Warrick Gelant of the Vodacom Bulls dives for the line on his way to score his try during the Super Rugby match between Vodacom Bulls and Jaguares at Loftus Versfeld on February 29, 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Gordon Arons/Gallo Images)
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Bulls coach Pote Human should be boiling mad after his team produced numerous moments of poor discipline and soft defence as they were beaten 39-24 by the Jaguares in their Super Rugby match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Bulls were certainly in the contest for long periods but they conceded nearly twice as many penalties as the Jaguares and they never once managed to string two scores together in succession, invariably releasing the pressure after each of their three tries by conceding at the other end.
Weak tackles and a non-existent defensive alignment were to blame for several of the Jaguares tries.
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Who was the star in this match?
Fullback Santiago Carreras was the star player for the Jaguares, reading the flow of the game brilliantly. His smooth running from the back constantly found holes in the porous Bulls defence, while his boot from the back was also assured.
Key moments and themes
Any try that comes just before halftime is likely to be crucial, but the hapless Bulls managed to concede two in the last three minutes of the first half. That came after a well-worked try by Warrick Gelant had given the home side a 14-10 lead. But then from a Bulls kick, there was absolutely no defensive alignment, leaving a gaping hole in midfield which was spotted by ever-alert fullback Santiago Carreras. He burst through, linked with wing Emiliano Boffelli and then the ball went inside to lock Guido Petti, who stormed over for the try. After regaining the restart, the Jaguares then scored again as flyhalf Joaquin Diaz Bonilla’s little chip over the top had the Bulls all at sea and was gathered by outside centre Matias Moroni, who went over for the try.
Wing Rosco Specman was the standout player for the Bulls, with his sensational counter-attacking getting his team out of their half in sensational fashion a couple of times. His brilliant stepping and a devastating burst of speed gave the Bulls hope straight after halftime as he held off half of the Jaguares team until the support arrived and opposite wing Cornal Hendricks rounded off in the corner. In the 64th minute, with the Bulls trailing by 10 points, he gave them hope by kicking ahead and chasing down the ball, only to be taken down by Bonilla with a hand across the face. The Jaguares flyhalf was rightfully yellow-carded, but the Bulls failed to make use of the opportunity from the penalty, stout Jaguares defence holding out their one-dimensional efforts.
Coupled with their use of one-off runners, the Bulls were also slow to clean at the rucks and they conceded several breakdown penalties, further disrupting their momentum. Loose forwards Marco van Staden and Jeandre Rudolph were both effective, however, at attacking Jaguares ball at the breakdowns.
The Jaguares deserve close to full marks for their fine all-round showing. Their pack was excellent, both in the set-pieces and the tight loose. The halfbacks, Bonilla and Gonzalo Bertranou, directed play well, while Carreras and Boffelli were always looking threatening on attack. Last year’s finalists certainly looked the part for another strong showing in this year’s competition.
Points scorers
Bulls – Tries: Marco van Staden, Warrick Gelant, Cornal Hendricks. Conversions: Morne Steyn (3). Penalty: Steyn.
