Super Rugby: Blues vs. Bulls in Auckland (10/03/2013)

[Darwin]

Eden Park, Auckland

 

[FlukeArtist]

I'm calling it early;

The Blues are going to SMASH The Bulls

 

[Larksea]

yeah, blues look good. Great fitness levels and continuity no real injury problems, still have room to improve but the base is really good. They know how to win, have threats accross the park. Home advantage

man how would 3 wins from 3 games be after only 4 wins total for 2012??? Get out there and do i I say.

 

[admartian]

Blues by 8. I feel like it's going to be close.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well the Bulls got some good news. Chililboy has been cleared from the citing comission.

JJ Engelbrecht, Deon Stegman, Dewald Potgieter, Francois Hougaard, Lionel Mapoe and Akona Ndungane are all available for selection.

The only injury at the moment is Bjorn Basson, who will be out for 10 days with a shoulder injury.

I'm hoping for the Bulls to win, but it's going to be very tough.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I don't know about 'SMASH' but the Blues should be favorites at home after an electric start. Have they gotten rid of the inconsistency they've shown over the last few seasons ending in a horror season last year (although they looked a lot better at the end of it) is the question I'm asking. Ranger is due a torrid game IMO.

I think if Steyn kicks it accurate in behind the fielder like against the Stormers and doesn't allow the big Blues back 3 a chance to counter attack and pin them back and feed off of mistakes the Blues might make in the wrong area of the field and the defense holds and Steyn kicks all his penalties... well, thats becoming a lot of 'ifs' and the Bulls took a step backwards against the Force. I suppose I'm going with a Blues win on Superbru.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I don't know about 'SMASH' but the Blues should be favorites at home after an electric start. Have they gotten rid of the inconsistency they've shown over the last few seasons ending in a horror season last year (although they looked a lot better at the end of it) is the question I'm asking. Ranger is due a torrid game IMO.

I think if Steyn kicks it accurate in behind the fielder like against the Stormers and doesn't allow the big Blues back 3 a chance to counter attack and pin them back and feed off of mistakes the Blues might make in the wrong area of the field and the defense holds and Steyn kicks all his penalties... well, thats becoming a lot of 'ifs' and the Bulls took a step backwards against the Force. I suppose I'm going with a Blues win on Superbru.

I wouldn't read much from the Force game. They have been the Bulls bogey side for a while, and those matches are never a clear indication of what the team really can do.

The return of Stegman, Potgieter and JJ Engelbrecht is a major boost for the Bulls. They showed in the Stormers game they are all in good form.

The other thing to consider is that this game is on Sunday... That gives the Bulls a bit more time to prepare after the long trip to NZ. To me this game will be judged on the 2 fly-halves. Noakes vs Steyn. Noakes is a very creative fly half who knows how to get his backline in good positions. Steyn has had 2 great games so far and is deadly with the boot.

If this game becomes scrappy, and very tight, I can see the Bulls win through penalties alone.

I'm backing my Bulls for a win by 5.

 

[Darwin]

I reckon this could be the game of the round. It will certainly be a good indicator of how far he Blues have come, as I think the Bulls more pragmatic style of play will really test this young Blues outfit. I felt both the Hurricanes and the Crusaders expansive game plans played directly into the Blues hands - if the Bulls adopt a more conservative game plan I think they will cause the Blues a lot more trouble. The Bulls will need to focus on obtaining dominance up front, though the Blues pack has been impressive in recent weeks. Morne Steyn's tactical kicking game will be the key - if he is able to drive the Blues back into the corners it will be interesting to see how they respond. I feel a few high kicks in the direction of the Blues back three will be in order too - much has been made of the supposed weakness of the Blues wingers under the high-ball, but neither the Crusaders nor the Hurricanes saw fit to test them out for some reason...

Goal-kicking may turn out to be crucial in this match, and this is an area that the Bulls have a clear edge. Weepu has struggled a bit in this area in recent weeks, and I understand Noakes is still recovering from a groin-injury, which is the reason he isn't taking the kicks.

Hard to pick a winner until I see the sides. I'm not expecting many (if any) changes to the Blues starting lineup, which will be good for continuity.

 

[austingtir]

^^ Yep, Pierre Spies is looking like a complete different player from the glimpses i have seen of him compared to previous years I really think this will be a huge test of the blues.

