Latest news with #Johannes
IOL News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Keagan Johannes embraces Jake White's support as he gears up for semi-final showdown with Sharks
Bulls Flyhalf Keagan Johannes is embracing the opportunity to play against the Sharks in the semi-finals of the United Rugby Championship. Image: BackpagePix Jake White, director of rugby at the Bulls, had a chat with flyhalf Keagan Johannes during halftime of their quarter-final against Edinburgh. His simple words to the inexperienced utility back were to back himself in the second half, play his natural game, and not to hand the kicking tee over to one of his teammates, but to take the responsibility. Those were the only words the 25-year-old needed to hear, and he took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, assisted fullback Willie le Roux with their attacking play and delivered a flawless performance off the kicking tee to help steer the Bulls to a comfortable victory over their Scottish opponents. He contributed 17 points in the 42-33 win. He scored a brilliant solo try after cutting the defence from the halfway line and stepping his way around a final defender to dive over untouched. With the backing of White and his teammates, Johannes will embrace the opportunity to face the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. The Bulls will look to seal a place in a consecutive final in the United Rugby Championship (URC). 'I am really enjoying my rugby at the moment and am glad I could contribute to the victory this past weekend,' Johannes said. 'I feel I am hitting form at the right time. I really enjoyed the try I scored, and the spirits were very high after that second-half performance. Coach Jake spoke to me at halftime, and it was nice to hear he was backing me, and it gave me the confidence to enjoy the rest of the game,' 'In the previous two games, I had a few hiccups off the kicking tee, but I feel settled into that flyhalf spot and ready to contribute more. That is where the team needs me currently, and I feel I can improve my overall game by playing there and staying there for a while. I would like to thrive there a bit.'
The Citizen
16 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
‘Back yourself,' White tells Johannes as Bulls eye URC final
The Bulls are playing in the URC knockout rounds without a fully recognised flyhalf. Keagan Johannes has taken over the flyhalf and kicking duties for the Bulls. Picture: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images Bulls boss Jake White was full of praise for his flyhalf, Keagan Johannes, after his team's United Rugby Championship quarterfinal win against Edinburgh last Saturday and says he will again fully back him in this weekend's semifinal against the Sharks. The teams meet in a big URC last-four clash at Loftus Versfeld at 6.30pm on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the final against either Leinster of Glasgow Warriors, who meet in their semifinal in Dublin. Johannes, a regular scrumhalf, has had to fill in at No 10 for the Bulls this season following the unavailability of first-choice Johan Goosen, who's been in and out of the team because of injuries. White full of praise for Keagan Johannes Willie le Roux has also played at flyhalf this term, while centre David Kriel has at times handled the goal-kicking. On Saturday against Edinburgh, Johannes missed a few early shots at goal, but later slotted his kicks, while he also scored a stunning try in the second half as the Bulls ran out 42-33 winners. 'At halftime I said (to Johannes) don't be scared to keep kicking at poles,' White revealed afterwards. 'I told him to not give the tee to anyone else. 'I said he must back himself, I said that he'd kicked so well for us all year, and that we're not going to win or lose this game because he missed a kick. 'Let's be fair, he's an unknow flyhalf playing for us, but (on Saturday) I thought he was as good as anyone playing for us. That break and dummy and run to score … how many 10s in this competition can do that? 'Obviously I'm very happy he backed himself in the second half, we needed that, we needed the big players to stand up. You need guys in your team who can stand up and play under pressure.' Sharks semifinal Johannes will no doubt continue in the No 10 jersey as the Bulls look to win through to a third URC final. 'I've told the guys that if they think they're good enough to win the competition then they have to beat whoever comes next week to get to the final,' said White. 'We've lost twice to the Sharks this year, so we will have to play our best. Whatever has happened earlier (and today against Edinburgh) though is irrelevant. 'We will reboot to make sure we get the next result. We've got two games left,' added the Bulls boss, determined to win the trophy, after falling short to Glasgow Warriors in the final at Loftus last season.
