Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann admits playoff rugby brings a different kind of pressure, but insists his players won’t allow it to consume them.
Both the Bulls and Munster are fully aware of the magnitude of Saturday’s URC quarter-final.
In March, the Bulls were narrow 34-31 winners over the Irish giants at Loftus, with the visitors staging a comeback that almost won them the game.
Ackermann is expecting another tense and physical encounter.
“For my nerves’ sake, I hope it won’t be [tight],” Ackermann joked. “But that’s what playoff rugby is.
“It’s on the day and everybody knows that. You don’t have to score four tries and there’s a little bit more pressure on, and mistakes tend to cost you.”
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Ackermann warned that Munster’s pedigree and ability to perform away from home make them one of the most dangerous playoff teams in the competition.
“Munster have proven over the years that they’re a quality team and they’ve shown that they can travel well,” he said. “But hopefully we can put in a performance that’ll be good enough.”
The Bulls are chasing a fifth successive URC semi-final appearance and will once again carry the expectations of a Loftus crowd desperate to see the Pretoria-based outfit finally convert consistent playoff appearances into silverware.
But Ackermann says his message to the squad has been to embrace the occasion rather than be paralysed by it.
“There’s that fine balance between adding pressure to an already big game with big consequences and still going out and enjoying your game,” he explained.
“I’ve told the players that your identity can’t be in rugby alone. There’s a bigger picture in life than that, and that can’t define you.
“So we’re not going to add pressure. We know what we’re playing for and ultimately it’s on the day – 80 minutes – and we can only control our mindset and our plan.”
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Ackermann also backed his dangerous wing combination to play a major role against Munster’s defence after recalling Kurt-Lee Arendse to the starting XV alongside Stravino Jacobs.
“We’ve got three quality wingers,” he said. “I just think Kurt-Lee and Stravino are a good combination.
“Kurt-Lee has this X factor and a lot of stepping, while Stravino is a power runner.
“Sergeal [Petersen] gives us the luxury of going to the left or right.”
ALSO: Munster tweak team for Bulls showdown
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
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Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann admits playoff rugby brings a different kind of pressure, but insists his players won’t allow it to consume them.
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