I even saw Steyn actually run through a gap and score a try on the weekend!

The 5 second rule may have actually forced the bulls to play some positive rugby so i think they "could" be a handful.

+ the bulls have alot of old heads in that team they would of learnt alot from the hiding the crusaders got and might even give the Blues a few lessons.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Bulls should keep this game extremely tight ans do a slow poison trick on the Blues if they want to win it.
Go wild and crazy and they will get the same medicine as the previous two sides.

Glad this is the first and not the second game of the tour
Willing to favour the Bulls slightly here and their ability to create an effective gameplan
Blues are still high on everything, this type of opposition will be very different and the big question is can they adapt?

 

[TRF_heineken]

^^ Yep, Pierre Spies is looking like a complete different player from the glimpses i have seen of him compared to previous years I really think this will be a huge test of the blues.

I even saw Steyn actually run through a gap and score a try on the weekend!

The 5 second rule may have actually forced the bulls to play some positive rugby so i think they "could" be a handful.

+ the bulls have alot of old heads in that team they would of learnt alot from the hiding the crusaders got and might even give the Blues a few lessons.

Interesting that you mention Pierre Spies. I had a good look at vs the Force. He looks less bulky than what he was the last 2 years. hopefully this will give him his pace back and do some of those great runs he used to do.

Bulls should keep this game extremely tight ans do a slow poison trick on the Blues if they want to win it.
Go wild and crazy and they will get the same medicine as the previous two sides.

Glad this is the first and not the second game of the tour
Willing to favour the Bulls slightly here and their ability to create an effective gameplan
Blues are still high on everything, this type of opposition will be very different and the big question is can they adapt?

For me, the new rules has brought a new dimension to the Bulls. them playing a bit faster than usual, has made their backs run a lot more than usual. I just hope that they can create some more chances. I also hope Sampie Mastriet plays again. he really impressed me vs the Force. he ran around Cummins as if he was a prop.

If I were the Blues, I'd focus on the lineouts, and a way to stop the Maul. the Bulls maul has been very good the first 2 games...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I just think it might be a bit of an oversimplification to say that the Blues wouldn't be able to play their own game against a more structured opponent; it's not as if they don't have a quality pack and good set pieces.

I suppose it all depends on how effective the Bulls' defense can contain the Blues; I expect the Blues to lose the kicking battle like the Stormers did (while Ebersohn was sublime with the boot for the Force and out-Steyn'd Morne IMO) but unlike the Stormers I expect the Blues will simply try to make ground with ball in hand and this might bare fruit later on if not early on. They are certainly better equiped than the Stormers were to do this and showed as much against a traditionally good defensive side in the Crusaders.

Weepu also needs to kick his goals as it looks like Steyn is back on target and this might prove the difference in the end.

It certainly is a very tough one to call as its impossible to predict which one of two very different approaches will come out on top.

 

[Dizzy]

I don't think Steyn's tactical kicking will have much effect on the Blues Superman of a Fullback...

For the last two weeks, two of New Zealands best fly halves, and probably the World's premiere first five couldn't get the ball into great space because Piutau has been sooo good in that area. There were plenty times where I was thinking. I think the Blues backline is going to be the key against the Bulls this weekend.

Blues 13+

 

[FlukeArtist]

I'll admit I have only seen highlights of the Bulls games, but trailing at halftime to the Force would not fill me with confidence leading into this weeks game if I was a Bulls fan.

I think the Bulls will come up against an entirely different sort of opposition in the Blues compared to the Stormers and Force.

The Blues will not only run the Bulls ragged, they will run through them.

Not being arrogant, this is just what I think will happen.

Blues by 20 points (minimum)

 

[TRF_heineken]

I'll admit I have only seen highlights of the Bulls games, but trailing at halftime to the Force would not fill me with confidence leading into this weeks game if I was a Bulls fan.

I think the Bulls will come up against an entirely different sort of opposition in the Blues compared to the Stormers and Force.

The Blues will not only run the Bulls ragged, they will run through them.

Not being arrogant, this is just what I think will happen.

Blues by 20 points (minimum)

Like I said it would be a mistake to read much into the Force game. We had 2 guys making their super rugby debut, benched our bok scrumhalf and centre as a precaution before the start of the tour.

