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**dudeabides** · 05-20-2010, 06:36 PM

A preview of Bulls v Crusaders from Soweto:

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The Bulls and the Crusaders will renew their fierce rivalry in the unfamiliar setting of Soweto's Orlando Stadium on Saturday with a prize of a place in this year's Super 14 final awaiting the winner.

As defending champions and the form side throughout the campaign the Bulls enter the clash as favourites but due to the impending Fifa World Cup in South Africa they have had to relinquish home advantage normally reserved for the top two finishers at the end of the regular season. As a result the eagerly-awaited match will take place at the 40,000 capacity football stadium on the outskirts of Johannesburg rather than the Bulls' regular Loftus Versfeld home.

The two sides met just two weeks ago at 'Fortress Loftus' and played out arguably the most thrilling game of the season with the Bulls squeezing home 40-35 in controversial fashion. That high-octane, seven-try clash was enthralling from start to finish and all eyes will be on the sold-out Orlando Stadium to see if these two sides can conjure a repeat showing.

That defeat failed to halt the Crusaders' almost annual charge into the post-season with a comprehensive victory over the Brumbies in their most recent outing sealing their passage into the semi-finals. Success in Christchurch saw them book a provisional home semi-final but fate eventually saw them slip to fourth in the ladder as the Stormers eventually claimed second place. The Cape Town-based Stormers did so thanks largely to the generosity of the Bulls with their South African rivals fielding a second string line-up for their clash in Newlands last weekend. That decision by Bulls coach Frans Ludeke drew criticism far and wide and only time will tell if his front line stars benefit from the rest or struggle to recapture the form that got them here in the first place.

Unsurprisingly the big names are back in the Bulls' line-up for Saturday's game with captain Victor Matfield leading the way. Scrum-half Fourie du Preez and fly-half Morne Steyn have also been recalled after being rested against the Stormers. Former Springboks No.10 Jaco van der Westhuyzen comes in for winger Gerhard van den Heever, the Bulls' leading try scorer with eight tries, who remains suspended for a spear tackle against the Crusaders earlier this month.

Jaco Pretorius returns from injury to partner Wynand Olivier at centre while Deon Stegmann will start at No.6 after being rotated with Derick Kuun throughout the season. Lock Bakkies Botha was not included after he was suspended for four weeks for entering a ruck in a dangerous manner just minutes into Saturday's loss to the Stormers.

In contrast, the Crusaders line-up has a settled feel with coach Todd Blackadder making just one change to the side that ended the Brumbies' play-off hopes last weekend. Scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i returns to the reserves bench in place of Willi Heinz. The in-form Fotuali'i had been dropped for breaching recovery protocol dictated by the team after their 35-40 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria two weeks ago. Elsewhere there were minor injury concerns surrounding fly-half Dan Carter and prop Ben Franks who are both carrying ankle niggles but both are expected to be passed fit to play.

The pulsating nature of the last meeting between the sides remains fresh in the memory and much of the debate leading up to this clash has centred on whether the Crusaders will adopt a similar all-out approach this time.

The word from the Crusaders is that they will with assistant coach Daryl Gibson promising more of the same. "We've tried not to over-think this game too much. The Bulls are a very set team, they do certain things in certain parts of the field and they've got a very good lineout," Gibson said before confirming his side will look to keep the ball in hand.

"They kick to exert pressure and we think they won't do anything drastically different. Both teams will go in with gameplans largely the same as the last two games. We certainly won't be changing a great deal," he added. "You saw the Stormers employ similar tactics against them. It's really suiting the style we want to play at the moment, we've got a lot of outside backs who want to get the ball in their hands and run. We've got a good front eight to exert pressure in the set piece. It's a formula that's worked well and it's one we'll continue to use."

In contrast, Bull stalwart Matfield, who will rack up his 100th Super Rugby appearance on Saturday, is unsure whether the Crusaders could afford to play a similar high-risk style.

"The last time we played they were chasing a bonus point to stay in the semi-final mix, so their approach was understandable. This is a semi-final where bonus points are of no consequence, so we're not paying too much attention to what they are saying in the media," said the Springboks lock. "Semi-finals have usually resembled test matches quite closely, in that teams are reluctant to take risks in their own territory and prefer to play for field position then pressure the opposition into errors."

