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The past few weeks have been interesting. There was a week that we couldn’t practice as the athletics had to finish up…. trials on at the end of February… then two weeks of practice leading up to our first game on 14 March.

Our first game was against Frikkie Meyer from Thabazimbi. A school with lots of kids who grew up on farms in rural South Africa. Tough kids who can play a very physical game of rugby.

We had two good weeks of preparation leading up to the game with the team coming together more and more as we came closer to game day.

The result however didn’t end how we wanted it. It was a 0-26 loss on the day…

What went wrong?

The preparation was good. The skills were at a good level. Not perfect, but definitely at a level where they should have been able to beat their opponents.

Their performance was at 50% of their capabilities at most. But why?

Were we supposed to spend more time on certain skills? Should we address the weaknesses that we saw on the field as coaches?

No. It is all mental

You have to know the history of the team to understand what happened.

During their 2019 season as a group, they didn’t win 1 game.

They have been scarred by this and have lost almost all hope.

Many players were not even trying to put in any effort toward the end of last season. Why would they?

Bringing back the hope

This is one of the biggest challenges that a team (players and coach) will ever face. It can however be overcome and we look forward to the challenge.

The team needs a win. Any win.

What we have to work with is 2 practice sessions (due to Coronavirus) and a short rugby tour next weekend with two games to be played.

The focus of this week will be to help the players see that they can win. It doesn’t matter in which way. They just need to know that they can win.

We will not be focusing on our regular practice sessions. The main focus will be on running game-specific drills.

Everything will be a competition and we will ONLY praise them for their successes. We will not give any negative feedback.

The goal is to create a greater positive connection with rugby, rather than the constant negatives of losing every Saturday.

This is going to be an interesting, challenging and crucial week for the rest of the season.

It is however a great group of players with enough strong leaders in the group to help to turn this around.

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Two teams that have had glorious days in Super Rugby face off to determine who can get their campaign back on track. Sadly the days of Super Rugby titles are long gone for both teams and they are hoping to start rebuilding…

It was however a soaking wet Loftus and it was just a case of who was going to rain on the other’s parade. There were however a decent number of Bulls supporters in for the game. The Bulls have had a bad start to the season and the Blues have been inconsistent. Again. It was literally anyone’s game.

After a dull first few minutes in the middle of the field, it was the Bulls who first went on the offensive after some aggressive defense. The wet ball however got the better of their first attacking play and the weather was bound to be a problem throughout the game.

The first points came from the boot of the kicking-metronome, Morne Steyn. On a wet day like this, the mostly conservative kicking game of Steyn could definitely be a huge bonus.

The yellow card that Andries Ferreira received compounded a bad penalty decision just second earlier against the Bulls. The critical 10 minutes that would follow, would go a long way to show the Bulls character and the potential to win against their more favored NZ opponents.

A second shocking yellow card followed on Odendaal after a tremendous tackle. Narawa dipped into it… Odendaal got penalized for it. Player safety is important, but defenders should not be penalized if they didn’t show the intent to cause harm.

Despite being down to 13 men, the Bulls stubbornly repelled the Blues. They kept them out despite the unjust yellow cards. Just after getting back to 14 men, the wall finally broke as the Blues got in for a very hard-fought try.

After defending many waves of attacks by the Blues, the Bulls went into half time the deserved leaders. They played more rugby during the first half and were full value for their 11-8 lead. Not flawless, but a huge step up from the previous weeks.

Shortly after stretching the lead to 14-8, the Bulls almost let in a soft-try after some shocking midfield defense, but the replay showed a forward pass by the Blues.

The wet weather kept both teams from playing a more flowing brand of rugby and there were frequent stoppages from handling mistakes. At times the game got quite frustrating in the 2nd half as both teams struggled to put multiple phases together.

Although a lot of the game was played between the two 22’s, it was the Blues who were able to conjure up two tries taking the score to 14-20 with 20 minutes to play. It was going to be a battle till the end!

Manie Libbok also stepped onto the field with the electric Papier on his inside. Their impact was quickly felt as they brought some unpredictability to the Bulls attack. His kick to the corner that went dead was however not overly encouraging. These types of errors were partly to blame for him not getting a more extended run in the starting lineup.

