After a nail-biting finish in Llanelli, Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann heralded his team's resilience following their slim 23-21 victory over the Scarlets, propelled by a last-minute penalty from the reliable Handré Pollard. The victory catapulted the Bulls to seventh in the URC standings, with crucial home fixtures against Zebre and Benetton on the horizon. The tour, which started with a defeat to Glasgow Warriors in the Investec Champions Cup, ended on a high note, keeping the Bulls' playoff hopes alive and well.
"The biggest positive and satisfaction after the tour is the fact that we’re still in the hunt," Ackermann reflected. "We kept ourselves alive and our destiny is still in our own hands."
"Luckily, the call at the end went our way when the referee recognized the [scrum] dominance and gave us that penalty. That was crucial for us."
Ackermann praised his forward pack for laying a solid foundation, particularly in the scrum and lineouts, despite a few misfires. However, he conceded that the match was far from perfect. "We didn’t play well over the 80 minutes," he admitted. "We were accurate, but not that accurate, and at times we were our own worst enemy, allowing them to exit easily or get points."
The Bulls' challenges were compounded by yellow cards to Stedman Gans and Francois Klopper, reducing them to 13 men at one point. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Ackermann commended his team's strategic handling of the situation. "The boys showed a lot of character. Even with 13 players, we made good decisions, slowed the game down, and managed it well."
"But we need to fix that [discipline] because it puts you under tremendous pressure."
Returning to Pretoria marks a relief for the squad, particularly for players dealing with significant personal milestones like marriages or newborn children. "It’s been a tough four weeks away from home," Ackermann noted, underlining the mental strain on his players. The tour's success, marked by victories against the Dragons and Scarlets, has been deemed successful, but Ackermann stressed, "the job is not done."
The Bulls now look forward to their upcoming matches on home soil, where they aim to solidify their playoff position and address the issues highlighted during their challenging tour.
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After a nail-biting finish in Llanelli, Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann heralded his team's resilience following their slim 23-21 victory over the Scarlets, propelled by a last-minute penalty from the reliable Handré Pollard. The victory catapulted the Bulls to seventh in the URC standings, with crucial home fixtures against Zebre and Benetton on the horizon. The tour, which started with a defeat to Glasgow Warriors in the Investec Champions Cup, ended on a high note, keeping the Bulls' playoff hopes alive and well.
"The biggest positive and satisfaction after the tour is the fact that we’re still in the hunt," Ackermann reflected. "We kept ourselves alive and our destiny is still in our own hands."
"Luckily, the call at the end went our way when the referee recognized the [scrum] dominance and gave us that penalty. That was crucial for us."
Ackermann praised his forward pack for laying a solid foundation, particularly in the scrum and lineouts, despite a few misfires. However, he conceded that the match was far from perfect. "We didn’t play well over the 80 minutes," he admitted. "We were accurate, but not that accurate, and at times we were our own worst enemy, allowing them to exit easily or get points."
The Bulls' challenges were compounded by yellow cards to Stedman Gans and Francois Klopper, reducing them to 13 men at one point. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Ackermann commended his team's strategic handling of the situation. "The boys showed a lot of character. Even with 13 players, we made good decisions, slowed the game down, and managed it well."
"But we need to fix that [discipline] because it puts you under tremendous pressure."
Returning to Pretoria marks a relief for the squad, particularly for players dealing with significant personal milestones like marriages or newborn children. "It’s been a tough four weeks away from home," Ackermann noted, underlining the mental strain on his players. The tour's success, marked by victories against the Dragons and Scarlets, has been deemed successful, but Ackermann stressed, "the job is not done."
The Bulls now look forward to their upcoming matches on home soil, where they aim to solidify their playoff position and address the issues highlighted during their challenging tour.