Despite all the talk of a potentially free-flowing game there is no doubt that this game will be brutal with the battle at the gainline set to decide the game. The Bulls have played seven-time champions the Crusaders in the semi-finals three times in the past four seasons, winning twice at home and losing once in New Zealand, and this latest meeting has the makings of classic encounter. The Bulls appear to hold a narrow advantage but if the Crusaders are to be beaten then it looks as though they will go down with all guns blazing.

Bulls: Zane Kirchner, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Jaco Pretorius, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard, Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez; Gurthro Steenkamp, Gary Botha, Werner Kruger, Danie Rossouw, Victor Matfield (captain), Deon Stegmann, Dewald Potgieter, Pierre Spies.

Replacements: Bandise Maku, Bees Roux, Flip van der Merwe, Derick Kuun, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Stephan Dippenaar, Pedrie Wannenburg.

Crusaders: Owen Franks, Ti'i Paulo, Ben Franks, Brad Thorn, Sam Whitelock, George Whitelock, Richie McCaw (captain), Kieran Read, Andy Ellis, Daniel Carter, Zac Guildford, Daniel Bowden, Robbie Fruean, Sean Maitland, Colin Slade.

Replacements: Daniel Perrin, Wyatt Crockett, Chris Jack, Thomas Waldrom, Kahn Fotuali'i, Tim Bateman, Jared Payne.

Referee: Stuart Dickinson
Assistant referees: Jonathan Kaplan, Reuben Rossouw
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen

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**dudeabides** · 05-20-2010, 06:38 PM

Preview of Stormers v Waratahs:

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The Waratahs will need to overcome an overwhelming set of hurdles if they are to upset the Stormers in the last ever Super 14 semi-final on Saturday.

The Stormers welcome Australia's only top-four representatives to their Newlands fortress knowing the winner will take on the victors of the Bulls-Crusaders battle - which will finish shortly before kick-off in this game - for the right to be crowned as the final Super 14 champions before the competition switches to the new 15-team conference-based format next year.

Almost all the pre-match factors point towards a home win, meaning Chris Hickey's Waratahs may need to win their own mental battle in the dressing room before they even challenge the might of the Stormers on the pitch.

No Australian side has ever won a finals match on South African soil and the Waratahs have had to make the gruelling 20-hour journey from Sydney's east coast to South Africa's western reaches this week. The Stormers have lost just once at Newlands this season, that also being their only loss in their home nation this year, and Cape Town has been in party mode in anticipation of their heroes reaching their first Super Rugby final.

The Stormers reached the top two on the back of their brutal defence, giving up a record low 13.15 points per game. At home that figure was just 10 points per game with one try conceded on average. If the Waratahs are searching for positives, they can perhaps look to the Stormers' record against Australian sides this season. After beating the Waratahs 27-6 in Round 2, the Cape Town side lost to the Brumbies at home and to the Reds and Force on Australian soil.

As if the statistics don't present enough of a challenge to the visitors, the Stormers will be cheered on by around 50,000 screaming fans at Newlands, just as they were as they dismantled the top of the table Bulls - albeit with almost their whole first XV rested - 38-10 last week.

The Stormers have avoided overseas travel through all of May and they have no fresh injury concerns for the semi-final, allowing Allister Coetzee to select an unchanged team for the game. Coetzee said this week that match preparation at this end of the season was all about getting into the right mindset.

"At this stage it's not about how much work you put in physically, but how much you do mentally," said Coetzee. "We'll have to manage our preparation this week. The players have to go out and impose themselves physically, which means they have to pitch up with physical intensity and keep up the pressure.

"We have to make sure we back our systems. It's been working. Whenever we play within our systems, there's no great individual performance but a solid team performance. We'll leave nothing out there against the Waratahs and we know that it will be a different Waratahs side coming out here this time. We won't play in a manner where we are trying to keep something back for the following week (possibly a final)."

