Vodacom Super Rugby Review - Round 1
Vodacom Super Rugby 2012 got underway with a weekend dominated by some rustiness, the boot and rock-solid defence as not one of the 14 teams in action could claim a try-scoring bonus point.
The DHL Stormers, with three, scored the most tries of any side in action this weekend, but it was MTN Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies that rewrote the record books as his nine penalty goals steered his side to a hard-fought 27-25 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs in the final match of the weekend.
Jantjies' counterpart, Johan Goosen, scored 20 points in his Vodacom Super Rugby debut.
On Friday, Vodacom Bulls flyhalf Morné Steyn kicked all the points as the Vodacom Bulls beat The Sharks by 18-13, while DHL Stormers fullback Joe Pietersen contributed 21 of the DHL Stormers' points in their 39-26 victory over the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Jantjies, Pietersen, Goosen and Steyn all feature amongst the top six points' scorers after the opening round of Vodacom Super Rugby action for 2012.
Note: By clicking on the various headings, you will be able to access the breakdown for that specific match on www.sarugby.co.za, where team line-ups, replacements and run of play can be found.
Vodacom Bulls 18 (0) The Sharks 13 (0)
Not a single point was scored in the first 43 minutes of this match between the two sides that played in the 2007 Vodacom Super Rugby final, with stern defence and unnecessary errors - as well as wayward kicking at goal - dominated proceedings on Friday evening in Pretoria.
When Vodacom Bulls flyhalf Morné Steyn finally got the first points of the match on the Loftus Versfeld score board with a penalty goal, it was the first of six three-pointers scored in 15 minutes as both sides started to feel the pressure.
At that stage the home team lead by 15-3. A second penalty goal by Sharks flyhalf Patrick Lambie and a dropped goal by Steyn saw the Vodacom Bulls take the lead 18-6 with less than 10 minutes left on the clock.
The Sharks scored the only try of this encounter, in the 71st minute, when replacement loose forward Jacques Botes finished a move that started with turned over possession deep in their own half.
But the Vodacom Bulls' defence held out as The Sharks attacked with a lot of vigour in the final stages of the match to start the season with a win.
Between Steyn, Lambie and Sharks fullback Riaan Viljoen (fullback), they missed five kicks at goal in the first half, but all nine their kicks in the second half, including the drop goal by the Bulls' pivot, were successful.
Scorers:
Vodacom Bulls - Penalty goals: Morné Steyn (5). Drop goal: Steyn.
The Sharks - Try: Jacques Botes. Conversion: Patrick Lambie. Penalty goals: Lambie (2).
DHL Stormers 39 (23) Hurricanes 26 (16)
The DHL Stormers might have won their Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Hurricanes comfortably by 39-26 on Saturday afternoon in Cape Town, but they probably would not have complained had they managed to score that elusive fourth try.
DHL Stormers wing Gio Aplon had the DHL Newlands crowd on their feet in the fifth minute with a brilliant try and when replacement flanker Siya Kolisi, who replaced captain Schalk Burger in the 14th minute, crashed over just before the half hour mark, it looked like the home side might cut loose.
The Capetonians were on the front foot, with both the Hurricanes props spending time in the sin bin for ill-discipline late in the first half reducing them to playing with only 13 men for a few minutes.
It wasn't to be though and a late try in the first half by Hurricanes centre Tim Bateman saw the DHL Stormers lead by only seven points at the break.
The 'Canes drew level seven minutes into the second half when flyhalf Beauden Barrett converted his own try, but the DHL Stormers regrouped as fullback Joe Pietersen put them back in the lead with three penalty goals.
When referee Marius Jonker awarded a penalty try to the DHL Stormers - and gave the Hurricanes their third yellow card of the match - it was all over for the visitors.
Scorers:
DHL Stormers - Tries: Gio Aplon, Siya Kolisi, Penalty try. Conversions: Joe Pietersen (3). Penalty goals: Pietersen (5). Drop goal: Gary van Aswegen.
Hurricanes - Tries: Tim Bateman, Beauden Barrett. Conversions: Barrett (2). Penalty goals: Barrett (4).
MTN Lions 27 (12) Toyota Cheetahs 25 (19)
A new Vodacom Super Rugby record for Elton Jantjies meant the MTN Lions started their 2012 campaign with a grinding 27-25 victory over former Cats-partner in Johannesburg on Saturday evening.
Jantjies was successful with nine penalty goals out of his 11 attempts at the posts, wiping out of the record books four players who have slotted eight three-points in one match in the past.