The 42
3 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Bulls see off plucky Edinburgh to book home semi with either Sharks or Munster
Bulls 42 Edinburgh 33 THE VODACOM BULLS recovered from an early deficit to beat Edinburgh in an 11-try thriller at Loftus Versfeld Stadium and book a home URC semi-final against either the Sharks or Munster next Saturday. The Bulls twice trailed by two scores in the first half, with Wes Goosen and a Ross Thompson double — initially answered only by a close-range Cameron Hanekom try — putting Edinburgh in the ascendancy on the half-hour mark. Edinburgh's first two tries came with the Bulls down to 14, Sebastian de Klerk sin-binned for a high shot on Darcy Graham. But with Willie Le Roux instrumental and their scrum mostly dominant, the hosts fought back from 21-8 down to move within striking distance at the break. David Kriel firstly capitalised on a poor Edinburgh kick chase to dive over just after the half-hour mark, with Harold Vorster crossing in the left-hand corner soon afterwards after a wonderful chip and chase in transition by De Klerk, who was fresh out of the bin. However, the profligacy of Keagan Johannes and Kriel from the tee meant that Edinburgh's led by three, 21-18, at the end of a frenetic first half. Advertisement The Bulls, however, scored three tries in the first 11 minutes of the second period to pull away from the seemingly exhausted Scots in Pretoria. Canan Moodie's try, supplied by the imperious Le Roux and converted by Johannes, was followed quickly by a wonderful solo score by Johannes himself. The scrum-half-turned-10 added the extras once more for 32-21. A powerful Wilco Louw carry then opened a gap for Bulls skipper Ruan Nortje to dot down on 51 minutes, with Johannes having well and truly found his groove on conversion duty. In a flash, the Bulls led by 18 and Edinburgh's goose was all but cooked. The Scots found a second wind late in the third quarter, however, with Ewan Ashman crossing from close range and JF van Heerden receiving 10 minutes on the naughty step for the Bulls' repeated infringements in the build-up. On the hosts' restart, however, the otherwise excellent Magnus Bradbury dropped the ball cold, and Ross Thompson soon followed Van Heerden to the sin bin as he deliberately knocked on a Bulls pass near the line with Edinburgh's defence in shambles. The hosts took their easy three points through Johannes to extend their lead to 14, but Darcy Graham then initiated a wonderful team score by Edinburgh — eventually finished by Wes Goosen but left unconverted — to leave the scoreline at 42-33 with 17 minutes remaining. The visitors tried in vain to reduce the deficit further, the Bulls earning key turnovers on the ground to thwart glimmers of Scottish momentum and manage their way to victory. Jake White's second seeds will host either South African rivals the Sharks or Munster at Loftus next Saturday. Bulls: Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian De Klerk, Keagan Johannes, Embrose Papier, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Cobus Wiese, J F Van Heerden, Marcell Coetzee, Ruan Nortje (CAPT), Cameron Hanekom Replacements: Akker Van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Marco Van Staden, Zak Burger, Stedman Gans, Devon Williams Edinburgh: Wes Goosen, Darcy Graham, Matt Currie, James Lang, Harry Paterson, Ross Thompson, Ali Price, Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, D'arcy Rae, Marshall Sykes, Sam Skinner, Ben Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Magnus Bradbury (CAPT) Replacements: Paddy Harrison, Boan Venter, Javan Sebastian, Liam McConnell, Ben Muncaster, Conor McAlpine, Ben Healy, Mark Bennett Referee: Adam Jones (WRU)
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Flyhalf Johannes stars as Bulls subdue Edinburgh
The Vodacom Bulls booked their place in the United Rugby Championship semi-finals after an six-try win over Edinburgh at Loftus Versfeld. Flyhalf Keagan Johannes starred with boot and ball, scoring 17 points – including a superb solo try – in the Bulls' 42-33 win over Edinburgh. The hosts were dealt an early blow when wing Sebastian de Klerk was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle shortly after kickoff. Edinburgh made the most of the extra man, with fullback Wes Goosen crossing to open the scoring. Despite being down to 14, the Bulls responded with a penalty from Johannes to narrow the gap. The Vodacom @BlueBullsRugby are on the loose Keagan Johannes gets the defender with the dummy and goes all the way to score #BKTURC #URC | #BULvEDI — BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 31, 2025 Flyhalf Ross Thompson added a second for Edinburgh, again taking advantage of the numerical edge. Once De