Vodacom Super Rugby Review – Round 3
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Bjorn Basson contesting the highball. Photo by Anton Geyser /Rugby15
The Sharks won their first Vodacom Super Rugby match of 2012 while the Vodacom Bulls let slip an opportunity to remain top of the log as they lost at home to the Blues.
The Toyota Cheetahs got the weekend underway from a South African perspective when they narrowly went down to the Brumbies, by 24-23, in Canberra on Saturday morning.
Later on Saturday, The Sharks, in their first home game of the season, scored four tries as they defeated the MTN Lions by 32-20. That was followed by the Blues upsetting the Vodacom Bulls by 29-23 in Pretoria, with the visitors’ young flyhalf, Gareth Anscombe, scoring all his team’s points.
The Reds, Highlanders, DHL Stormers and Brumbies are the only unbeaten teams left, but last two have both had a bye, the Capetonians having theirs this past weekend.
Brumbies 24 (10) Toyota Cheetahs 23 (13)
The Toyota Cheetahs were pipped at the post with a last-minute penalty as they came very close to only their second victory in Australia, the Brumbies eventually winning this high intensity Vodacom Super Rugby encounter by 24-23 in Canberra on Saturday morning.
Toyota Cheetahs fans would feel their team was unfortunate as they conceded a slew of penalties late in the game, which saw the Brumbies fight back from being 23-10 behind with half an hour to go.
Apart from the penalties which ultimately cost them the game, the Toyota Cheetahs showed a vast improvement from last weekend. Their defence was generally very good and Springbok flanker Heinrich Brüssow was at his brilliant best at the breakdowns, turning over a lot of possession for the visitors.
The Toyota Cheetahs scored two good tries, first by left wing Willie le Roux off a set move from a line-out in the first half and then shortly after the break by scrumhalf Tewis de Bruyn.
Toyota Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen, who is part of the South African Under-20 training squad, missed his first kick at goal in 217 minutes of Vodacom Super Rugby this season when his attempt at a 62 metre penalty goal fell short. That was his 17th kick at goal this season.
Scorers:
Brumbies – Tries: Henry Speight, Pat McCabe. Conversion: Christian Lealiifano. Penalty goals: Lealiifano (4).
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Willie le Roux, Tewis de Bruyn. Conversions: Johan Goosen (2). Penalty goals: Goosen (3).
The Sharks 32 (17) MTN Lions 20 (6)
The Sharks scored their first victory of the 2012 Vodacom Super Rugby season when they beat a depleted MTN Lions side by 32-20 at Mr Price Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, scoring their fourth try for a valuable bonus point at the death.
Jacques Botes’ try in the 79th minute, from a rolling maul, gave The Sharks their third bonus point of 2012, but for the first time this season it was for try-scoring alongside a win.
This followed first half tries by Riaan Viljoen (fullback) and Lwazi Mvovo (left wing), both in the left corner of the field.
The MTN Lions, despite losing three props as well as their playmaker, Elton Jantjies, to injuries this week, never gave up and scored two tries in the second half, by fullback Jaco Taute and replacement prop Ruan Dreyer.
When Dreyer drove over with five minutes left, the score was 27-20 to the home side, but they kept their eye on the prize and pushed through when it really mattered.
Scorers:
The Sharks – Tries: Riaan Viljoen, Lwazi Mvovo, Meyer Bosman, Jacques Botes. Conversions: Pat Lambie (3). Penalty goals: Lambie (2).
MTN Lions – Tries: Jaco Taute, Ruan Dreyer. Conversions: Butch James (2). Penalty goals: James (2).
Vodacom Bulls 23 (8) Blues 29 (20)
Young Blues flyhalf, Gareth Anscombe, made sure the Loftus Versfeld faithful will not forget his name soon as he scored all of the Aucklanders’ points in their 29-23 victory – their first of 2012 – over a lacklustre Vodacom Bulls side on Saturday.
