Bulls players ratings v Stormers: ‘Busiest back’ going unrewarded until last minute sums up ‘underwhelming’ hosts
Following their underwhelming 32-19 loss to the Stormers in their United Rugby Championship catch-up match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Johan Ackermann’s Bulls.
Bulls player ratings
15 David Kriel: The first name in an unchanged urc backline coming off the back of the February 28 demolition of the Sharks, he had a quiet day where he wasn’t a factor in contrast to his opposite number, Warrick Gelant. 5
spot a score-cancelling knock-on earlier in the move. That summed up his frustrating afternoon. 6
12 Harold Vorster: Came into this more than confident of helping the bulls to extend their season-reviving winning run to five matches, but he was relatively anonymous with his team having limited go-forward ball. 5
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse: Thought he had scored just 150 seconds into the derby, only for TMO Marius Jonker to play spoilsport. The busiest of the backs, he went unrewarded until his last-minute score. 6
10 Handre Pollard: Up against Sacha he endured a lumpy start where he missed touch with an early penalty kick to the corner and was then clobbered on 14 minutes by the yellow-carded Adré Smith. Struggled to lead his team around the park. 5
9 Paul de Wet: The late, late call-up for Embrose Papier began with a try-cancelling knock-on at a breakdown and then another with the Bulls mauling towards the line on 15 minutes. It was his offside after a knock on that gifted the Stormers three points when down to 13 players. Failed to spark up his side’s attack. 5
The forwards
8 Jeandre Rudolph: Announced himself to the contest with a bang on 19 minutes with a superb 50:22 kick from halfway off scrum ball, providing his team the platform for the opening score, but that was about the height of it in a 57-minute contribution. 5
7 Elrigh Louw: The best of his team’s under-performing pack, he showed he had the eye for a gap, but it was a struggle to wield a greater influence with his side too often going in reverse. 6
6 Marcell Coetzee (c): Can’t be pleased with the way his Bulls fumbled about the joint during his 55-minute involvement. While he was leading his team’s tackle count and ball carrying counts when he exited, the lacklustre collective he was in charge of wasn’t what the home fans had come to see. 6
5 Ruan Nortje: Another thwarted early on with a pair of knock-ons, his lineout catch fired up the maul that resulted in the 19th-minute penalty try and yellow card for Ben-Jason Dixon’s collapse. Unfortunately, there was no better moment than that. 6
4 Ruan Vermaak: Would have noticed the fragility of the Stormers’ recent lineout efforts, but failed to make any inroads and was gone on 64 minutes. 5
3 Wilco Louw: Part one of the three-part front row rotated into the starting side, he began by winning two scrum penalties only to err on the third with Ntuthuko Mchunu hitting back and going on to have the better of a duel that ended with Louw’s substitution. 4
2 Johan Grobbelaar: Another South African hooker who looks comfortable throwing to the front but is at odds when asked to go deep. His short throw ignited the Bulls’ penalty try drive, but his wayward attempt to go long on halfway gave Stormers the ball for Willemse’s 31st-minute try. Showed up in the tackle count but hooked on 44 minutes. 5
1 Gerhard Steenekamp: Another front-rower taken out of the fire just four minutes into the second half, with his team struggling for momentum. 4
Replacements: The Bulls looked to their bench for inspiration early in the second half, but the subs failed to fire on an afternoon where Marco van Staden was making his 100th club appearance. Cobus Wiese’s stupid yellow card, not long after his introduction, summed things up, even though Zak Burger soon grabbed a consolation try. 4
