In the swirling saga of rugby dramas, the Bulls are now forced to rejig their strategy, thanks to Jan-Hendrik Wessels' unexpected nine-week vacation from the field, handed down after a rather cheeky foul play incident. Coach Johan Ackermann revealed that Wessels was all set to take on Glasgow this Friday, but alas, the ban hammer swung hard.
The young Bok found himself in hot water after allegedly getting a little too handsy with Josh Murphy's nether regions in last week's clash against Connacht. Despite the murky video evidence, the disciplinary gods were unamused, sidelining Wessels and sparking a likely appeal from the Bulls camp.
Ackermann, caught in the throes of team reshuffling, remained stoic.
"There’s no news yet on Jan-Hendrik,"
he stated, just a day shy of their next game. "He would have been in the squad, of course, but when the decision was made, we had to adapt. That’s what a good squad does – you must be adaptable."
The coach was not shy about the silver lining, viewing it as a chance for others to shine.
"This will test our character again. It’s an opportunity for other players to step up, like Etienne [Janneke], and it shows how quickly opportunities can come."
Meanwhile, the Bulls' lineup sees a carousel of changes for the upcoming Glasgow face-off, the finale of a three-game tour. The return of Bok lock Ruan Nortje, who will captain the side, and flanker Marcell Coetzee, is set to inject some much-needed experience and leadership. Nama Xaba, despite his standout performance, will warm the bench this time around.
Ackermann lamented the tough decisions, noting, "Our whole loose trio played well against Connacht, so it was a tough call. Nama was outstanding, but bringing Marcell and Ruan in gives us a lot of leadership and experience. There’s also a bit of strategy behind it. We know we can lift the tempo in the second half with guys like JJ [Theron] and Nama. It’s a long season and we need to use the depth we have."
The Bulls' defensive strategy will be under the microscope against a confident Glasgow squad, especially after a mixed bag of results on their tour. Ackermann emphasized the need for physicality and heart in their play, crucial against a team that has lost only twice at home since December 2023.
Off the field, there's more buzz around the Bulls, with injury-prone flyhalf Johan Goosen still sidelined. "Johan went back to South Africa last week. They’re still not happy with his calf, so he’s in rehab," Ackermann updated, hopeful for Goosen's return post-game break.
Teams: Ruan Nortje (captain), Marcell Coetzee, Nama Xaba (bench).
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In the swirling saga of rugby dramas, the Bulls are now forced to rejig their strategy, thanks to Jan-Hendrik Wessels' unexpected nine-week vacation from the field, handed down after a rather cheeky foul play incident. Coach Johan Ackermann revealed that Wessels was all set to take on Glasgow this Friday, but alas, the ban hammer swung hard.
The young Bok found himself in hot water after allegedly getting a little too handsy with Josh Murphy's nether regions in last week's clash against Connacht. Despite the murky video evidence, the disciplinary gods were unamused, sidelining Wessels and sparking a likely appeal from the Bulls camp.
Ackermann, caught in the throes of team reshuffling, remained stoic.
"There’s no news yet on Jan-Hendrik,"
he stated, just a day shy of their next game. "He would have been in the squad, of course, but when the decision was made, we had to adapt. That’s what a good squad does – you must be adaptable."The coach was not shy about the silver lining, viewing it as a chance for others to shine.
"This will test our character again. It’s an opportunity for other players to step up, like Etienne [Janneke], and it shows how quickly opportunities can come."
Meanwhile, the Bulls' lineup sees a carousel of changes for the upcoming Glasgow face-off, the finale of a three-game tour. The return of Bok lock Ruan Nortje, who will captain the side, and flanker Marcell Coetzee, is set to inject some much-needed experience and leadership. Nama Xaba, despite his standout performance, will warm the bench this time around.
Ackermann lamented the tough decisions, noting, "Our whole loose trio played well against Connacht, so it was a tough call. Nama was outstanding, but bringing Marcell and Ruan in gives us a lot of leadership and experience. There’s also a bit of strategy behind it. We know we can lift the tempo in the second half with guys like JJ [Theron] and Nama. It’s a long season and we need to use the depth we have."
The Bulls' defensive strategy will be under the microscope against a confident Glasgow squad, especially after a mixed bag of results on their tour. Ackermann emphasized the need for physicality and heart in their play, crucial against a team that has lost only twice at home since December 2023.
Off the field, there's more buzz around the Bulls, with injury-prone flyhalf Johan Goosen still sidelined. "Johan went back to South Africa last week. They’re still not happy with his calf, so he’s in rehab," Ackermann updated, hopeful for Goosen's return post-game break.
Teams: Ruan Nortje (captain), Marcell Coetzee, Nama Xaba (bench).