The Bulls went up 21-20 with just over 7 minutes to play after totally dominating the Blues at scrum time. We were in for a VERY tense last few minutes!

Bulls

An aggressive start on defense showed that the Bulls were keen to get their campaign back on track. Hopefully, it would last 80 minutes…

It looked like the Bulls were in a bullying mood. The sight of people getting punished at the contact area took you back to the days of Bakkies Botha. It was good to see the intensity of the Bulls back to where it should be.

The 13 man Bulls defense was however a great indicator of the mindset of the men from Pretoria. It looked like they had turned a page and there was a new fire driving them.

Pote Human and his team definitely put in some amazing work in the 2 weeks leading up to this game. It was not the same side from the start of the tournament.

The quality of Morne Steyn can’t be questioned, but it is difficult to look past the excitement that Libbok brings to the game. Coming onto the park with 20 minutes left to play, things were bound to get interesting.

Although the Bulls weren’t their old dominant selves in the lineouts, they absolutely crushed the Blues at scrum time

Blues

The Blues were finding the going tough at the start and the hard tackling and rucking from the Bulls didn’t make life easy in the wet conditions.

Even with the Bulls down to 13 players, the Blues found the going hard. They struggled to get over the advantage line and allowed the Bulls to bully them in the contact.

The Blues looked shell shocked during most of the first half. This despite putting the first 5 pointer on the board. Their inability to capitalize on the numerical advantage bode well for the Bulls.

The 2 tries in the first 20 minutes of the 2nd half could not be seen as a vintage performance, but they were able to get over the line somehow. This put them in a position where they had everything to lose.

Outstanding players

Bulls: Jaco Visagie (2), Andries Ferreira (4), Juandre Kruger (5), Josh Strauss (8), Ivan van Zyl (9), Morne Steyn (10), Rosco Specman (11), Burger Odendaal (12), Cornal Hendricks (14)

Blues: Patrick Tuipulotu (4), Tom Robinson (6), Otere Black (10), Emoni Narawa (14)

ThysRugby player of the game: Josh Strauss – exceptional work rate in all aspects of the game

Top plays of the game

• Burger Odendaal’s hit on Narawa after a box kick from van Zyl. It lifted the whole of the Bulls team!
• The 13 man Bulls defense. What an effort. Outnumbered, everyone kept putting everything on the line
• Ivan van Zyl’s defending of his opposite number at the scrum. Resulting in a penalty shortly after as the Blues couldn’t soak up the pressure
• Masterful scrumming by the Bulls on attack putting the Blues under immense pressure resulting in a well-deserved try

Final verdict

Bulls: A much-improved performance by the Bulls that help them to get their campaign off the ground. No New Zealand is easy to play against and they performed well in horrible conditions in many areas on the field.

Blues: The Blues blew hot and cold the whole time. They did score a number of tries, but weren’t very convincing. The result flattered them.

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The top teams of both New Zealand and Australia up against each other. The table is set for some mouthwatering rugby!

The Brumbies were the most impressive out of the gate playing with speed and intent not seen from an Australian team in a long time.

The Chiefs were not bad, they were just prone to losing the ball a few times in those first few minutes.

Whether or not the Brumbies would go on to win this game, they once again showed how the New Zealand teams can be beaten. Going at them as hard as they come at you is key. This needs to be combined with a focused offensive defense. You have to concentrate for 80 minutes to stop them behind the advantage line. A good rush defense and dominating those contact areas.

The Brumbies were great value all the way through the first 15 minutes and their 2nd try was well deserved. It was more hard running, the speed at the break down and then the resulting Solomone Kata try in the corner.

One of the strangest stats to see within the first 20 minutes was that the Brumbies had made 8 offloads and the Chiefs 0… and that was no typo.

It was all Brumbies in the first half as they ran in their third try in the 37th minute.

The Chiefs got into a huddle behind the posts and the reaction from the Chiefs in the 2nd half would be telling of how well they would do at the business end of Super Rugby in 2020. It was down to Sam Cane to show why he should be the All Black’s incumbent captain and the genius of Warren Gatland as a coach. Something had to break and a shift was needed in mindset and approach from the Chiefs.

