Bulls assistant coach Johan van Graan has admitted that his team’s forwards have been found wanting over the last week or so.
Van Graan says some harsh words had been spoken to ensure the Bulls pack lives up to its reputation as one of the strongest in the series. They take on the Waratahs in an important Super14 game in Sydney on Saturday, writes JJ Harmse for www.sport24.com.
“We realise mistakes were made against the Crusaders. We did not scrum well and lost possession twice in the scrums, while they got all their balls. We also lost three lineouts and a restart. That’s not good enough and we know that,” said Van Graan.
Van Graan’s colleague, Pieter Rossouw, said on Monday that the backline was not happy with the quality of possession it is receiving from the forwards.
Van Graan believes it will be different against the Waratahs.
“We worked very hard. I’m happy that we had a good week,” he said.
He believes looseheads are currently getting the benefit of the doubt over tightheads at the scrums.
“I did analyse the scrums and feel referees are not penalising the looseheads enough because of illegal scrumming. That goes for everyone, not just the Bulls,” he said.
The Bulls know what to expect from referee Jonathan Kaplan this week.
“We are not expecting any favours. We will have to play positively and gauge early what he will allow,” said Van Graan.
He believes the Waratahs’ scrum is the best in the Super14 together with that of the Sharks. However, he feels there are weaknesses in their lineout play that can be exploited.
“We saw something there that we can exploit to our advantage. They also defend really well,” said Van Graan.
Bulls centre Wynand Olivier agrees. “They are physical and the low scores against them bears testimony to how well they defend. However, we can score tries if we play to our potential,” he said.
Olivier would like to put in a few big hits. “I want to make a bigger contribution on defence and am working hard with our defence coach John McFarland to improve my timing and technique.”
Olivier is not happy with his form, even though many experts believe it to be exceptional.
“I believe my tactical kicking is not at the desired level,” he said.
Tweet
bulls are soft. Pass it on
…
Bulls are soft, pass it onn
…
@robdylan (Comment 1) : @Big Fish (Comment 2) : Top of the morning to you!
Bulls bashing so early in the morning?
Bulls are soft, pass it on.( just don’t get it intercepted )
@Pokkel (Comment 3) : Bulls are wrapped in cotton wool 😈
hehehe that’s nice start to the day.
bulls are soft pass it on
😆 😆 😆 Bulls are soft pass it on (Unless there are any on this site… in which case it was peer pressure)
@Pokkel (Comment 3) :
Good day you you Sir!
…or pass it to the touch judge! 😈
Catches it…charges like Wolla…leaves 5 soft Bulls on the floor and passes it to…
@blackshark (Comment 8) : that would be phase 9 so let’s build up some more
bulls are soft pass it on
Beautiful no look pass breaks the line… 😆
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast……
…Breaks a clothes-arm tackle from JP Nel and hands of a weak grab from Pierre Spies…
@Big Fish (Comment 12) :
ANNND SCORES!!!!…….
Bulls are soft…pass it on..
@Prof. Ice (Comment 13) : i was hoping for some more phases but score is a score
stefan, chosing not to kick this time, relaunches attack from inside sharks 22
bulls are soft pass it on ….
“I did analyse the scrums and feel referees are not penalising the looseheads enough because of illegal scrumming. That goes for everyone, not just the Bulls,” he said.
Finally!! The admit they also cheat!
bulls are soft… pass it on 🙂
@rekinek (Comment 14) :
Too many phases….too low a score…i am anexpansive rugby girl!!
Druk die driee e kry dit overs kedovers!! 😆
@rekinek (Comment 14) :
Passes to JP, who dances past 3 Bull kalfies before taking the ball to ground…
(Bulle is sag, stuur dit aan)
@Big Fish (Comment 18) : Bulle is papsak, e-mail dit 😯
@Big Fish (Comment 18) : relatively quick ball for rockot who cannot resist breaking through almost non- existant gap and once tackled quickly offloads to adi
(Bulle is sag, stuur dit aan)
Adi steps outside and then cuts in…sees Odwa sprinting on the inside yelling ” The Bulls are soft – pass it on…” …and he does…
it took us the whole day to score one try 😆
needs to speed up a bit to get BP
…. passes to Odwa who turns the gas on and ….over the line
bulls are soft pass it on
Kickoff by Morne “BMT” Steyn…
Fielded by Muller, who passes to a charging Beast, who carries strongly over the 22 and proves that
weak are the Bulls, let it be passed onward…
@blackshark (Comment 21) : Dude that was quality comedy!
@Big Fish (Comment 24) : The Bulls weakness so on display that even forwards start passing
until the ball reaches Bismarck Du Plessis who carrier it strongly hands off one, hands off another
but then some blue creature managed in desperation to get a grip of his sock – he goes to ground but just before passes to….
byki sa slabe
pass it on
@rekinek (Comment 26) :
😆 😆 😆
A flying Ryan Hasselhof, who brushes of another ladyboy tackle by Pierre “Chemicals” Spies before stepping past a bemused FDP and offloading to Frans Steyn who roars:
Verily, the bovines doth be weak and full of fear, let it be proclaimed throughout the land…
A last effort tackle by meisiekind manages to trip Steyn just short of the line…only for Smit to pick up and score. Tonight we dine on tenderised steak!
you guys having fun? 🙂
is there a time for the Bonus Poingt Try..
Deflated and with no hope for any points whatsoever Steyn drags himself to the place of kick off which he hushes completely balls rolling only few meters
picked up by Sykes who now leisurely runs in straight line past and over the blue bodies
until passes to …
JAN! Player 23 is on the field for the Sharks and he STREAKS passed a flailing Kirchner to score the bonus point try!
Jan, jan, jan! Hy’s die hart vannie span!
@robdylan (Comment 29) : i do
can we have more of those
bulls are soft pass it on
@robdylan (Comment 31) :
Is Jan nekkid??? 😯
What a game of rugby!
@Big Fish (Comment 33) : jan eetie vannie vloerafie
bulls are soft… pass it on
@Big Fish (Comment 33) :
time for braai
Gee die ball for Bryan! 😈
@robdylan (Comment 34) :
If its the Jan from the tv ads, I also wouldn’t want to tackle him – especially in case one were to accidentally touch his dingle-dangle. 😯
Luckily ther is only “guys” on this site…
@Prof. Ice (Comment 37) : lucky 🙂
😎
@Prof. Ice (Comment 39) : so what do you have planned for paasnaweek?