The home side managed a bonus point for losing by fewer than seven points when Bjorn Basson scored his second try of the night and Morné Steyn added the conversion, but it was scant consolation as the Blues recorded only the second away victory ever in matches between these sides.
It was almost ironic that this kick, probably Steyn’s most difficult of the night, bagged the Vodacom Bulls a bonus point, as the Springbok flyhalf had been wayward with the boot for most of the match, missing four of his seven kicks at goal.
Steyn’s opposite number, the 20-year-old Anscombe, in his first Vodacom Super Rugby start, scored two tries, converted both and added five penalty goals for 29 points. He got on the score sheet in second minute thanks to an intercept try and again in the 39th minute with his second try. He hit seven from nine of his attempts at goal.
The Vodacom Bulls also kept themselves under pressure with a slew of unnecessary mistakes, while the Blues used their opportunities and kept calm heads when it was required.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Pierre Spies, Bjorn Basson (2). Conversion: Morné Steyn. Penalty goals: Steyn (2).
Blues – Tries: Gareth Anscombe (2). Conversions: Anscombe (2). Penalty goals: Anscombe (5).
Other results – Round 3:
Crusaders 19 Chiefs 24 (Napier)
Force 19 Hurricanes 46 (Perth)
Highlanders 18 Waratahs 17 (Dunedin)
Reds 11 Rebels 6 (Brisbane)
Vodacom Super Rugby Logs – Round 3:
Combined Log
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | BPts | Pts |
| 1 | Reds | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 47 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Highlanders | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 60 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| 3 | DHL Stormers | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 38 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| 4 | Brumbies | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 40 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| 5 | Vodacom Bulls | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 92 | 61 | 31 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| 6 | Chiefs | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 72 | 56 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| 7 | Hurricanes | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 102 | 86 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 9 |
| 8 | Waratahs | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 73 | 62 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 9 | Sharks | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 57 | 53 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 10 | Crusaders | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 62 | 69 | -7 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| 11 | Blues | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 61 | 71 | -10 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| 12 | MTN Lions | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 87 | -12 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| 13 | Rebels | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 46 | -21 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 14 | Toyota Cheetahs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 67 | 102 | -35 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 15 | Force | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 56 | 100 | -44 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
South African Conference
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | BPts | Pts |
| 1 | DHL Stormers | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 38 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Vodacom Bulls | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 92 | 61 | 31 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | Sharks | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 57 | 53 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | MTN Lions | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 87 | -12 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Toyota Cheetahs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 67 | 102 | -35 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
New Zealand Conference
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | BPts | Pts |
| 1 | Highlanders | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 60 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Chiefs | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 72 | 56 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | Hurricanes | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 102 | 86 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | Crusaders | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 62 | 69 | -7 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Blues | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 61 | 71 | -10 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
Australian Conference
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | BPts | Pts |
| 1 | Reds | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 47 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Brumbies | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 40 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| 3 | Waratahs | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 73 | 62 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | Rebels | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 46 | -21 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Force | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 56 | 100 | -44 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
Top points’ scorers – Round 3
| Player | Team | Tries | Conv | Pen | Drops | Tot |
| Mike Harris | Reds | 0 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 51 |
| Morné Steyn | Vodacom Bulls | 0 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 47 |
| Johan Goosen | Toyota Cheetahs | 0 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 47 |
| James Stannard | Force | 2 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 46 |
| Beauden Barrett | Hurricanes | 1 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 45 |
| Tyler Bleyendaal | Crusaders | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 42 |
| Aaron Cruden | Chiefs | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 37 |
| Elton Jantjies | MTN Lions | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 37 |
| Daniel Halangahu | Waratahs | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 35 |
| Patrick Lambie | Sharks | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 32 |
| Johan Pietersen | DHL Stormers | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 30 |
| Gareth Anscombe | Blues | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 29 |
| James O`Connor | Rebels | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| Michael Hobbs | Blues | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 17 |
| Bjorn Basson | Vodacom Bulls | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| TJ Perenara | Hurricanes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Butch James | MTN Lions | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 15 |
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