The Bulls went to the RDS last week to face Leinster and were written off by all and sundry. Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode, the pundits on the popular podcast, The Rugby Pod, went so far as to say Leinster would win by 28 – 30 points! I am not sure if Jake White pinned this on the changing room wall but clearly people who were so dismissive of the Bulls chances had not appreciated White’s record in knockout games, as well as the blueprint which was set out by La Rochelle in how to beat Leinster.
Leinster’s squad depth is well documented, and their side on Friday night contained effectively a full Irish test team, with Jonny Sexton a surprise omission, only being included on the bench. The Bulls only had 3 Boks in the starting line-up and two on the bench, none of whom were involved in the last Bok squad. This gulf in international class was never brought to bear by Leinster however.
The Bulls smashed them from start to finish. Leinster got no collision dominance and their much-vaunted rapid ruck speed was nullified as a result. At the scrum, Andrew Porter was fortunate to be awarded a couple of penalties where it was clear that his elbow hit the ground first under massive pressure from the impressive Mornay Smith. The Bulls also won a number of lineouts on the Leinster throw and on their own ball were secure and won a penalty try owing to their maul cohesion against a flailing Leinster pack.
The jackal threat posed by the Bulls, with their starting and reserve hookers in particular, was a standout feature. Johan Grobbelaar was immense all game, with his huge workrate obvious throughout and earning him the man of the match. When Bismarck du Plessis came on towards the end he won the crucial jackal penalty which Morne Steyn slotted (obviously) to put the game out of reach of a shell-shocked Leinster. Leinster coach Stuart Lancaster had the 1000 yard stare in the dying moments of the game when he was shown on TV. The Bulls won 27 – 26, but in truth were comfortable pretty much from the first kick-off and deservedly booked their place in the final.
In a much nervier and tighter encounter, the Stormers somehow managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in injury time against a brilliant Ulster side, who are developing a Clermontesque reputation as the perennial bridesmaids. This result was made all the more impressive when one considers the atrocious officiating that took place on Saturday night.
When the officials were announced in the week, I had massive trepidation. Mike Adamson is incompetent, whereas Sam Grove-White (AR) and Ben Waterhouse (TMO) have form in blowing against SA teams in this season’s competition. Exhibit A – Grove-White’s inexcusable performance in the Scarlets clash in the final round of pool play. Had Rassie still been DoR in Cape Town the Scot would have been exposed badly!!!
After Friday’s result, both sides knew that victory would secure a home final in the inaugural URC, and the chance to end a long trophy drought in both regions.
The Stormers made the perfect start by scoring two great tries, both from their usually wobbly lineout. The first came via an unstoppable lineout drive and the second was a training ground move, a brilliantly executed front peel, with Roos and Jantjies exchanging passes to set up a 10 – 0 lead. The only concern at this stage was whether the 4 points missed by Libbok would come back to haunt the Cape side.
Ulster are a brilliant team in the truest sense of the word and they came roaring back, aided and abetted by the officials. They scored their first try via a pass that wouldn’t have been out of place for a Quarterback in the NFL. They scored their second when the superb Robert Baloucoune offloaded in the tackle to set up fullback Stewart Moore. With a penalty converted by John Cooney on half time, they took a 15 – 10 lead into the break. Cooney was excellent in the first half with his contestable box kicks.
The second half was attritional, with the only points scored came in injury time, and with both sides having a go at the referee in rather unedifying scenes. If only the Stormers’ voices were given equal airing by Adamson! It was outrageous how he entertained their running dialogue by Ulster’s leaders but spoke down to the Stormers. The majority of the second half was played in the middle third of the field. It should have swung the way of Ulster when Adre Smith was shown a red card for a blatant (and stupid) eye gouge on Iain Henderson. Ulster had a man advantage for the final minutes and just needed to manage the game up front to secure a famous win.
The Stormers seemed to grow an extra leg in the final ten minutes and after concerted pressure in and around Ulster’s 22m, got close when playing off a 10m scrum after the hooter and when they came back to the openside, Libbok threw a brilliant wide pass to Warrick Gelant who went over untouched near the corner to level the scores. With extra time the alternative should he have missed the kick, Libbok nailed the conversion, to cue delirium in the stands at the DHL Stadium, where the author lost about 2 minutes of his life. Libbok’s nerve in slotting that kick after one of the poorest displays by a flyhalf I have ever seen was something to behold!
A special word for Damian Willemse, who played with an injury throughout. His inclusion in the starting line-up was perhaps the difference, with his aggression in the tackle and on attack, epitomised by his two brilliant jackal penalties. He is a passionate WP/Stormers man and his retention has been a real coup!
The final on Saturday is the classic North/South derby between two traditional foes in a fixture no one would have thought possible after the first set of fixtures when the SA teams had a 4-week tour of Europe.
The Bulls, having replicated La Rochelle’s physical dominance against Leinster, will now surely look to copy Ulster’s kicking game and defence, especially in the lineout, where the Stormers have struggled all season. One noticeable feature of their win against Leinster last week was how good the Bulls’ kick chase was, with the first defender making the tackle every time, forcing Leinster’s pack to retreat and resource the ruck to secure possession.
The battle up front will be massive as always, with the poor pitch bound to churn up after a week of near flooding in CT. Both sides look to scrum for penalties and this will be a match in and of itself. The two No. 8’s, Evan Roos and Elrigh Louw, go head-to-head and a dominant display here could see either man get a starting place against Wales in 2 weeks.
Where the game will most likely be won is the clash between the two flyhalves. On the one hand, the Bulls have the dependable Chris Smith, whereas the Stormers have the “X-factor” Manie Libbok, who surely can never play as poorly as he did last week! Whoever makes the least mistakes in the 10 jersey should see his side to victory on Saturday in a contest that is bound to go down to the last play of the game.
The Bulls are favourites, even if they will be travel weary and playing away from home. Their recent record in playoffs is impeccable, and the world really does not deserve another picture of the smug Willem Strauss boasting of every trophy the union currently holds. The Stormers thrive in chaos, both on and off the field, and this game could be the start of something special for the Cape franchise, as they enter the Heineken Champions Cup next season. Whoever can hold their nerve and make the fewest mistakes will hold the new trophy aloft. Let’s hope the predicted quagmire of a pitch won’t have the ultimate say in a game between two sides who don’t mind giving the ball air.
Stormers by 4.