Following their 34-28 defeat to Edinburgh, here’s how we rated Jake White’s Bulls in defeat in the Challenge Cup quarter-final.
Bulls player ratings v Edinburgh
15 Devon Williams: Reasonably solid at the back and his booming boot did aid the Bulls when they did exit well. He got White’s charges into good positions with his penalty kicks but they didn’t capitalise. 6
14 Sergeal Petersen: Barely touched the ball and when he did it was under advantage and he attempted a chip over the top that was charged down. Missed a couple of tackles and got injured at the start of the second when trying to make one which ended his game. 4
13 David Kriel: While the centre scored a brace, his defensive lapses in the first half were incredibly costly in the grand scheme of things. He had some bright moments yet again but overall, not his finest outing. 6
12 Harold Vorster: Like his fellow centre, he was caught out defensively in the early exchanges but hit back with a great break and assist for Kriel. He made good inroads into the Edinburgh defence with some powerful carries. 6
11 Stravino Jacobs: While his massive carries from the set-pieces was a real weapon for the Bulls, his performance was littered with errors. He was charged down early on and blew a chance as he failed to scoop up a loose ball. 3
10 Keagan Johannes: He did make some good reads on defence and kicked decently out of hand but failed to really control proceedings. Hooked at half-time, making way for Johan Goosen. 5
9 Zak Burger: Can count himself unlucky for his yellow card in the first half which proved quite costly as Edinburgh scored shortly after his sending-off. He conceded a few penalties and struggled to aid Johannes in controlling proceedings. 3
Loose forwards
8 Cameron Hanekom: A real standout on his return to the starting XV as he was physically excellent from start to finish. He was rewarded with a try and was unfortunate on a few occasions when winning a turnover but split it soon after. With Jasper Wiese possibly out for the Springboks through injury, Hanekom laid down a statement of intent to Rassie Erasmus. 8
Jasper Wiese out? Who Rassie Erasmus could turn to as Springboks’ INSANE depth is laid bare
7 Jannes Kirsten: Arguably lucky to avoid a second yellow card for an upright tackle on Pierre Schoeman. He was having a busy performance around the park with some superb clear-outs at the breakdown but his tackling technique put his team under the pump. 3
6 Marcell Coetzee: Man of the match last week and while he wasn’t at the same level today, he put in a tidy 40-minute shift but didn’t come back out for the second half. 6
Tight five and bench
5 JF van Heerden: He botched two lineouts after claiming the ball, putting the Bulls under pressure and Edinburgh capitalised. He recovered to have a solid performance in the second half but not his best outing by any stretch. 4
4 Ruan Nortje: He ran the lineout rather well with the issues coming after the ball had been claimed. Unsurprisingly the top tackler while he was on the pitch and claimed a turnover. A solid return to the starting XV and is bound to get a look in with the Springboks again. 7
3 Wilco Louw: A tidy scrummaging display as he tried to turn the screws on Boan Venter and earned a penalty. Got a single carry and made his tackles in the tight but missed one that led to a try but he should have never been defending there anyway, a system error not his. 6
2 Akker van der Merwe: A few wayward throws and a misread on defence put a damper on what was an otherwise sharp performance. 6
1 Simphiwe Matanzima: Missed a few shots on defence but was quite busy in that facet of the game. Scrum battle with Javan Sebastian was even. Replaced by Jan-Hendrik Wessels at half-time. 4
Replacements: After a frankly horrendous first-half performance, White needed his bench to step up and step up they did. The veteran coach named six Springboks replacements and it did the trick with every one of the Boks playing a huge role in the comeback but there was too much for the Bulls’ ‘Bomb Squad’ to do. Johan Goosen was particularly excellent in turning things around, as was Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Canan Moodie. 8
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/bulls-player-ratings-horrendous-start-costs-jake-whites-men-as-hanekom-hammers-down-springboks-statement
