Ackermann praises Bulls’ maturity after nine-try demolition of Lions

Johan Ackermann warned during the week that the Bulls were tired after returning from Ireland, but there was no fatigue at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday as his team tore apart a confident Lions side 57-15.

The Bulls bounced back emphatically from their 26-22 defeat to Munster, running in nine tries to two in a statement performance that exposed the gulf between the sides once the hosts found their rhythm.

Five first-half tries gave the Bulls a commanding 31-10 lead, and they continued turning the screws after the break, with Canan Moodie, JF van Heerden, Cheswill Jooste and Sebastian de Klerk all crossing the line as the Lions’ resistance crumbled.

For Ackermann, the most pleasing aspect was not simply the scale of the victory, but the maturity his team showed in responding to last week’s disappointment and overcoming a challenging preparation.

“I’m just proud of the guys,” he said. “We knew we had to be at our best to beat a side that’s in form. The focus was on starting well and having our set-piece sorted out.

“Credit to the players for the mental strength and maturity they showed to start well and stay in the fight, even though things didn’t go our way. We lost a few balls where we had opportunities, but we just stayed on the task.”

The result was particularly striking given Ackermann’s warning that his players had returned from Ireland only on Tuesday. The Bulls had also brought in seven first-choice Springboks, who had to absorb the coaching staff’s plans in a short time.

The returning internationals made an immediate impact, contributing five of the Bulls’ nine tries. Player of the Match Cameron Hanekom and hooker Johan Grobbelaar both scored twice, while Moodie also got on the scoresheet.

Ackermann was delighted with how quickly his Springboks adapted to the team’s approach, despite having little time to prepare.

“The coaches put a lot of effort into sending them stuff on Monday, and then on Tuesday they had meetings with them separately to bring them up to speed,” he said.

“They learned everything quickly, and on Wednesday we had a day off, and on Thursday we trained. It wasn’t perfect; there were mistakes, but you could see they were buying into what we wanted to do and quickly settled in.”

Hanekom was one of the standout performers, bringing his physicality and dynamism to the contest after returning from almost a year out with injury. His recent involvement in the Springboks’ successful Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry campaign had also marked an important step in his comeback.

But Ackermann pointed out that the loose forward’s performance was built on the work of those around him.

“Every player has got his strengths, and Cameron has shown his strengths that stood out in some of the phases today,” he said.

“But again, you must look at how the opportunities were created; there are a lot of players involved in that. He hadn’t played with us for a long time, and he came in and slotted in nicely. I’m just proud of his effort; he’s a quality player.”

The Bulls’ replacements also made a significant contribution, ensuring the pressure did not ease in the final 20 minutes as the Lions struggled to stem the flow of attacking rugby.

“There are so many tries where there were players involved that created something, and then the Boks showed their class as well,” Ackermann said.

“It’s good that those guys contributed, but what pleased me as well was the bench. The guys came on and made a difference, and kept the pressure on the Lions.”

Captain Hanro Liebenberg, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Saturday, also welcomed the impact of the returning Springboks, saying their standards provided a benchmark for the rest of the squad.

“They set the benchmark, and we’ve got to follow that,” he said.

“The first 10 to 15 minutes were a bit nervy,” he added. “And after we found our feet, we had a few opportunities even in the first half which we didn’t capitalise on.

“As soon as we got our opportunities again, we took them better. That was the main work-on for us from the Munster game.”

Liebenberg also expected a tough test from a Lions team that had made an encouraging start to the United Rugby Championship season, winning their first two matches and building momentum at Ellis Park.

“They’re a well-balanced side with a good set-piece, so we knew this wasn’t going to be an easy game,” he said.

“We pride ourselves on our physicality, and we did that well,” he said.

This week, the Bulls host Stade Francais in a Champions Cup match.