As a totally neutral spectator I had to draw the conclusion at the end of the Bulls v Crusaders match that had the match been reffed by someone other than Marius Jonker we could well have witnessed the Bulls being slayed at Fort Lofus for the first time in years. As it turned out Jonker became an instant hero in Pretoria and the Bulls see themselves at the top of the table and certain of a home semi.
However there was nothing uncertain down in Durban as the Sharks thoroughly outplayed the Stormers and put them into a position where they could lose out on a playoff spot and will have to beat the Bulls next week to give themselves a chance to challenge for the championship.
The Stormers were hammered, pounded and inundated in the hit which rained in throughout the match. Some would have expected the Sharks who lost they chance to make the playoffs a week ago, to just show up and roll over, but spurred on by a capacity crowd they managed to make the Stormers look decidedly average. Where you find yourself on the league table is pointless and meaningless when it is a local derby and The Sharks played probably their best game of the season totally deserving the victory.
The Stormers, who have been able to out muscle all and sundry this season were second best and their fans will need to concede that on the day the Sharks were superior in most departments. Players like Burger and Bekker who have been crucial for the Stormers were kept out of the game by a committed defense. The Stormers will be desperately disappointed with the result which now places them in a pressure cooker of a match against the Bulls who they must beat to advance to the playoffs. It was looking a sure thing not so long ago!
This year’s Super 14 season has been one of the best in the last decade. With one round to play, only the Bulls are guaranteed a play-off. It is this uncertainty that makes for a brilliant competition, and for the most part the intensity in the top-tier clashes has matched the hype.
The performances of the bottom six, unfortunately, can’t be spoken of with similar enthusiasm. The quality of rugby in the Lions defeat to the Blues and the Cheetahs victory against the Western Force could not be compared to what was produced at Loftus and in Durban.
The Bulls’ escape against the Crusaders was one of the better matches of the season, but the ending could not have been crueller for the visitors. The Bulls did not deserve to win this one, but then this could have been said of so many of the last- minute victories the Crusaders achieved during their seven-year domination of the tournament. But it was the manner of victory that irks because the last pass was clearly forward and when you beat a team like the Crusaders you want to do it because you are better on the night and not because the hometown officials ruled in your favour. Crusaders captain Richie McCaw had every reason to fume during the game and afterwards. I’ve seen some visiting teams done a dirty in SA , but the bias in this match was particularly embarrassing as ref and his assistants conspired to produce a few shockers.
The Crusaders can still qualify if they beat the Brumbies and they may even be back on the highveld for a semifinal against the Bulls, where playing in Soweto will not be as daunting as a visit to Fortress Loftus. The Crusaders and Hurricanes are two teams that have always troubled the Bulls and the Canes looked particularly dangerous in their demolition of the Reds. Could they have finally run into form at the right time? The Bulls will be hoping to avoid them in the semifinals.
The Bulls, so clinical for most of the campaign, have shown vulnerability and that is why the Stormers could well beat them at Newlands.
The Stormers will match the Bulls for physicality: Andries Bekker is the only lock in the competition who can trouble Victor Matfield and the Stormers’ defensive structure is superior to the Bulls’. It will be close, but home-ground advantage will be decisive, as will the do-or-die situation of the Stormers. Lose and their campaign is finished. Win and they will have a home semifinal and maybe a home final if the Bulls are exposed in Soweto.
It makes for a enthralling final weekend and had the Bulls and Stormers won there would have been every chance the respective sides would have played understrength teams for a match that would have had little effect on the league standings. Not anymore. And that’s a great thing as the game was sold out three weeks ago.
There is, however, no consequence to failure in South African rugby. It is why the Sharks survive on hype and the Lions continue to flop because they are guaranteed participation in Super rugby, regardless of performance. Their meek surrender against the disjointed and erratic Blues was hideously pathetic and it is a shame that they are not taken seriously by anyone and one is forced to question the entire set up at the franchise from administrators to players. They represent everything that is wrong with the game in this country, while the Bulls and Stormers are examples of what should be the norm and not the exception.
