Coach Johan Ackermann says the Vodacom Bulls were left wondering “what if” after their 32-19 defeat to the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
It could prove costly for the Bulls, who remain eighth on the Vodacom URC log – the final playoff spot – with only six regular -season games remaining.
The home side started the north-south derby brightly but failed to convert early dominance into points, before unravelling under pressure in the second half.
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“I think it’s a game of ‘what ifs’,” Ackermann said. “What if we scored Canan [Moodie’s early] try or finished those maul opportunities?
“There was also a moment where we made a linebreak and played the open side instead of the short side where Kurt-Lee [Arendse] and Harold [Vorster] were open. We probably could have gone the length of the field and scored.
“The Stormers got one or two opportunities, scored and then added a penalty. It felt a bit deflating to go into half-time behind, because there were so many points out there for us. Our accuracy just wasn’t there, and unfortunately in the second half we fell apart.”
Ackermann said the Bulls’ problems were not limited to one area.
“Our lineouts, our maul defence, our attack fluency – it just wasn’t where it needed to be.
“In the previous two games [against the Lions and Sharks] it felt like the 50-50 moments went our way, but today when the ball went in the air, even from kick-offs, we did the hard work to win it but they ended up winning the scraps.”
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However, Ackermann credited the Stormers for applying pressure through their tactical approach.
“They came with a plan to pin us in our half and kick a lot. They won those little bits and pieces, and in the second half they were the better team.”
The Bulls coach admitted he was surprised by the contrast between this performance and his side’s recent form which saw them win four in a row. The Stormers, by contrast, had lost three in a row.
He felt the Stormers’ desperation made the difference on the day.
“One of the last things I said to the players before we came to the stadium was, remember, we’re playing a desperate side, but we must also be desperate, because we need that. Then again, these are the small margins of sport.”
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The Bulls now have it all to do heading into the final rounds of the regular season.
“We’ve added pressure on ourselves now,” Ackermann admitted. “Our margin for losing games is getting smaller and smaller. If you win games like this at home you ease the pressure on the away matches, but now there will be more pressure on the next one.”
Despite the setback, Ackermann believes the only solution is a quick reset.
“This one hurts because of the way we played,” he said. “But there’s not a lot of time. We have a short turnaround, so the best thing we can do is look at ourselves, fix what we need to fix, and come back with the right mindset for Friday.”
The Bulls host fifth-placed Cardiff on Friday night before welcoming Munster, who lie sixth, the following week.
Photo: Gallo Images
The post Ackers: Bulls fell apart in second half appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Coach Johan Ackermann says the Vodacom Bulls were left wondering “what if” after their 32-19 defeat to the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
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