Cape Town - IOL Sport’s team of rugby writers review this past weekend’s United Rugby Championship fixtures that featured the South African teams.
BULLS: PENALTIES BY THE DOZEN
The party may have continued long into Friday night for Bulls fans celebrating the bonus-point win over Glasgow, but there are some issues that coach Jake White needs to address before the playoffs.
The Pretoria side will have a lengthy break, with their next URC match only on May 20 against the Ospreys in Wales.
Before that, though, there are two Currie Cup matches, against Griquas on May 7 and Lions a week later. And White may just use those encounters to iron out their discipline in defence, as well as their lineout efficiency.
The Bulls gave away 14 penalties against Glasgow.
Their line-out has been functioning well, but there were a couple of wasted attacking throw-ins that were lost, which could be costly in the playoffs.
Ashfak Mohamed's Best XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Gerbrandt Grobler, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
LIONS: CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT
There is no doubt that the Lions have a young, talented squad that one day will be the superstars of tomorrow.
At times, when it clicks, they play an attractive brand of rugby, which can shift on a dime between fighting in the tight exchanges and a more expansive approach. They have a roaming pack of loosies that are chef’s kiss; the spine of their backline is young and exciting, while their scrums can change the outcome of a match.
If only they could stitch it all together to form a cohesive whole, then they could be brilliant. It would be fair to say, with one match remaining in the URC, the Lions have yet to put in an 80-minute performance this season; and although there have been glimpses, they have been far too inconsistent in their approach and clinical execution.
Hopefully next season, with a bit more experience, it will come together.
Morgan Bolton’s Best XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Cyle Brink, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Gebrandt Grobler, 4 Ruan Nortje, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
SHARKS: FORWARDS UNTO VICTORY
A full-house of wins for the four South African teams at the weekend confirmed that the power game of the locals can be too hot for the overseas teams to handle.
The Sharks, in particular, turned it on up front against Connacht, who fell away despairingly in the second half. Four of the five tries scored by the Sharks were by tight forwards who were on the end of relentless forward attacks. When the Sharks forwards get into their groove they are difficult to stop.
Mike Greenaway’s Best XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruan Nel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Gerbandt Grobler, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
STORMERS: WORDS OF GROWTH
While the Stormers beat the log-leading Leinster 20-13 in their URC match at Cape Town Stadium at the weekend, coach John Dobson afterwards said that it “felt like walking in after a loss”.
The Stormers mentor addressed their discipline and how anticlimactic the victory in the much-hyped game felt. While Dobson’s feelings are totally understandable, his words after the game are also testament to how much the Stormers have grown.
While the result marked their eight consecutive win at home, there was a sense that the Capetonians could have done more in the game … and that’s not just referring to all their disallowed tries.
The Stormers have come a long way since their tough start to the URC, and Dobson’s statements after the game are testament to that.
Wynona Louw’s Best XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Gerbrandt Grobler, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
IOL Sport