Johan Ackermann, the current head honcho at Vodacom Bulls, has thrown his weight behind Dave Rennie, the newly minted All Blacks coach, predicting a bright future ahead. Having clashed with Rennie during his tenure with the Chiefs, Ackermann's respect for him runs deep, shaped by both bruising defeats and insightful post-game interactions.
On the Megafoon Rugby podcast, Ackermann reminisced about a particularly tough encounter back in 2014, "We took a proper beating from his team in Hamilton.
"We spoke afterwards on the field and, strangely enough, that was almost confirmation that we were on the right track"
, he said. The conversation post-match reassured Ackermann that his Lions were on the right path, aiming to emulate the thrilling rugby style that Rennie’s then team, a recent Super Rugby champion, exemplified.Ackermann, who has faced challenges himself since taking over the Bulls in 2025, emphasized the need for patience in the realm of coaching. Despite a seven-match losing streak earlier this season, he believes in giving coaches adequate time to imprint their philosophy, "We haven’t got the patience because the Bull supporters see [URC] finals and they want to get back in the final and I understand it completely," Ackermann explained.
"If you look at where Dave Rennie went, it always took him a year or two, and then his teams started to win."
Rennie's coaching journey has been anything but smooth. After a stint with the Wallabies, which ended prematurely in 2023 amid a transitional tumult and the global lockdowns, he moved to Kobe in Japan. There, he quickly turned the team’s fortunes around, climbing to the top of the league standings. "I feel Australia pulled the trigger [on Rennie] too soon," Ackermann noted, hinting that Rennie’s dismissal was a hasty decision.
As Rennie takes on the All Blacks, a team currently scrutinized for its tight five, Ackermann remains optimistic about his capabilities, "I think Dave Rennie is a very good choice."
Ackermann also touched on the broader aspects of team management, stressing the importance of empowering players through freedom and decision-making in their style of play. "It’s our job as coaches to create that environment and make them practise those skills over and over," he concluded, underlining the long-term nature of cultivating a winning team culture.