Klerk returned, the Bulls struck back. Springbok No 8 Cameron Hanekom powered over to cut the deficit. Edinburgh remained efficient in the red zone, and after a scrum penalty led to a lineout, they moved the ball wide for Thompson to grab his second. The Bulls answered with a well-constructed try sparked by veteran Willie le Roux's linebreak, finished by centre David Kriel. The momentum continued with Harold Vorster finishing a flowing team move to bring the Bulls within one point. However, kicking proved costly in the first half, with the home side managing just one successful kick from four. Edinburgh still led 21-18 at the break. The second half started with the Bulls turning the tide. A dominant spell of possession led to Canan Moodie scoring their fourth try. Johannes soon added a fifth with a brilliant solo effort, before captain Ruan Nortje forced his way over for the sixth, the Bulls' third try of the third quarter. Edinburgh refused to fold, and hooker Ewan Ashman crossed after sustained pressure. The Scottish side then gained a man advantage when JF van Heerden was shown a yellow for repeated infringements, but it was short-lived as Thompson was also sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-on. Goosen's second try of the evening made it 42-33 going into the final quarter, but Edinburgh couldn't find a way back. The Bulls' defence held firm in the dying stages, and they reclaimed possession to close out the win. The result sees the Bulls move on to the semi-finals, where they will face either the Sharks or Munster, who meet in the last quarter-final at Kings Park today. The post Johannes stars as Bulls subdue Edinburgh appeared first on SA Rugby Magazine.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Bulls beat Edinburgh at Loftus to book URC semifinal spot
Whatever Jake White said to his players at half time, it worked wonders. Edinburgh went to the break with the lead and some momentum but the Bulls returned a different side to stamp their authority as they eventually ran out 42-33 winners. With this win, the Bulls have also secured a place in the United Rugby Championship semifinal at home on Saturday. They now wait for the result of the quarterfinal match between the Sharks and Munster in Durban, which kicked off late on Saturday, to find out their semifinal opponents. When the halftime bell went, they scored three tries each but Edinburgh enjoyed a slender three points lead but they could not hold on to when play resumed. Bulls scored their first half tries through Cameron Hanekom, David Kriel and Harold Voster while the visitors ticked the scoreboard with efforts of Wes Goosen and a brace from Ross Thompon. But they started the second half with three quick tries in a space of less than ten minutes from Canan Moodie, Keagan Johannes and Ruan Nortje giving them a firm grip on the match. Before the second half drama unfolded, Bulls suffered a blow inside five minutes when Sebastien de Klerk was sent to the sin bin for clumsily catching Darcy Graham on the chin. The Willie x Canan link-up is special 🤌🤌 📺 Stream #VURC on DStv: — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 31, 2025 The visitors were the first to register their name on the score sheet after six minutes when Wes Goosen ran on the far side to touch down and Ross Thompon was spot on with his kick. Johannes narrowed the points gap to four with a penalty after Jamie Ritchie was pinged by referee Adam Jones for shoving the Bulls jumper in the line-out. But the visitors pulled away again after 15 minutes when Thompon got their second try much to the frustration of the Bulls supporters on the stands. Before the 20th minute mark, Bulls got back in the game when Hanekom powered his way over the white line for their first try but Johannes missed from the kicking tee. Edinburgh were dominating the match at this point and Thompson registered his second try and it was quickly followed by the second one for David Kriel after he was fed the ball by veteran Willie le Roux. Bulls narrowed the gap to three points when Harold Vorster dotted down on the near side but Kriel missed his first kick after he took over the duties from Johannes who missed two earlier on. The Bulls got the second half off to a good start when Moodie and Johannes scored the fourth and fifth tries to give the hosts the lead for the first time in the match. The good news was that Johannes, who was back on kicking duties, managed to put away those two conversions as the Bulls started to turn it on after the break. Edinburgh tried to get back in through a try from Ewan Ashman and Goosen's second of the afternoon but the Bulls held on for this crucial victory that kept them in the hunt for their first URC title. Bulls (18) 42 Edinburgh (21) 33
