Coach Johan Ackermann is relishing the Vodacom Bulls’ clash against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
He believes the 15 August visit of the New Zealanders will provide the perfect test for the Bulls as they continue their build-up to next season. The All Blacks launch their South African tour against the Stormers in Cape Town next Friday before travelling to Pretoria.
“It’s not a warm-up game where you play 30-odd players,” the Bulls boss told the club’s website. “This is a full official match.”
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He said the fixture demands juggling between 2026-27 URC preparations and ensuring the Herd are ready for one of rugby’s biggest occasions.
“We probably do a little bit more conditioning than a normal week, game preparation, but it is a tough balance, because we can’t just do conditioning, but not get contact-ready.”
The former Springbok lock added that facing the Kiwis would be a priceless experience, particularly for the younger members of his squad.
“Wherever the All Blacks play, worldwide, you look at the following they get, and the tradition, and so on,” Ackermann noted.
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“It’s a memory that will last forever with them. A great opportunity to measure yourself, but also to experience something that you’ve always probably only watched on TV.”
He also hopes the departures of Boks Ruan Nortjé, Wilco Louw and Kurt-Lee Arendse can be offset by newcomers Thaakir Abrahams, Curwin Bosch, Hanro Liebenberg and Dylan Maart.
“We’ve lost quality players,” he said. “[New players] bring a different DNA, and we can play, I think, a little bit differently. Talent is one thing, but it’s that cohesion that we must keep alive.”
Looking ahead to his second season in charge, Ackermann said lessons from last season’s run to the URC final had shaped the Bulls’ pre-season.
“The way we want to play the game, we need to be a bit fitter,” he said, explaining the appointment of Rupert Oberholster as new head of athletic performance.
“We are all still hurting. Sometimes you have to take something aside, to really see the good in things, and there were a lot of positives.”
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour fixtures
Friday, 7 August: vs Stormers, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Tuesday, 11 August: vs Sharks, Kings Park, Durban
Saturday, 15 August: vs Vodacom Bulls, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday, 22 August: vs Springboks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Tuesday, 25 August: vs Lions, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Saturday, 29 August: vs Springboks, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday, 5 September: vs Springboks, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Saturday 12 September: vs Springboks, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
Photo: Huw Fairclough/Getty Images
The post Ackers bullish about All Blacks challenge appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Coach Johan Ackermann is relishing the Vodacom Bulls’ clash against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
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