We also had a referee making his super rugby debut and had a pretty poor game IMO. Our 2 preferred flankers are back from injury which will bolster our strength up front.

Be arrogant at your own peril but I expect you to eat humble pie if the blues don't win as far as you think they will or even if they don't win.

 

[Larksea]

I wont pretend to know where the bulls are at I've not see them this season.

The blues strengths right now are their high intensity game they have through youth and a high level of fittness. A mobile fit forward pack and dangerous ball runners that all require extra attention on defense for the whole backline 11 - 15, they have a high level of continuity a smart gameplan that plays on their strengths and they are not stopping or even looking like slowing down till the final whistle.

Areas of potential weakness for the blues?

Lineout and Scrum (loose head in particular) are areas to attack.
Gaps out wide, on Frank Halai's side in particular - only got ya here is that Rane Ranger has been absolutely brilliant on defense and if you attack this area out wide without support he will take possession off you. So the trick is to crash ball mid field and commit Ranger before spinning it wide. Sides that let ranger run them down and rip the ball off them will lose to the blues all year.
I still think testing Charles Piutau would be a good tactic for the bulls but it requires a proper chase. if you kick to him with a half arsed chase he will make you pay but the fact he runs it 90% of the time means there is a chance to trap and isolate him with a quality chase if you get him in a situation where he should have kicked but didn't.

 

[FlukeArtist]

heineken,

I think I made it pretty clear I wasn't being arrogant, and I was just stating what I think will happen.
If the Blues lose I will gladly acknowledge I was wrong.
If i'm being arrogants saying the Blues will win, you are being arrogant saying the Bulls will.
I'm just making a call on the game

However, I feel from what I have seen of the SA teams so far; that they will have a lot of trouble living with the NZ teams.

I may be wrong. but that is my feeling based on what I have seen out of both the conferences.

Also, based on history SA teams usually struggle in their first game in NZ.
To compound matters, the Bulls are coming up against a superb defence masterminded by Graham Henry, and a team that has a backline full of gamebreakers, and a few in the forwards too.

 

[Darwin]

I'm a bit worried that the Blues (and particularly their supporters) are going to come crashing back down to earth this weekend. Listening to a bit of talk-back radio you would think the Blues are now odds-on favourites to win the ***le! Don't get me wrong, I would love to see the Blues continue their run, but to be honest I don't think they are nearly as good as many people have suggested. They weren't really tested at all versus the Hurricanes or the Crusaders, they were simply allowed to play their own game (which they did very effectively!). How they will cope when the opposition puts them under pressure is a completely different question. As Larksea rightly points out there are some obvious areas that may turn out to be weaknesses for the Blues. I say 'may' as we really don't know at this stage - they may not be weaknesses at all, we just don't know until they are tested. Another area of concern for the Blues is the defense on Chris Noakes, who is a bit of a revolving door.

I'm starting to really look forward to this game - it is a pity it still quite a few days away!

 

[ABs2011]

Hope that's not the case TRF

I think the Blues will win here. If they can maintain their standards of the first two weeks (in particular last week) then I think it'll be very very tough for the Bulls to travel to NZ and win their first game up.

As a disclaimer I put my money on the Blues and Chiefs to win the tournament, NZ conference, and make top 6 after week one so I might be a bit biassed, but for me the way the Blues played last week really puts them in good stead for this season. It was a near perfect game last week, the only negative and worry for me for the remainder of the season, is their goal kicking. With Piri kicking I suspect they will lose at least one game this year purely as a result of missed points from kicks at goal, and my real concern is that they don't appear to have a better option. In saying that, if they continue to play like they did last week it won't matter!

Anyway back to the game at hand, with the Blues playing with so much confidence, the likes of Piri and Noakes running the ship so well, the forwards gaining good front foot ball, a backline that will tear any team appart IF they are on the front foot, no injuries, and finally Ali, JK and Ted setting the tone I think the Blues are well placed to go 3 and 0.

 

[ABs2011]

By the way, Blues fans will be happy to hear there is a rumour that Kaino might be back quite soon. I have my fingers crossed he is so unhappy with his time in Japan that he bails on his contract early and heads back to the Blues in time to play this season. I;m sure I;m hoping for too much but regardless it would be great for NZ rugby if he returns!!