Bulls president Willem Strauss has praised Johan Ackermann’s men for reaching the Vodacom URC final after slamming them earlier in the season.
The Bulls will face Leinster in Dublin next Friday night after producing a stunning comeback to beat the Glasgow Warriors 22-21 in the Murrayfield semi-final.
A fourth final in five seasons seemed unlikely eight months ago when the Pretoria-based side was struggling under new coach Johan Ackermann.
Following a 28-7 defeat to Ulster in Belfast, Strauss did not hold back.
“Arguably our worst performance since joining the URC. Terrible effort. Not interested and disconnected,” he said in a WhatsApp broadcast message. “We’ve now conceded 14 tries in just 3 games. We need urgency and intensity asap.”
Things would get much worse for the Bulls before they got better, with a seven-match losing streak across competitions finally ended by a Champions Cup pool win in Pau.
The Bulls went on to win eight of their last nine URC league-stage matches to finish fourth on the log, and hammered Muster in a home quarter-final.
CULLEN: Bulls a serious outfit
“They endured some incredible criticism in the beginning, but they came through it,” Strauss told News24. “That shows their mental toughness and fighting spirit.
“We are proud of this coaching staff and the players. They have shown incredible character; they have been fighting back the whole season.
“This team are the comeback kids of the URC,” he added. “We won the semi-final with a hell of a comeback; it’s a reflection of this team’s character.
“In the beginning of this season, we were against the ropes with a new coach, at one stage we were 12th on the log and we fought back.
“I am really proud of them; they just keep on fighting. They have that South African spirit of fighting.”
Photo: Vodacom Bulls
The post Bulls go from ‘worst performance’ to ‘comeback kids’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Bulls president Willem Strauss has praised Johan Ackermann’s men for reaching the Vodacom URC final after slamming them earlier in the season.
The post Bulls go from ‘worst performance’ to ‘comeback kids’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
