While his predecessor, Jake White, said that no one could beat a full-strength Leinster side at home, Bulls coach Johan Ackermann believes his team can.
The Bulls and Leinster will face off in a URC final once again at Croke Park next Friday. Picture: Seb Daly/Gallo Images
Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann does not believe a win for his team against Leinster in their United Rugby Championship (URC) final next week is as far-fetched as his predecessor, Jake White, claimed after their hammering by the same side at the same venue last year.
The Bulls were thumped 32-7 in the United Rugby Championship final at Croke Park last season.
It was the Bulls’ third defeat in a URC final in four seasons, and the one White and captain Ruan Nortjé called their hardest.
‘They are the benchmark’
Leinster had an incredible build-up to that final, winning 16 of their 18 league matches, and sailing home against Scarlets 33-21 and Glasgow Warriors 37-19 in the play-offs.
Their performance in Dublin was near-perfect, and White didn’t just say his team weren’t good enough to beat a full-strength Leinster in Ireland – he said no other URC side were either.
“I’m sure any other team that caught this team today in the URC would have gone through exactly what we went through. Any other of those 15 teams,” White said afterwards.
“I’ve said it many times since I started here at this level with URC: they are the benchmark and tonight they showed it again. We were never going to win that game when they got that 14-point start.”
The Bulls have beaten Leinster in Ireland only once, in their 2022 semifinal at RDS Arena in Dublin (27-26). Leinster did not play to their standards in that game, however.
The Bulls have otherwise lost their three other encounters in Ireland.
Ackers believes that the Bulls can win
This year, new Bulls coach Ackermann was asked about White’s comments, which appeared to be the final straw in growing player discontent that ultimately saw the coach and club part ways.
“I look at the squad every week and I told them from the beginning, I believe we have the talent and team to win this trophy,” Ackermann said.
“Now after many months of rugby we are there and we have a shot… if you ask me do I believe we can win, I say yes.”
The Bulls coach said the Stormers had showed, fighting back from 13-0 and trailing 13-11 for more than 20 minutes, that Leinster were not indestructible at home.
He had also spoken about last year’s final to Bulls players who were there. They had “highlighted a few things building up to the game that probably caused them to start that badly”.
He said his side would have to defend better than they had all season in the final.
Discipline would also come into play, after two yellow cards and a 20-minute red cost the Stormers dearly in the second half of their semifinal against Leinster.
However, the Bulls would not rewrite the script that had helped them get this far.
