Following the Bulls’ 19-26 victory over the Glasgow Warriors, here’s how we rated Jake White’s charges in the United Rugby Championship victory.
Bulls player ratings v Glasgow Warriors
15 Devon Williams: Solid at the back again as he was more accurate with his booming clearances. He covered the backfield well, even if the Warriors didn’t kick too accurately. Caught out for Glasgow’s late try but had a solid game up until that point. 6
14 Canan Moodie: Time and time again, he shot up and stalled the defender URC champions’ attack with sharp, sharp reads defensively. Strong under the high ball too. He had few opportunities with the ball in hand but his defensive excellence was telling. 8
13 David Kriel: Shone defensively too and was rewarded for his work-rate to score after a neat kick into the backfield. The Bulls‘ defence has improved massively over the past fortnight and Kriel deserves a lot of credit for that. 7
12 Harold Vorster: Another who has stepped up to lead the Bulls’ defensive improvements. Vorster topped the tackle count (19) while also providing a strong carrier from first-phase possession. He distributed well too. 8
11 Sebastian de Klerk: Brilliantly set-up Kriel for his try as he robbed the ball from Tom Jordan’s feet and was sharp enough to get the ball away to his teammate. Also cut out a few threatening attacks from the Warriors. 7
10 Johan Goosen: Controlled matters well from the onset as his rich vein of form continues following his return from injury. His accuracy from the tee proved pivotal in the end as Glasgow launched a late comeback when he departed proceedings. The Bulls might be getting Handre Pollard next season but Goosen is not letting his grip on the number ten jersey slip anytime soon, crucial in the victory. 8
9 Embrose Papier: Kicked well, defended well and even got into the air nicely outwide. Another solid outing for the consistent number nine. 6
Forward dominance
8 Marco van Staden: A rare start at number eight for the Springbok flanker who returned to the starting XV after celebrating the birth of his second child. Titanic in defence, a pest at the breakdown and threw in powerhouse carries for good measure. A sterling showing from the loose forward. 8
7 Ruan Nortje: Another captain’s knock as he seamlessly made the shift to the side of the scrum. You know what you are getting from Nortje, work-rate, work-rate, work-rate and that’s what he did. 8
6 Jannes Kirsten: Copying and paste from his few back-rower. The Bulls got good value from their two towering flankers. 7
5 JF van Heerden: Eventually turned the tide at the lineouts after Glasgow applied the pressure. Still, did not shy away from the physical aspects of the game as the Bulls gained the upper hand up front. 7
4 Cobus Wiese: Continues to press for a first Springboks cap and shone yet again in all facets of the game against a strong Glasgow outfit. Made way in the final knockings as Jaco Grobbelaar made his debut. 7
3 Wilco Louw: Neethling Fouche will tell his fellow tighthead just how fortunate he was to only see yellow for his tackle in the first half. That was the only blight on Louw’s performance as he once again dominated the scrums and made great shots on defence. 7
2 Johan Grobbelaar: As per usual, a massive work-rate particularly on defence. Glasgow were able to put the lineout under pressure but his darts weren’t poor on the whole. Smartly took his try that gave the Bulls a nice buffer in the second half and he was duly replaced after dotting down. 8
1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels: Got the better of Patrick Schickerling in the scrums and then in one of the most outrageous prop try-saving tackles. A schoolboy star who promised to be a generational talent and the Springboks’ rookie is starting to really live up to the hype. A blinder of a performance in every facet of the game, including kicking, with an insane work-rate on both sides of the ball. 9
Replacements: The front row simply picked up from where the starters left off as they blasted through the Glasgow scrum while Akker van der Merwe terrorised the defence. White will be a bit concerned about the drop-off in the final 10 minutes but they had enough of a buffer to hold out for the win. 6
READ MORE: Matt Williams: Irish Rugby ‘appears to be in decline’ and new policy cannot ‘drag down’ Leinster
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/bulls-player-ratings-jan-hendrik-wessels-produces-an-outrageous-shift-as-springboks-star-shine-in-urc-final-repeat
