Bulls top Stormers to retain Super title
By Rugby Union |
May 31, 2010, Monday
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FLYHALF Morne Steyn kicked 20 points to help the Bulls clinch their third Super 14 title in four years with a 25-17 win over fellow South African rivals the Stormers in the final at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.
Steyn kicked six penalties and converted Francois Hougaard's brilliant individual try to make sure the holders were always clear of a Stormers team that fought back bravely in the second half from a 3-16 deficit at the break.
Bulls captain and lock Victor Matfield, who led from the front with an immense all-round display, said his team had won what he called the toughest competition in the world.
"To be champions after 16 weeks, you just have to enjoy it," Matfield told reporters.
The Bulls enjoyed a telling advantage at scrum time, with three of Steyn's penalties coming after the retreating Stormers had infringed in that set-piece.
"The front row was where the game was won, with all those penalties," Matfield said. "We tired them out in the scrums and the front row was outstanding tonight. They won us the game."
Defensive line
Hougaard's try came in the 25th minute as he sped through a gap in the Stormers' defensive line between locks Andries Bekker and Adriaan Fondse, running from the 10-meter line before sidestepping fullback Joe Pietersen in the last line of defense.
The try capped a thoroughly dominant first half for the Bulls, who looked well in control as Steyn added three penalties to the try, so it came as a surprise when the home side made a scrappy start to the second half and allowed the visitors from Cape Town back into the game.
Wing Bryan Habana scored an opportunist intercept try in the 54th when Steyn passed straight to his former teammate after the Bulls won messy ball from a ruck on their own 10-meter line. Habana scored under the poles to give flyhalf Peter Grant an easy conversion, putting the Stormers, in their first Super 14 final, back into contention at 10-16 down.
But with a capacity crowd of 36,000 providing a sea of light blue support, with the noisy accompaniment of plastic horns known locally as "vuvuzelas", the Bulls remained composed and shut out the Stormers by playing in their territory and earning penalties.
Steyn kicked six penalties and converted Francois Hougaard's brilliant individual try to make sure the holders were always clear of a Stormers team that fought back bravely in the second half from a 3-16 deficit at the break.
Bulls captain and lock Victor Matfield, who led from the front with an immense all-round display, said his team had won what he called the toughest competition in the world.
"To be champions after 16 weeks, you just have to enjoy it," Matfield told reporters.
The Bulls enjoyed a telling advantage at scrum time, with three of Steyn's penalties coming after the retreating Stormers had infringed in that set-piece.
"The front row was where the game was won, with all those penalties," Matfield said. "We tired them out in the scrums and the front row was outstanding tonight. They won us the game."
Defensive line
Hougaard's try came in the 25th minute as he sped through a gap in the Stormers' defensive line between locks Andries Bekker and Adriaan Fondse, running from the 10-meter line before sidestepping fullback Joe Pietersen in the last line of defense.
The try capped a thoroughly dominant first half for the Bulls, who looked well in control as Steyn added three penalties to the try, so it came as a surprise when the home side made a scrappy start to the second half and allowed the visitors from Cape Town back into the game.
Wing Bryan Habana scored an opportunist intercept try in the 54th when Steyn passed straight to his former teammate after the Bulls won messy ball from a ruck on their own 10-meter line. Habana scored under the poles to give flyhalf Peter Grant an easy conversion, putting the Stormers, in their first Super 14 final, back into contention at 10-16 down.
But with a capacity crowd of 36,000 providing a sea of light blue support, with the noisy accompaniment of plastic horns known locally as "vuvuzelas", the Bulls remained composed and shut out the Stormers by playing in their territory and earning penalties.
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