Bulls coach Johan Ackermann said he was 'soul-searching' after the loss to Bordeaux, having led 33-22 and looking in control before half-time.
Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann said the team are as frustrated as their fans after showing moments of brilliance and then leaking easy tries to the opposition at the beginning of their season.
The Bulls lost their third game in a row on Saturday, falling 46-33 to Union Bordeaux Bègles in their first Champions Cup pool match at Loftus after also losing 21-12 to Glasgow away and then 43-33 to the Lions at home, in the United Rugby Championship.
The Bordeaux defeat was especially hard to swallow after playing well in the first half, scoring five tries to lead 33-22 at the break. But they were shown two yellow cards in the second half and conceded 24 points without adding to the scoreboard.
The defending champions Bordeaux ultimately scored seven tries at Loftus.
The Pretoria union have now conceded 34 tries, and 236 points in total, in seven games – almost 34 points on average per game.
Ackers ‘soul-searching’
“We look so good at moments and then we look average,” the Bulls coach said.
“If you can score tries but you keep leaking tries, you’re not going to win. That’s the frustrating part. The inconsistency in all our areas is challenging at the moment.”
He said he was “soul-searching” because he felt they had prepared well for the game, fought back after a strong Bordeaux start, and then “let it slip”.
“Sometimes it is an individual mistake and sometimes it is a system mistake. And it’s not consistent. It’s quality players who make the mistake and that’s the thing. You saw in the past they didn’t make those mistakes.
“It must be frustrating for people outside because it’s frustrating for us.”
Ackermann said the kind of errors the Bulls made was even more discouraging.
“Like losing a kick-off, or we knock a ball, or we know they will come at the breakdown but we don’t secure it and then they get a turnover. Those small things. Last week and this week.”
He added they were also let down by discipline, David Kriel and Handré Pollard both being shown yellow for deliberate knock-ons.
Bulls fail to finish their opportunities
Moreover, the small margins in lost opportunities compounded the frustration.
“Two offloads on any other day, Harold Vorster gets the ball away to Reinhardt Ludwig and we score a brilliant try. Then Embrose Papier will get the ball away to Canan Moodie and he’s that far off catching it, but Maxime Luca catches it and they go all the way to the other side of the field and score.
“That’s the frustrating part. We are there and then not there.”
Ackermann said their trying start to the season – three wins in seven games – would test their character. The Bulls needed to pull together, asking themselves how they could improve rather than point fingers.