When the Chiefs eventually got onto the board with a try by Aaron Cruden, the Brumbies were already on 26 points. Was there a way back for the Chiefs? There is always a way back for the Chiefs. Because they are the Chiefs.

It was going to be exciting heading into the last 30 minutes as this was not your average Brumbies team they were up against!

Chiefs

The Chiefs were starved of possession in the first half, but didn’t make the most of the little possession they had. They tried to do things contrary to their nature by being more conservative in their approach. It was definitely strange for them to see exits from their own half in the form of long kicks downfield.

A regular Chiefs side would usually carry the ball through multiple phases to create mismatches for their lethal backline. This didn’t exist in the first half.

When the Chiefs finally found their stride it turned into an even more interesting contest. They attacking prowess shone through after going down by 26 points to pull it back to 14-26 in a 10 minute period of play.

The lack of composure and ability to deal with the pressure in the first 45 minutes was however a major cause for concern. There was some hard work ahead for Warren Gatland and his squad to correct that in the week that followed.

Brumbies

This is a Brumbies side that I have never seen before. Focused and working with sped and accuracy. Granted there were a few handling errors, but a lot of that came from a little stray hand or body from the Chiefs.

The Brumbies didn’t let up throughout the first half and it was more of the same just after half time. They have turned a new corner for Brumbies rugby and hopefully Australian rugby with their approach to the much-fancied Chiefs.

Over the years the Brumbies have been the top Australian team, but they earned that through far more conservative means. A new dimension was however shown in this game. For the sake of Australian rugby I hope we see this for 80 minutes for every game for the rest of this tournament.

Standout players

Chiefs: Pita-Gus Sowakula (8), Aaron Cruden (10), Damian McKenzie (15)

Brumbies: James Slipper (1), Connal McInerney (2), Pete Samu (8), Noah Lolesio (10), Tevita Kuridrani (13), Solomone Kata (14)

ThysRugby player of the game: James Slipper – this was not the same James Slipper that we knew in previous years. He embodied the Brumbies transformation. His scrumming was top class and his play with the ball was the most impressive. A lot of good plays running in support as well as being the extra distributor between 10 and 12

Best plays of the game

• Slipper’s “pass” to the try scorer Banks for the Brumbies first try. This came after a number of good phases and some decisive running
• The first half Brumbies. It wasn’t so much a play as a sequence of positive relentless waves of attacking… complimented by attacking defense. Beautiful to watch
• Multiple phases after the half time break leading to Pete Samu’s brilliant piece of individual determination to break through a couple of tackles and run in a try from just over 20 meters out
• The response from the Chiefs with the try by Aaron Cruden. A far higher pace and direct running resulted in him crushing over for a spectacular try
• The patient dominant scrum of the Chiefs that gave them the platform for the Anton Lienert-Brown try
• The Chiefs scrum crushing the Brumbies to get a penalty in the 69th minute… giving the Chiefs a sniff
• The Brumbies defensive effort! Just after the 70th minute the Brumbies kept the Chiefs on the 22m for multiple phases until they forced the turnover

Final verdict

Chiefs: The Chiefs showed their first bit of vulnerability for the season. They struggled to manage with an initial barrage of the Brumbies. Their class however shone through by getting into the game around the 45th minute, despite being down by 26 points at the time. Work is however definitely needed on their composure and phase play. It was missing in the first half

Brumbies: Win or lose, the Brumbies are going to be an exciting prospect for the rest of the year. If this is the brand of rugby that will play for 80 minutes each week, we are in for some fireworks! Truly refreshing seeing this from an Australian team.

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Most people in their right might wouldn’t even consider the Highlanders as a contender in this game. The resilience of NZ sides when it comes to Super Rugby can never be discounted though. The derbies in NZ also deliver some of the best rugby of the season in Super Rugby. This one had the potential to be another such day. The Crusaders weren’t going to have it all their way.

The Crusaders absolutely annihilated the Highlanders in the first scrum, but the brilliance of Aaron Smith turned that scrum into an attacking opportunity. It was the same Smith who then slowed down uncharacteristically behind the ruck which kept the Highlanders from scoring. They were however the first ones on the scoreboard from a resulting penalty.