Stormers captain Schalk Burger echoed his coach's view that the Waratahs have improved since the Round 2 clash between the sides.

"This is a semi-final and playing a Waratahs team in good form will require us to be at our best," said Burger. "We had a good performance against the Waratahs earlier this season - it was pretty convincing at the time, but I think they are a much improved side since we played them."

Waratahs coach Hickey agreed wholeheartedly with the Stormers hierarchy in that it will be a different team that runs out on Saturday than the one that lost 13 weeks ago. Hickey said while injuries have helped shape a line-up that has become a successful formula, it was an improved mindset that defined the new Waratahs.

Hickey will also select an unchanged side after Dan Palmer and Damien Fitzpatrick overcame minor knocks sustained in their 'quarter-final' win over the Hurricanes last week. The Waratahs have been focusing on physical recovery since making the flight across the Indian Ocean.

"It's a long flight," Hickey said. "You're in transit for probably 20 hours, I guess, from the time you leave one hotel (in Sydney) and reach another hotel here. So it's nice to put that behind us. It's never pleasant but we're getting better at managing it. There's no great secret to winning here. You've got to manage the travel side as best as possible and our strength and conditioning people are right on top of that.

No.8 Ben Mowen said the Waratahs would adopt a physical approach to bash the Stormers defence back before letting their in-form backs launch their attacks.

''It all comes down to the ball carry and how physical you are at that first breakdown," Mowen said. "It will be all based on getting on that front foot early off set pieces and getting momentum so they don't get a chance to set their defence and get off the line. Teams that have had success against them have created quick ball and forced the defence to be on their heels. It allows you to play a natural game.''

Waratahs back three Kurtley Beale, Drew Mitchell and Lachie Turner had success with the chip over the top last week, and they might seek to exploit the space behind the Stormers line if it proves to be an unbreakable wall.

The Waratahs will know by kick-off whether a win will see them host the Super 14 final against the Crusaders in Sydney, if the New Zealand side upset the Bulls in Suweto. If the Crusaders do spring a surprise, though, the Stormers fans will simply lift the atmosphere a few decibels at the thought of coming back a week later to host the historic final Super 14 showdown themselves.

Stormers: Joe Pietersen; Gio Aplon, Jaque Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Bryan Habana; Peter Grant, Dewaldt Duvenage; Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger (captain), Andries Bekker, Adriaan Fondse, Brok Harris, Tiaan Liebenberg, Wicus Blaauw

Replacements: Deon Fourie, Eusebio Guinazu, Anton van Zyl, Pieter Louw, Ricky Januarie, Willem de Waal, Tim Whitehead

Waratahs: Kurtley Beale; Lachie Turner, Rob Horne, Tom Carter, Drew Mitchell; Berrick Barnes, Luke Burgess; Ben Mowen, Phil Waugh (captain), Pat McCutcheon, Kane Douglas, Dean Mumm, Al Baxter, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Dan Palmer

Replacements: Damien Fitzpatrick, Jeremy Tilse, Chris Thomson, Dave Dennis, Josh Holmes, Daniel Halangahu, Rory Sidey

Referee: Mark Lawrence
Assistant referees: Marius Jonker, Cobus Wessels
Television Match Official: Shaun Veldsman

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**dudeabides** · 05-22-2010, 04:00 PM

Stormers v Waratahs:

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The Stormers will face the Bulls in their maiden Super 14 final after seeing off the challenge of the Waratahs 25-6 at Newlands on Saturday night.

Schalk Burger's men triumphed thanks to a granite defensive effort with the Waratahs unable to muster anything beyond a penalty and drop-goal from Berrick Barnes. Barnes' opposite number, Peter Grant, kicked 20 points including the conversion of centre Juan de Jongh's magical first-half score.

As the Stormers head into next weekend's all South African final in Soweto there will be concerns over their scrummage however as the inexperienced Waratahs pack had them on the back foot for long periods of the game.

Barnes missed his opening shot at goal after the Stormers were guilty of collapsing a maul but the home side were forced to absorb massive pressure in the opening stages. The pacy Waratahs backline probed but were forced back time and again by the Stormers' aggressive loose trio, with a hack clear from Jaque Fourie ending their early predicament.

Drew Mitchell was forced to clear his lines as Fourie bounded after his kick and from the lineout the home side maintained possession to win a penalty for offside, which Grant dispatched with ease. The fly-half added a second as Tahs skipper Phil Waugh was pinged on the floor, with the Stormers efficiently taking their chances in the early stages.

Barnes responded after a high tackle from Andries Bekker and the Waratahs were able to secure territory as the inexperienced Dan Palmer, in as a replacement for the injured Benn Robinson, gave Brok Harris a tough time at the scrum. Barnes drew them level with a drop-goal, a quick decision after some patient phase play.

Seconds later the Stormers pounced for the first try as de Jongh ripped through the visitors' line. The young centre produced a brilliant step off his left foot to flummox Kurtley Beale and with Mitchell missing his tackle he had the pace to make the line and use his momentum to go over. Grant added a simple conversion and Barnes was unable to grab three back soon after as Palmer continued to torment Harris.

The first points of the second half went the way of Grant and the Stormers, when the Waratahs' enthusiasm at the breakdown got the better of them in front of the uprights. Palmer was withdrawn in favour of Jeremy Tilse as the Tahs looked to keep shading the tight exchanges but they again fell out of favour with referee Mark Lawrence at the breakdown, with Grant extending the lead.

The Waratahs caused havoc from the kick-off as Lachie Turner secured the ball acrobatically, but their momentum was lost as Tatafu Polota-Nau attempted a difficult offload in sight of the line only to lose the ball forward.

Grant was soon able to extend the Stormers' lead further after a shuddering hit from hooker Tiaan Liebenberg gave Fourie an opportunity along the short side. The centre broke away in pursuit of his own kick and while Beale was able to cover the resulting lineout drew a penalty as Bekker was taken out in the air.

Grant slotted his sixth kick to put the Stormers out of sight and as the Newlands faithful counted down the seconds to the full-time whistle there was a palpable tinge of excitement in the air.

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**dudeabides** · 05-22-2010, 04:02 PM

Bulls v Crusaders:

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The Bulls booked their place in the Super 14 final with a powerful 39-24 victory over the Crusaders in Soweto on Saturday, with tries from Pierre Spies, Zane Kirchner and Fourie du Preez ending New Zealand's interest in this year's tournament.

Bulls fly-half Morne Steyn kicked 24 points to break Dan Carter's season points scoring record, with his tally now standing at 247 for this campaign.

The visitors scored three tries of their own through Richie McCaw, Sean Maitland and Sam Whitelock but had no answer for Steyn's metronomic control and paid a heavy price for deficiencies at the scrum.

The game was shifted to Orlando Stadium, home of football side Orlando Pirates, as the Bulls' Loftus Versfeld fortress is out of bounds due to the forthcoming FIFA World Cup. The move brought with it a carnival atmosphere and both sides were greeted by the roar of the crowd's vuvuzelas, a racket to be repeated next weekend when the Bulls return for the final.

The Bulls were led out by talismanic lock Victor Matfield, playing his 100th game for the franchise and took only seconds to snatch the lead. Du Preez's service was typically crisp and Spies arrived onto a short pass like a rocket, powering through a midfield gap and slapping aside the challenge of Colin Slade to score. Only weeks after the sides played out a 40-35 thriller at Loftus the fans were on their feet in anticipation of another classic.

Steyn clipped over the conversion to draw level with Carter, but was denied a chance to snatch the record when Danie Rossouw was adjudged to have knocked on in the act of scoring following another defensive lapse from Slade. The Bulls pivot did not have to wait long to claim the record outright as a sloppy offside from the Crusaders on their 22 gifted the simplest of opportunities to the rampant home side.

The pendulum swung the way of the men from Christchurch soon after as solid scrum ball was turned into a combative maul by hooker Ti'i Paulo, with McCaw crashing over the line to score a vital try. Carter added the extras but Slade's nightmare start continued from the restart as his charged down clearance just eluded Bulls flanker Deon Stegmann.

The Crusaders' pitiful efforts under the high ball continued though and seconds later Kirchner was able to capitalise for the Bulls' second try. His towering Garryowen cannoned off the head of Whitelock and the fullback was first to react after Francois Hougaard had failed to gather. Steyn was again on target with the conversion and extended the lead with another penalty moments later.

Carter reduced the arrears to 10 with a well struck penalty but was unable to add another from distance when Andy Ellis' snappy break drew a penalty from Stegmann. To rub salt in the wound, Steyn hammered over a monster kick from seven metres inside his own half to re-establish a 13-point advantage as half-time approached.

The Crusaders boldly turned down a shot at goal but their scrum metres from the line produced only a breakout for Spies, who hacked the ball clear and was only prevented from bagging his second by a brilliant chase from Zac Guildford. The Bulls nevertheless secured a penalty, from which Steyn was uncharacteristically off target.

Maitland showed a clean pair of heels to the Bulls' defence five minutes after the restart to haul the Crusaders back into contention. Quick ball from Read to Ellis allowed Slade a sliver of time to release Maitland with a brilliant pass and the winger burst clear after Dewald Potgieter had missed a cover tackle. Carter converted but the Crusaders coughed up another three points to Steyn's boot immediately afterwards.

A fantastic break from Maitland then had the Bulls on the rack but Carter missed another shot at the sticks as the Bulls persisted in killing the visitors' possession. Paulo continued to rough up the Bulls with his direct style and his brilliant offload allowed Dan Bowden to come close to unpicking the defence with a well crafted grubber.

The Crusaders were unable to rue their missed chance for long as Du Preez showed his tactical nous to pounce for a brilliant solo try. From the base of a scrum just outside the opposition 22 the Bulls scrum-half snaffled the ball and eluded Read on the blindside, showing his pace to dive over in the corner. Steyn curled in the touchline conversion and took the game beyond the Crusaders with another penalty secured at a scrum.

Replacement prop Wyatt Crockett endured a torrid time at the hands of the Bulls' front-row and he conceded another penalty to Steyn, whose kick was followed by a consolation score out wide to Whitelock. The Bulls coasted over the finish line with gas to spare, and are now on course for a shot at retaining their title.

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**dudeabides** · 05-26-2010, 06:12 PM

Preview of the final match:

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The last ever Super 14 final may only feature South African teams but no one could argue that the Bulls and the Stormers aren't the sides most deserving of a place in the 2010 showpiece.

It's the best attack against the best defence in the final match before the competition evolves into the expanded Super 15 format next year which will incorporate the Melbourne Rebels and change to a conference-based system.

The South African rivals finished as the top two in the regular season and confirmed their status as the cream of the crop with comprehensive wins in the semi-finals last week. The Bulls supporters uprooted and moved en masse to Soweto's Orlando Stadium, the site of Saturday's final, to cheer their men to a 39-24 win over the Crusaders while the Stormers put in a typically resolute performance in their 25-6 triumph over the Waratahs.

The semi-finals provided a snapshot of these two teams; the Bulls are 2010's top scorers by some distance and they simply accelerated away from the Crusaders in the second half, while the Stormers have conceded less than half as many points as the Bulls this season as they recorded the competition's best ever defence, giving up just 13 tries in their 14 games this year after keeping out the 'Tahs.

The Bulls certainly have the advantage of experience on their side, having won the 2007 and 2009 finals, including the only ever all-South African decider against the Sharks three years ago. They have South Africa's most capped Super Rugby captain in Victor Matfield, while Pedrie Wannenburg will register a staggering 112th appearance in the final, a Bulls record. The Pretoria-based side have 13 Super 14 champions in their starting XV, compared to just one for the Stormers, who have former Bulls stalwart and title-winner Bryan Habana on the wing.

In fact, it's the Stormers' first ever final after reaching the last four for the first time this year since 2004. It's somewhat fitting that the final will be held at a more 'neutral' venue than the Bulls' Loftus Versfeld fortress for the derby finale, although the travelling Bulls fans and their planned vuvuzela (small plastic horn) noise assault will still create a superb parochial atmosphere and should render the Stormers underdogs.

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has made just one change from the Crusaders match, with leading try-scorer Gerhard van den Heever coming onto the wing for Jaco van der Westhuyzen, who drops to the bench while Stephen Dippenaar misses out.

The Bulls now have every player available except for the suspended Bakkies Botha, and their leading stars are fresh and ready after Ludeke rested his first team players in the last game of the round robin season, which was a 38-10 loss to the Stormers. Ludeke spoke of his delight at having a near full-strength team to choose from but said it would mean little if they didn't go on to claim the title. "The guys have worked very hard to get this far. We have created the opportunity to be part of something special, now we need to embrace it," he said.

Similarly, Matfield said the Bulls couldn't just fall back on their superior experience and expect to win the game. "It is good to know that the guys have been there before, but we still need to convert that into pressure and make sure that we create and use opportunities," Matfield said.

Unsurprisingly, Habana has emerged as a central figure in the build up to the game and may indeed have a more important role to play during the week than on the field itself. His inside information wasn't needed when the sides met in Round 14 because the Bulls fielded a vastly under-strength team in what was a dead rubber for them. The lack of a real contest in that match means it's hard to gauge how these teams and their contrasting styles may match up on Saturday.

Despite not facing them so far this year, Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has been busy highlighting a number of key tactical challenges the Bulls present. Coetzee has been picking apart the Bulls' kicking game while publicly calling for improvement in his side's scrumming.

On Habana's input, Coetzee said, "He's been giving a lot of insight into a few things. But at the end of the day you have to go out there and play. We know what's coming our way and we're going to prepare well. We're looking forward to playing the strongest possible Bulls side. I said it to the players as well, if you want to be champs you have to go beat the Bulls and then you're worth your salt."

The Stormers are at full strength after versatile prop JC Kritzinger shrugged of a calf strain and his strength off the bench will be welcome for Coetzee, who admitted the Waratahs tired out his pack by pressuring their scrum and forcing resets.

"In some [scrums] we could have done better," Coetzee said. "In other instances, they got the hit and then took us to ground, which they must have practiced doing in order to tire us out. I don't know why we would take our own scrum down on attack. We will make the necessary adjustments and I still have to talk to (referee) Mark Lawrence. It's not going to be easy against what is a very good Bulls scrummaging pack."

Coetzee said the Bulls had the potential to kick teams into submission, particularly through high bombs which can intimidate players more than any forward.

"They have good kickers in Fourie du Preez, Morne Steyn and Zane Kirchner. They launch high kicks and chase very well. You have to look at ways to play in their half because they have such good kickers.

"The Bulls kick longer than any other team - the ball travels further on the Highveld, and it travels higher too. It's quite intimidating if you stand and wait for the up-and-under to come down. If you cannot handle the Bulls' aerial attack then it will be very difficult for you.

"The Bulls away, up in Joburg is going to be one helluva clash. The job is 50 percent done. I mentioned last week this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we should take the last chance to win a Super 14 because it changes next year."

Bulls: Zane Kirchner, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaco Pretorius, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard, Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez; Gurthro Steenkamp, Gary Botha, Werner Kruger, Danie Rossouw, Victor Matfield (captain), Deon Stegmann, Dewald Potgieter, Pierre Spies

Replacements: Bandise Maku, Bees Roux, Flip van der Merwe, Derick Kuun, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Pedrie Wannenburg.

Stormers: Joe Pietersen; Gio Aplon, Jaque Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Bryan Habana, Peter Grant, Dewaldt Duvenage, Wicus Blaauw, Tiaan Liebenberg, Brok Harris, Adriaan Fondse, Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger (capt), Francois Louw, Duane Vermeulen

Replacements: Deon Fourie, JC Kritzinger, Anton van Zyl, Pieter Louw, Ricky Januarie, Willem de Waal, Tim Whitehead.

Referee: Craig Joubert

Assistant referees: Cobus Wessels, Christie du Preez
Television Match Official: Shaun Veldsman

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**dudeabides** · 05-29-2010, 02:42 PM

Bulls v Stormers:

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The Bulls secured their third Super 14 title in four seasons with a thrilling 25-17 victory over the Stormers at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.

The all-South African final was again taken down the road to Soweto by the Bulls and their decision was rewarded, as it was in the semi-final against the Crusaders, by the vocal, colourful backing of their fans and local supporters of the Orlando Pirates. The on-field battle was soundtracked by the deafening roar of the crowd's vuvuzelas, which will soon provide raucous backing for football's leading lights when the FIFA World Cup arrives in South Africa in June.

The stars of the Association code could learn a thing or two about kicking from Bulls pivot Morne Steyn, whose record-breaking boot was again the reason for the Bulls' victory. The Stormers punctured the Bulls' aggressive defence twice for tries, to former Loftus favourite Bryan Habana and scrum-half Ricky Januarie, but were unable to pull clear as Steyn slotted six penalties and converted Francois Hougaard's superb first-half try for a personal haul of 20 points.

The big-game experience of the home side told over the final 80 minutes of Super 14 rugby before expansion next year and the Stormers, despite boasting the meanest defence in this year's tournament, were unable to prevent them from joining the Blues and Crusaders in winning back-to-back Super Rugby titles.

Steyn's opening penalty followed a dominant scrummage close to the Stormers' line and was just reward for a bright opening. There was space for Fourie du Preez and Pierre Spies in the opening exchanges as the Bulls blended heads-up rugby with their typical belligerence on the gain line.

They also defied convention by keeping the ball in hand where possible and Steyn was constantly on hand with an arsenal of high kicks to bail them out under pressure. The fly-half slotted a second penalty as the play remained camped in Stormers territory and the visitors' defence took on an increasingly ragged look as the toll began to tell.

Subscribing to the old cliché that attack is the best form of defence almost brought an immediate response from the Cape Town side though, and it was their skipper Schalk Burger who was denied by the TMO. Francois Louw, who will win his first Springbok cap against Wales next weekend, took a leaf out of Spies' book with a massive midfield burst and good pressure close to the Bulls' line led to the ball crossing the whitewash, but after a double movement.

Steyn rubbed salt in the wounds with his third penalty and the seemingly omnipresent du Preez soon carved open the Stormers for the opening try. Hougaard drifted infield from his wing and popped up in midfield, where his scrum-half supplied a wonderful pop pass for the youngster to race clear and round Joe Pietersen for the score.

Grant got the visitors on the board with a 30th minute penalty but they had to wait until the opening moments of the second half to bring their fans to their feet. Dewaldt Duvenhage picked off a loose Bulls pass and sparked his side into life, breaking away with strong support. Grant carried well and Tiaan Liebenberg rumbled on, but once the Bulls had recovered their composure their fire was quickly doused.

Jaque Fourie and Pietersen fought gamely to drag the Stormers back into contention but it was a moment of fortune that turned the tide. Just outside the Bulls 22 Steyn sent a languid pass straight into the waiting arms of Habana, who trotted clear to score under the sticks. The World Cup-winning wing, the only Stormers player to have previously played in a final, also notched a personal milestone with his score, having now picked up a try in all three of his final appearances. Grant's conversion made it a six-point game with 25 minutes remaining.

Having kicked the wasps' nest the Stormers were forced to defend for their lives and again it was Habana who led from the front. The winger attacked his work with frenzied determination but was unable to stop the Bulls setting up field position for Steyn to chip over another three pointer to extend their lead back out to nine.

The Stormers regrouped and set about testing the Bulls in their own territory, but again felt the sting after failing to break down their structured defence. Andries Bekker's stupid charge at a ruck saw a kickable penalty reversed and the Bulls marched to the other end where Steyn landed his fifth kick. His sixth followed in quick succession as JC Kritzinger was pinged at the scrum but Januarie then provided a glimmer of hope for the visitors.

From the kick-off the Stormers tore upfield with Louw again conspicuous with a couple of big carries. Januarie directed play well before reaching out for the line, with referee Craig Joubert awarding the try despite the ball appearing to have been grounded short. There was to be no fairytale for Burger and his men though, as the Bulls showed all of their composure to wind the clock down, suffocating any advances before the final whistle confirmed their place in the history books as the last winners of the Super 14.

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