'If they are used to doing something for four or five years, it’s not going to change overnight. You have to be patient. You can’t force things or you will confuse players.'
Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann said he is changing the habits of his players to promote individual expression, rather than relying solely on the set-piece-focused game plan for which the Bulls are known.
But this will take time.
Ackermann took over from Jake White, who led the Pretoria union for five years but mutually agreed with the board in July, even though he was contracted until 2027.
Before this, Ackermann led the Lions to Super Rugby finals in 2016 and 2017 before joining Gloucester and reaching the 2018 Challenge Cup final. He later coached in Japan, guiding Urayasu to Division 1 promotion in 2022, and recently consulted with the Junior Springboks, who won this year’s World Championship.
While in Japan, he earned the Division 2 Coach of the Year award, adding to his three South African Coach of the Year honours.
Bulls on the brink
Ackermann’s Bulls tenure did not start well, however.
The Currie Cup team, largely headed by Phiwe Nomlomo but supported by Ackermann, finished sixth with three wins from seven games. They failed to reach the play-offs for the first time in five years.
Now the Bulls are three matches into the United Rugby Championship and with new signings including Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard and former Springboks Jan Serfontein and lock Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, they hope to finally win the tournament after reaching three finals in four years.
But after two victories, they slipped from first to sixth on the table with a 28-7 drubbing by Ulster last weekend, which Bulls president Willem Strauss described as “arguably our worst performance since joining the URC”.
Ackermann said his side defended better in that defeat than in their two previous wins, though they conceded 14 tries and a total 99 points in those three games.
He responded with sweeping changes for the side to face Connacht in Ireland, including naming Reinhardt Ludwig as captain, though he has played just two matches in the last six months due to injury.
‘You must do it a over and over’
The new Bulls coach said he is still getting used to his players and trying out different combinations. So the team will not click right away.
“They say to change a habit it takes time. You must do it a over and over,” Ackermann said. “So for us to get to a brand of style that we want to play without a proper pre-season together, it is going to take time.”
He said this is difficult in a tournament they are trying to win.
“Each player has a strength and you want them to play to their strength, and obviously work on what they can be better at. If your ability is to beat players, to offload or see space, whatever, [you play accordingly].”
He said the Springboks are selected more for their individual strengths than a coach’s or collective team’s style of play.
“That is what I want [the Bulls] to express. But if they are used to doing something for four or five years, it’s not going to change overnight. You have to be patient. You can’t force things or you will confuse players.”