The Highlanders were off to a flyer and they were far more accurate than they had been in the previous games. When you visit the Crusaders that is often not enough. You need to be near perfect. The problem is if the Crusaders are also on song…

The first try of the game came from the Crusaders after multiple phases that didn’t look like there was any effort put into finding the gaps across the field. It was game on!

After the first two tries in quick succession for the Crusaders, the Highlanders snuck one back. It wasn’t long however before Ennor went over for another Crusaders try.

The finishing was impressive, but it was built on the back of a power display at scrum time and during rucks. The Crusaders were 100% ruthless. The Highlanders were going to struggle if they allowed the Crusaders to continue bossing them around at these phases.

The biggest lesson to learn from the game is that the Crusaders always seem to want it more. That is not just a blanket statement, they want everything more. They want to tackle you more. They want to support more. They want to dominate rucks more… There is not an end to the list in 80 minutes of play.

The Highlanders try to bring the score to 26-13 did seem to light a spark in the Highlanders. With a quarter of the game still left you would have felt that an upset was still possible. Their only problem: the Crusaders weren’t joining them in their enthusiasm and hope.

The Highlanders challenge however fizzled out after the Crusaders turned the ball over in their own 22. They then patiently worked it up the field to just past the halfway mark to get a penalty. This was followed by a kick to the corner and a try for Sione Havili.

Once again the Crusaders had simply put the game to bed.

Crusaders

One thing that the Crusaders know to expect from opponents is that they will get their best effort in any contest. Everyone wants to prove themselves against the Crusaders.

The composure of the Crusaders was however on display again. Their efficiency is a sight to behold. It would make any coach proud, but not every coach is able to achieve this. The brilliant Robertson is however not just any coach.

One of the things that I admire most about the Crusaders though is their intensity at the ruck. They are the out and out leaders of ruck play in Super Rugby and probably world rugby. EVERY ruck gets treated like a life or death situation and the results speak for themselves…

They make life hell for opponents on their own rucks and you are unlikely to get your hands on the ball at their rucks. There is a pride and work rate at rucks, unlike any other team.

Highlanders

A much better display from the Highlanders right from the start. It made you think that their Super Rugby title from a few years ago wasn’t just a fluke. They knew they were up against it though playing the Crusaders at home.

They allowed the Crusaders to dominate too many contests. At scrum time and rucks they were being bullied and that is never a platform that you can work from.

Despite continuous promising play led by their general Aaron Smith, it looked like the Highlanders were hoping for the result rather than forcing it. Very rarely in Super Rugby do you pitch up and get the result on the back of hoping… and it never happens against Crusaders.

Stand out players

Crusaders: Joe Moody (1), Cody Taylor (2), Michael Alaalatoa (3), Tom Christie (7), Richie Mo’unga (10), Jack Goodhue (12), Sevu Reece (14), David Havili (15)

Highlanders: Shannon Frizell (6), Aaron Smith (9), Jona Nareki (11), Josh Ioane (12)

ThysRugby player of the game: Jack Goodhue – it was easy to pick him by the 25th minute of the game already. Absolutely dominated the midfield on the attack with multi-dimensional creativity.

Best plays of the game

• First ruck turnover by Crusaders on the halfway mark. Totally swamping the poor Highlanders and winning the penalty
• Jack Goodhue’s drawing of multiple defenders followed by the offload resulting in the Crusaders’ 2nd try
• Aaron Smith’s distribution. It wasn’t one play, but multiple plays. A lot of it is not spectacular, but it was just so many pinpoint accurate passes over long distances throughout the game
• Crusaders defense in the red zone. Efficient, accurate, patient, focused
• The Sione Havili try on that back of a turnover in their own 22… 7 or 8 phases to get over the halfway line… putting the penalty into the corner… executing the set move from the lineout at speed

Final verdict

Crusaders: Playing with 100% conviction in every single facet of the game. If you can’t find a way to unravel them, they will punish you for 80 minutes without letting up. They did that to the Highlanders with clinical efficiency.

Highlanders: They played well at times. Their display would have resulted in wins against a number of other teams in the competition. It was just never going to be enough against the Crusaders.

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If the 2020 form book was anything to go by this was going to be a stroll for the Stormers. The Stormers however showed a lot of inconsistency against the Bulls. The Lions also recovered from a first-week loss at the Jaguars to win ugly against the Reds. This would actually be a more equal fight than most people anticipated.

