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Rampant Bulls trample Stormers

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Bulls wing Rosko Speckman

Rosko Specman scored two tries as the Vodacom Bulls thrashed a disjointed Stormers side 40-3 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. JON CARDINELLI reports.

The Bulls have begun their 2019 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign in emphatic fashion. The new signings Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Brits, Specman – and the return of skipper Lood de Jager –  made a world of difference to the side’s approach and execution as they romped to a bonus-point win against their old rivals from the Western Cape.

De Jager and Vermeulen caused the frail Stormers forwards all sorts of problems at the lineout, and it was from these mistakes that the home side pounced. While the Bulls’ defence and kicking was excellent, their ability to convert counterattacking chances into points was particularly impressive. The handling of the forwards was a highlight.

The Stormers came into this game under a cloud. While they beat the Bulls in the pre-season fixture at Cape Town Stadium two weeks ago, and coach Robbie Fleck talked a big game in the build-up to the derby at Loftus, they were always going to struggle in Pretoria. The franchise has been plagued by off-field issues in recent months and the unhappiness of the players and coaching staff has been reported at length.

That said, the Stormers fared worse than most believed they would or could. The game was delayed by 20 minutes when the team bus got stuck in traffic on the way to the ground. When the Stormers eventually emerged from the Loftus tunnel, they were without their Marvel-inspired jerseys.

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The attire wasn’t the problem, though. The Stormers went on to lose five lineouts in the first half alone. De Jager and Vermeulen got the better of fellow Springbok Pieter-Steph du Toit in this department. Stormers hooker Bongi Mbonambi had a night to forget in terms of his lineout feeds.

The Bulls punished these mistakes severely. Specman finished superbly after the ball was shifted wide from a lineout turnover. The diminutive winger scored his second of the evening after taking a sharp inside pass by fullback Warrick Gelant.

Johnny Kotze crossed the line after 25 minutes and the Bulls went to the break with a commanding 21-3 lead. That scoreline didn’t quite tell the story regarding how well the Bulls had kicked and defended, though.

Handré Pollard and Jesse Kriel combined after half-time to put their side in control. Off the back of another strong set piece, Pollard kicked over the advancing defenders. Kriel read the play well, collected the ball and raced through to score.

The Bulls maintained their composure thereafter. Pollard kicked two penalties to extend the side’s lead to 34-3. The win, at least, appeared to be in the bag with more than 30 minutes left on the clock.

The Stormers struggled to get a foothold in the game. They were without captain Siya Kolisi, who had left the field in the first half with a head injury. None of the senior players managed to inspire a turnaround in the latter stages or even a late surge that may have resulted in a few tries and reduced the margin of defeat.

The result sees the Stormers continuing their poor run away from home. While they will be back at Newlands next week, few if any will install them as favourites against the Lions – who won the South African conference last year.

The Bulls’ challenge from here on will be one of consistency. They will play the Jaguares in Buenos Aires next week, and will be looking to claim their first-ever win in Argentina.

Bulls – Tries: Rosko Specman (2), Johnny Kotze, Jesse Kriel. Conversions: Handré Pollard (4). Penalties: Pollard (4).
Stormers – Penalty: SP Marais.

Bulls – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Johnny Kotzé, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 Lood de Jager (c), 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Subs: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 Thembelani Bholi, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Dylan Sage.

Stormers – 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 SP Marais, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Subs: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Corné Fourie, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Chris van Zyl, 20 Kobus van Dyk, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Dan du Plessis.

Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix