Chief's Loss to Bulls Dynasty Will Make Them Stronger

(Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Despite the loss, the Chiefs can walk away from Loftus Versfeld with their heads held high. They have created their own history, and their Pretoria nightmare will stand them in good stead for the future.

But we must pay homage to an awesome Bulls team.

For the second time in third years, they have won the southern hemisphere’s ultimate symbol of rugby supremacy. The first time was done in the harshest of environments, playing in Durban, against the only fellow South African side (the Sharks) that dares to challenge their supremacy.

Supremacy is a supremely apt word, for on the evidence of their display at Loftus, even a full strength tier one test team would have struggled to contain the might of the new 2009 Super 14 champions.

Conventional wisdom has stated that a championship team needs certain aspects to be a winning unit. One truism is that a team needs to have at least 2-3 world class players in order to be of title winning vintage.

The Bulls contain two men whom are not only world class, but would feature among a debate that determines the world’s best players. Period.

And in Victor Matfield and Fourie Du Preez, the Bulls have two players of such overwhelming class that many test nations would be lucky to claim as their own.

Add to these players Gurthro Steenkamp, Bakkies Botha, Pierre Spies, Bryan Habana, Wynand Olivier and Akona Ndungane, and players off the bench like Chilliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw and Pedrie Wannenburg—all of whom are Springboks—and it gives some indication to the Bulls strength when half of their starting 22 are test players.

Lest we forget Morné Steyn and Zane Kirchner, who both should be front line options for the Springboks.

On the evidence of the South African XV’s (a Springbok team sans Bulls players) match against a Namibian invitational side—the Springbok side won 36-7 but were only 8-7 ahead at half time, and looked unconvincing throughout—one would think that the bulk of Peter De Villiers front line selection will come from the new Super 14 champions.

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