Following the Bulls’ 16-13 victory over Munster, here’s how we rated Jake White’s charges in their famous United Rugby Championship win at Thomond Park.
Bulls player ratings v Munster
15 Devon Williams: Not usually the kind of game that suits the full-back who thrives in dry sunny conditions, but he controlled the backfield rather well and made good use of his booming boot. 7
14 Sebastian de Klerk: Like his fellow ex-Pumas back, De Klerk prefers to stretch his legs from the back but did not shy away from the task at hand and kept the in-form Andrew Smith at bay. A really busy shift on defence. 6
13 David Kriel: A few blips but overall, a far better outing than the one he had against Edinburgh, particularly defensively. 6
12 Harold Vorster: Key to the Bulls‘ defensive effort along with Kriel, while he was one of the team’s best carriers, gaining over 30 metres in a closely fought match. 7
11 Canan Moodie: Gained more metres than any other Bulls player and was sharp under the high ball. Made a real impact off the bench last week and brought that form over to Thomond Park. 7
10 Johan Goosen: The Bulls have been somewhat hamstrung without an out-and-out fly-half running the show at 10, and Goosen proved that today with a mature showing. He kicked well off the tee and out of hand. Handre Pollard is undoubtedly a huge coup for the Bulls next season, but White is very fortunate to have Goosen in his ranks too. 8
9 Embrose Papier: Combined nicely with Goosen, got the Bulls out of sticky situations with his boot. Nothing really stood out, but he did his job. 5
8 Cameron Hanekom: A mammoth effort on both sides of the ball and at the breakdown. After a breakout campaign last season, he is showing no signs of second-season syndrome and is, in fact, getting better. 20 tackles, two turnovers and 33 metres from eight carriers are the raw stats from his outing, as he added much more than that. 8
7 Jannes Kirsten: As per usual, he was busy around the park hammering in rucks and making his tackles. Nothing fancy, but that’s not his game. 6
6 Marcell Coetzee: He did not have the captaincy today, but he absolutely led from the front with a titanic shift on defence, racking up 30 tackles, missing just one and making 10 more than any other player. Coetzee scored his team’s only try and was simply relentless from start to finish. Perhaps his recent form will catch the eye of the Springboks after his continued snubs, but White will be over the moon about his shift regardless. Simply the best player on the park and fittingly named man of the match after an outrageous shift. 9
5 Ruan Nortje: Arguably the second-best Bulls player on the park as the Springboks lock put in a real captain’s knock running the lineout effectively and also hammered into tackles time and time again. 8
4 Cobus Wiese: In the frame for Springboks selection due to his form this season and upon his return from injury he did not disappoint. You know what you are getting from Wiese, hard hits, big carries and a tireless work-rate. That’s what he did today. 7
3 Wilco Louw: The injuries to the Munster props meant that his real point of difference was nullified in the last few minutes of his shift but he wasn’t pleased with the scrummaging anyway, pleading with the referee multiple times. Still, he was sharp as ever in all facets. South Africa are really blessed with depth at tighthead. 6
2 Akker van der Merwe: Ticked the boxes in another solid outing, he rarely has a poor game to his credit. Lineouts were sharp, as was his open play. 6
1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels: Continues to make good use of his athleticism for such a big frame and doesn’t shy away from the hard graft. Solid in the scrums too. 6
Replacements: Keagan Johannes came up in the clutch with a crucial winning penalty, while much of the forward replacements picked up from where the starters left off. The final defensive sequence was huge in the grand scheme of things. That’s what you want from your bench. 8
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/bulls-player-ratings-springboks-snub-produces-an-outrageous-shift-in-famous-victory