The previous record was jointly held by Jannie Kruger (Northern Transvaal v Highlanders in Pretoria, 1996), Willie Walker (Highlanders v Chiefs in Hamilton, 2003), Meyer Bosman (Toyota Cheetahs v DHL Stormers in Cape Town, 2006) and Derick Hougaard (Vodacom Bulls v Crusaders in Pretoria, 2007).
The Toyota Cheetahs, whose prop WP Nel scored the only try of the match, will not be happy with their discipline as referee Mark Lawrence also sent two of their players, inside centre Andries Strauss and flyhalf Johan Goosen, to the sin bin.
Goosen underlined his massive potential in this game as he contributed 20 points, including a massive dropped goal from the halfway line.
Scorers:
MTN Lions -Penalty goals: Elton Jantjies (9).
Toyota Cheetahs - Try: WP Nel. Conversion: Johan Goosen; Penalty goals: Goosen (5). Drop Goal: Goosen.
Other results - Round 1
Blues 18 Crusaders 19 (Auckland)
Brumbies 19 Western Force 17 (Canberra)
Chiefs 19 Highlanders 23 (Hamilton)
Waratahs 21 Reds 25 (Sydney)
Vodacom Super Rugby Logs - Round 1
South African Conference
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA BPts Pts
1 DHL Stormers 1 1 0 0 39 26 13 3 2 0 4
2 Vodacom Bulls 1 1 0 0 18 13 5 0 1 0 4
3 MTN Lions 1 1 0 0 27 25 2 0 1 0 4
4 Toyota Cheetahs 1 0 0 1 25 27 -2 1 0 1 1
5 Sharks 1 0 0 1 13 18 -5 1 0 1 1
Australian Conference
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA BPts Pts
1 Reds 1 1 0 0 25 21 4 1 2 0 4
2 Brumbies 1 1 0 0 19 17 2 2 1 0 4
3 Rebels 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
4 Force 1 0 0 1 17 19 -2 1 2 1 1
5 Waratahs 1 0 0 1 21 25 -4 2 1 1 1
New Zealand Conference
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA BPts Pts
1 Highlanders 1 1 0 0 23 19 4 2 1 0 4
2 Crusaders 1 1 0 0 19 18 1 1 2 0 4
3 Blues 1 0 0 1 18 19 -1 2 1 1 1
4 Chiefs 1 0 0 1 19 23 -4 1 2 1 1
5 Hurricanes 1 0 0 1 26 39 -13 2 3 0 0
Combined Log
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA BPts Pts
1 DHL Stormers 1 1 0 0 39 26 13 3 2 0 4
2 Highlanders 1 1 0 0 23 19 4 2 1 0 4
3 Reds 1 1 0 0 25 21 4 1 2 0 4
4 Vodacom Bulls 1 1 0 0 18 13 5 0 1 0 4
5 Brumbies 1 1 0 0 19 17 2 2 1 0 4
6 MTN Lions 1 1 0 0 27 25 2 0 1 0 4
7 Crusaders 1 1 0 0 19 18 1 1 2 0 4
8 Rebels 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
9 Blues 1 0 0 1 18 19 -1 2 1 1 1
10 Force 1 0 0 1 17 19 -2 1 2 1 1
11 Toyota Cheetahs 1 0 0 1 25 27 -2 1 0 1 1
12 Waratahs 1 0 0 1 21 25 -4 2 1 1 1
13 Chiefs 1 0 0 1 19 23 -4 1 2 1 1
14 Sharks 1 0 0 1 13 18 -5 1 0 1 1
15 Hurricanes 1 0 0 1 26 39 -13 2 3 0 0
Vodacom Super Rugby Scorers - Round 1
Player Team Tries Conv Pen Drops Tot
Elton Jantjies MTN Lions 0 0 9 0 27
Beauden Barrett Hurricanes 1 2 4 0 21
Joe Pietersen DHL Stormers 0 3 5 0 21
Mike Harris Reds 0 1 6 0 20
Johan Goosen Toyota Cheetahs 0 1 5 1 20
Morné Steyn Vodacom Bulls 0 0 5 1 18
James Stannard Force 1 0 4 0 17
Tyler Bleyendaal Crusaders 0 1 4 0 14
Aaron Cruden Chiefs 0 1 4 0 14
Chris Noakes Highlanders 0 2 3 0 13
Issued by SARU Corporate Affairs
