Despite a convincing victory over Stade Français, where the Bulls demonstrated the power of their attack, coach Johan Ackermann believes the team made several shortcomings that need to be corrected before returning to the URC competitions against Ulster this weekend.
The Bulls started the match very actively, scoring the first try just 30 seconds in, and adding two more before halftime. In the second half, they increased their lead by scoring five additional tries, securing a confident win at Loftus Versfeld stadium.
Nevertheless, even with such an impressive scoreline, Ackermann felt that his team unnecessarily complicated things for themselves, especially in the first half.
He stated: 'Obviously, I am proud of the lads. Winning the match is the most important thing; we did it, and the bonus point reward is also in the bag.' He continued that the game was tense despite the score, as the team allowed itself difficulties by missing penalties in the first half, making errors, and not capitalizing on opportunities properly.
Ackermann noted that the performance improved in the second half. 'We still missed a few chances, but Stade Français showed a lot of character, and the conditions there were tough.' The match took place at a temperature of 32 degrees Celsius, which complicated matters for both teams.
The coach admitted to feeling frustrated on the sidelines: 'We were quite disappointed in the coaching area because it was great that we started well, but then we got into a situation where we simply made it easier for them.' He explained that they either missed penalties or lost the ball in less than two plays, allowing the opponent to gain possession and slow the pace, or conceded easy entry into the Bulls' half.
Ackermann analyzed statistics around the 35th minute, noting that the opponents had 62 percent possession but only made 22 tackles, while the Bulls were leading on the scoreboard, although it didn't feel like it. He emphasized: 'This is definitely work for us. If teams come here, to Loftus, we must make them work a little harder.'
Following this victory over the Lions, Ackermann made significant changes to the squad, giving debuts to young players Luan Gilimee and Sango Ksamlashe, both of whom impressed the coach.
Regarding Sango, Ackermann said: 'Sango justified his selection; he played well. I was very pleased with his game, especially in defense.' As for Luan, he noted: 'Luan played well for the Sharks, integrated well, did his job, and we saw that he was comfortable with these systems.' The coach added that he spoke with him in the locker room about a goal opportunity he missed at the end of the match, believing he should have scored it himself.
Ackermann also highly praised the contribution of the forwards, especially the front row, who were given more time on the field despite recent limited playing time. 'But we are happy with our squad; we kept even the front row out for a long time because they hadn't played rugby in a long time.'
The Bulls will now focus on the URC, where Ulster will visit Loftus Versfeld on Saturday at 13:45.