Preview: Super 14 final
Sportal.co.nz - (27/05/2010)
All the odds point to the Bulls but the consistent Stormers represent a genuine threat in Sunday's Rebel Sport Super 14 final in Soweto.
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 14 – Northern Transvaal/Bulls 6, Western Province/Stormers 7, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: May 15, 2009 (Cape Town, round 14) – Stormers 38-10 Bulls.
LAST TIME AT VENUE: These teams have never met at Soweto.
WALKING WOUNDED: The Bulls get Gerhard van den Heever back from suspension, adding to the backline strength. Danie Rossouw was under a cloud after the Crusaders match. The Stormers came through their semi-final in good shape.
FORM:
Season record Bulls:
Round 1: Beat Cheetahs 51-34
Round 2: Beat Brumbies 50-32
Round 3: Beat Waratahs 48-38
Round 4: Bye
Round 5: Beat Highlanders 50-35
Round 6: Beat Hurricanes 19-18
Round 7: Beat Force 28-15
Round 8: Lost to Blues 17-32
Round 9: Beat Chiefs 33-19
Round 10: Lost to Reds 12-19
Round 11: Beat Lions 51-11
Round 12: Beat Sharks 27-19
Round 13: Beat Crusaders 40-35
Round 14: Lost to Stormers 10-38
Semi-final: Beat Crusaders 39-21
Season record Stormers:
Round 1: Beat Lions 26-13
Round 2: Beat Waratahs 27-6
Round 3: Lost to Brumbies 17-19
Round 4: Beat Highlanders 33-0
Round 5: Beat Hurricanes 37-13
Round 6: Beat Cheetahs 21-8
Round 7: Bye
Round 8: Lost to Force 15-16
Round 9: Beat Blues 33-21
Round 10: Beat Chiefs 49-15
Round 11: Lost to Reds 13-16
Round 12: Beat Crusaders 42-14
Round 13: Lost to Sharks 14-20
Round 14: Beat Bulls 38-10
Semi-final: Beat Waratahs 25-6
Nobody who has watched the season can question that the two best teams are contesting the final. With the exception of one week, when the Stormers sat 5th, both sides have been in the top four throughout the competition and the Bulls were actually either first (after 12 weeks) or second (two) after each of the fourteen rounds. This is the classic matchup between the competition’s best attacking side and the best defensive unit going round. The Bulls topped the round-robin scoring list with 436 points and the try count with 47, adding 39 points (3 tries) in the semi. On top of that Morne Steyn is, by far, the leading scorer with 243 points. In home matches the Bulls may have given up points but they simply scored more, averaging a 41-27 scoreline at Pretoria and the semi-final result was almost bang on that average at 39-24. The Stormers defence was nothing short of remarkable. They set a new record low for points conceded in any Super 14 – and this in a season where the scoring record was broken by 600 points. They had big wins over all the other three playoff teams at Cape Town (Waratahs 27-6, Crusaders 42-14, Bulls 38-10) and thumped the Waratahs by an almost identical 25-6 scoreline in the semi. As well as conceding fewest tries, the Stormers also gave up fewest penalty goals and only had one player shown a yellow card, so their discipline was excellent. Both teams are outstanding at holding halftime leads; the Bulls have won all six matches they led at the break and the Stormers 10 out of 11. The Bulls also recovered to turn five halftime deficits, a competition best, while the Stormers never managed it – generally because they were in front. Both teams have hugely successful kickers and each side has scored more than 200 kicked points, a remarkable feat. Steyn has carried almost all the load for the Bulls but Peter Grant (134 points) and Joe Pietersen (86) have shared the job for the Stormers; the teams rank second (Stormers) and fifth on team kicking percentage through the season.. Both sides have broken the old team record for penalty goals in a season, another indication that they can create and take scoring oppotunites through relentless pressure. However one chops it up, both sides have impressed all year.
WHO'S HOT: Neither side is carrying any passengers, so this section could be a roll call of the starting XVs. However there are always stars and these teams have them. The Bulls will always be able to rely on Victor Matfield, whose form never varies from a high standard and his tight five is always solid. Pierre Spies may have been quiet until last week but he had a significant influence in the opening minutes against the Crusaders and carried on from there. Fourie du Preez was, as ever, a complete player and Steyn’s 24 points meant the Crusaders were always playing catch-up. Zane Kirchner may not have had his best match but was still heavily involved in the scoring action, which says something about the danger he presents. The Stormers also got the usual splendid service from their big-name players and Andries Bekker and Schalk Burger carried on their season-long form at the heart of the pack. Grant controlled play nicely and kicked his goals, while Juan de Jongh had one of his best matches on the biggest stage he had yet appeared on. The back three contains a talented trio who are all potential match-winners and look for Bryan Habana – who scored in each of the Bulls two championship finals – to excel against his old teammates.
WE THINK: This has the potential to be one of the best Super rugby finals and, as the sixth single-country affair out of the 15 played, has created more interest than normal. The home team usually starts with a decided advantage but not this time as it is very hard to split the sides on any point. Still, as we are compelled to make a call, it’s going in favour of the Bulls by a couple of points after what promises to be as tough a clash as one could wish for.
TEAMS:
Bulls: 1.Gurthro Steenkamp, 2.Gary Botha, 3.Werner Kruger, 4. Danie Rossouw, 5.Victor Matfield (captain), 6. Deon Stegmann, 7.Dewald Potgieter, 8.Pierre Spies, 9. Fourie du Preez, 10.Morne Steyn, 11.Francois Hougaard, 12. Wynand Olivier, 13. Jaco Pretorius, 14. Gerhard van den Heever, 15.Zane Kirchner.
Reserves: 16.Bandise Maku, 17.Bees Roux, 18. Flip van der Merwe, 19. Derick Kuun, 20. Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 21. Jaco van der Westhuyzen, 22. Pedrie Wannenburg.
Stormers: 1.Wicus Blaauw, 2.Tiaan Liebenberg, 3.Brok Harris, 4.Adriaan Fondse, 5.Andries Bekker, 6.Schalk Burger (captain), 7.Francois Louw, 8.Duane Vermeulen, 9.Dewaldt Duvenhage, 10.Peter Grant, 11. Bryan Habana, 12.Juan de Jongh, 13.Jaque Fourie, 14. Gio Aplon, 15. Joe Pietersen.
Reserves: 16.Deon Fourie, 17.Eusebio Guinazu, 18. Anton Van Zyl, 19.Pieter Louw, 20.Ricky Januarie, 21.Willem de Waal, 22. Tim Whitehead.
REFEREE: Craig Joubert