The Lions were the first team to score against the Stormers this season but were prone to a lot of schoolboy errors at the start. This eventually led to the Stormers getting in for their first try.

It wasn’t long before the Lions were down 3-12 to an intercept try, but they were in this to play. There was no backing down from the more favored opponents. It took 9 powerful and quick phases for the Lions to get in for their first try and get back into the game.

Elton Jantjies was decisive in his decision making and backing his team. The vision for the little cross-kick for Skosan turned into a relatively easy run in for a try. In under 10 minutes, the 9 point deficit had been wiped out and they were leading by 3!

The Lions were equal to the task in the first half and a score of 15-15 would have been a fair reflection of what happened in the half. The Stormers got a penalty on half-time to help them move out to a 15-18 lead.

The Stormers scrum were starting to come into their own on the back of the insanely talented Steven Kitshoff. The Lions were good earlier in the half but were starting to feel the power of the Stormers scrum. Kitshoff thoroughly dominated the legendary Jannie du Plessis.

After a 20 minute lull in the game after half-time, the introduction of Willem Alberts introduced some good organized violence to the game. Things started coming alive again. Hitting rucks with force and nearly ending Ruhan Nel’s life with a tackle from behind. The Bone Collector was back.

Lions

Although they started shakily, they really showed their composure by getting in for a crucial try on 25 minutes after 9 phases. They were not going to be overwhelmed by the in-form Stormers. They were here to play.

The Lions just tend to never care about the form book. They are blind to the opponents they play against and they proved this once again in how quickly they wiped out the Stormers 9 point lead in 5 minutes of play.

It was good to see the speed of getting the ball out of the ruck from the Lions. This was lacking in 2019, but has made a welcome return in 2020. Once the ball was out they however didn’t attack the line with the same speed and precision as in the past.

The hiccup from 2019 was almost completely forgotten as the Lions just got better with every passing minute. They started finding their rhythm, timing their passes and running the right lines.

Stormers

It is amazing what some confidence can do for your play. The Stormers were quality right from the start. This was a team that was leaner on their superstar names, but also a team that far superior in what they deliver when compared to the Stormers teams of the last decade.

They had a couple of opportunities in the first half that they converted without looking like they were putting in any real effort. The flip-side was however also definitely true. They were almost expecting just to go in and score with little resistance, resulting in a couple of simple mistakes.

Their captain led by example and Kitshoff was starting to dominate scrums along with some great work in the rucks.

The Stormers lost their way however for most of the 2nd half. There must have been a number of heads that started dropping in Cape Town. Fans hoping that it was not going to be another promising start to the season… only to fizzle out.

Outstanding players

Lions: Dylan Smith (1), Marnus Schoeman (6), Morne van den Berg (9), Elton Jantjies (10), Dan Kriel (12), Tyrone Green (14), Andries Coetzee (15), Willem Alberts (19)

Stormers: Steven Kitshoff (1), Pieter-Steph du Toit (7), Juarno Augustus (8), Godlen Masimla (9), Damian Willemse (10), Ruhan Nel (13)

ThysRugby player of the game: Elton Jantjies – his game management, fearlessness and vision has been a revelation so far this year

Top plays of the game

• 5 minutes of play from Lions resulting in their 2 tries that wiped out the Stormers lead and put the Lions 3 points ahead
• The decision from Jantjies, not to take the 3 points on offer shortly after their first try and go for the lineout. This was followed with a genius little cross-kick resulting in Skosan’s try
• Steven Kitshoff gradually gaining the upper hand in the scrums against Jannie du Plessis
• Augustus’ strong play down the touchline and the offload to put in Sergeal Petersen just after half-time
• The introduction of Willem Alberts and his signature Bone Collector physical dominance
• The Elton Jantjies try! Amazing influence through the phases and then running hard and receiving the ball flat
• The Dan Kriel team try after multiple phases, loads of unconventional play. True Lions rugby!

Final verdict

Lions: The Lions’ flair was back on display. Not as well-executed as in the past, but they will definitely be in the mix as the season goes on

Stormers: It was frustrating to see a game of two halves played by the promising Stormers. The first half they were clinical. The second half they had no plans.