Johan Ackerman was satisfied with the results achieved by the Bulls in the match against Scarlets at Loftus Versfeld stadium on Saturday, where the team secured a convincing victory with a score of 54:26. Nevertheless, the coach did not allow the impressive score to hide the fact that the team's performance did not meet his expectations.
However, the contribution of Jeanandre Rudolph brought a wide smile to Ackerman. The 32-year-old forward demonstrated outstanding play, earning the man of the match award, which helped the Bulls climb to second place in the URC table. This was another bright example of his consistent form, which has made him an increasingly influential figure in the Bulls squad.
Ackerman noted: 'It is amazing and good to see how he plays, and we have excellent competition in this backline.' He added that Elryke Low and Marco van Staden did not participate in the game. The coach emphasized: 'He is a good footballer who can play in any position, and he continues to find his form. Today I laughed—sometimes he looks tired and downcast, and in the next moment he's back in the game. That's good.'
Two weeks ago, in the Champions Cup match against Stade Français, Rudolph scored a sensational touchdown that would suit a winger. Receiving the ball on the sideline in his half, he passed it past the winger, took the ball, and ran toward the corner flag, scoring a goal he will tell his grandchildren about.
Despite the coach's joy over his forward's contribution, he was significantly less impressed with the overall performance of the Bulls against Scarlets. In the post-match press conference, Ackerman stated: 'Same story as last week. We are grateful for the win, but we complicated things for ourselves.'
Indeed, the Bulls had to put in much more effort than the final score suggests. After 55 minutes, the game was deadlocked at 26:26, as Scarlets refused to give up. Then the home team became active in the last quarter, scoring four goals in a row.
Ackerman admitted that he was concerned about the team's preparation during the week, suggesting that the approaching international breaks affected the squad's concentration. He reported: 'I was worried. The Bok guys were already in tour mode mentally, and the others going into the November break were already on vacation.'
Nevertheless, for Ackerman, the most encouraging moment was how his team finished the job. He noted: 'Scarlets never gave up; they scored good goals and stayed in the game. But I am proud that we found a way and showed good character.'
The coach continued: 'They pushed the Stormers to the end, and they pushed us to the end. That is the nature of competition. There are no easy games, and if you can win and get five points, you should be happy. Regardless of momentum swings, mistakes, and moments when we played poorly, we scored when it mattered, and for me, that is a good sign—we can be clinical and finish when necessary.'
Ackerman was also pleased with the contribution of his Springboks team, who, in his opinion, prioritized the team's interests over the upcoming national tour. He praised the players: 'Look at a guy like Sebastien de Clercq. All our Springboks played for this team today and risked their bodies: Cameron Hannekem, Sebastien, everyone. I am proud of all of them.'