The Bulls will face Glasgow in a URC semifinal clash at Murrayfield next weekend.
The Bulls beat Munster 45-14 in their URC quarter-final at Loftus on Saturday. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann is excited to face Glasgow Warriors in their URC semifinal, having lost to the Scottish side twice before this season.
The teams will meet at Murrayfield next Saturday after Glasgow beat Connacht 33-21 at Scotstoun and the Bulls beat Munster 45-14 at Loftus in their respective quarter-finals.
The Bulls scored six tries to Munster’s two on Saturday, outclassing the Irish side in set-pieces and the kicking battle, while defending brilliantly. They kept Munster scoreless in the second half.
Bulls must be better
Ackermann said a lapse of concentration in one period, some weaknesses in defence around the Munster set-piece, and Sergeal Petersen’s shoulder injury, were the only negatives from the game.
“Munster is similar to Glasgow in that their strength is launching from a set-piece,” the Bulls coach said.
“That is where they got momentum and those are areas we have to fix. But we scrambled in defence for each other and that is the character of the team.
“We have to perform even better than tonight. It sounds arrogant because of the score, but Glasgow will punish us if we make the same mistakes.
“They are a highly skilled attacking team. That is why we have to be better. Today we had the advantage of playing at home with the altitude – that counts a little bit – but next week it’s a fair challenge.”
He said “any win is good enough” in a play-off, and he was grateful for one no matter how it came.
“The fact that we got 45 points is nice but it will not help us next week. Glasgow are not the number one side for nothing.”
‘It will make it quite interesting’
The Bulls lost 21-12 to Glasgow in their URC match at Scotstoun in October, and 25-21 in their Champions Cup last-16 match at the same venue in April.
Ackermann said it would be good to play on the grass pitch at Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, as opposed to Glasgow’s artificial pitch at Scotstoun.
“In the first game they got a penalty try that swung momentum and it was clear in the review that it shouldn’t have been a penalty try.
“I was unhappy that we didn’t use technology to make a big call. Hopefully we won’t get that scenario come the semis.”
He hoped the better team would win on the day.
“But it is a nice challenge, we’ve lost twice against them. Now we get the opportunity to play against them again but this time in a different venue. It will make it quite interesting.”
