of an imaginary line across the field which is 10 metres from the opponent waiting to play the ball, or from where the ball lands or may land. The offside player must immediately move behind the imaginary 10-metre line or the kicker if this is closer than 10 metres. While moving away, the player must not obstruct an opponent.
(b) While moving away, the offside player cannot be put onside by any action of the opposing team. However, before the player has moved the full 10 metres, the player can be put onside by any onside team-mate who runs in front of the player.
(c) When a player who is offside under the 10-Metre Law charges an opponent waiting to catch the ball, the referee blows the whistle at once and the offside player is penalised. Delay may prove dangerous to the opponent.
(d) When a player who is offside under the 10-metre Law plays the ball which has been misfielded by an opponent, the offside player is penalised.
(e) The 10-metre Law is not altered by the fact that the ball has hit a goal post or a crossbar. What matters is where the ball lands. An offside player must not be in front of the imaginary 10-metre line across the field.
(f) The 10-metre Law does not apply when a player kicks the ball, and an opponent charges down the kick, and a team-mate of the kicker who was in front of the imaginary 10-metre line across the field then plays the ball. The opponent was not ‘waiting to play the ball’ and the team-mate is onside. The 10-metre Law applies if the ball touches or is played by an opponent but is not charged down.
(g) If more than one player is offside and moving forward after a team-mate has kicked ahead, the place of infringement is the position of the offside player closest to an opponent waiting for the ball, or closest to where the ball lands.
@KILLER SHARK (Comment 48) : (f) The 10-metre Law does not apply when a player kicks the ball, and an opponent charges down the kick, and a team-mate of the kicker who was in front of the imaginary 10-metre line across the field then plays the ball. The opponent was not ‘waiting to play the ball’ and the team-mate is onside. The 10-metre Law applies if the ball touches or is played by an opponent but is not charged down.
Thus Chiliboy was not offside, The ball was not intentionally touched thus it is a charge down
@BR (Comment 49) :
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. 
@KILLER SHARK (Comment 50) : ok jy het my, wat het jy nou eintlik probeer sê.