Bulls coach Johan Ackermann said every player knows they have to beat Bristol if they wish to progress in the Champions Cup.
Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann said his team are determined, despite recent results going against them, to deliver a full 80-minute performance in their must-win Champions Cup clash against Bristol Bears.
The teams meet in the third round at Loftus at 3pm on Saturday, with the Bulls needing victory to remain in contention. Defeat would leave them either dropping into the lower-tier Challenge Cup or out of European competition altogether after their final pool match against Section Paloise next week.
Ackermann named a strong matchday squad, with 10 Springboks in the starting XV. Springboks Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse miss out due to HIA protocols, while Cameron Hanekom is still nursing a hamstring injury.
Bulls brace for Bristol
The Bulls are on a six-game losing streak while Bristol have won their last six matches. The Pretoria side have recently had a coaching shake-up, and enjoyed the expertise of Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones at training ahead of the match.
They have only reached the Champions Cup play-offs in 2023/24, being thrashed by Northampton Saints in the quarter-final.
Ackermann said despite their form, the morale in the Bulls camp is high, and every player is giving their all in training.
“This week the players’ commitment in training was so high we hit all the targets we wanted to from a running point of view, from a physical point of view,” he said.
“If we don’t give our best, people will obviously be upset. I want a team that goes out and is proud of what they do, who has responsibility… that will always be our aim. We know we represent something bigger than ourselves.”
‘Not a second-division team’
The Bulls coach said Bristol are a proud and strong English team, sitting fourth in the Premiership with seven wins from nine games.
“The reality is we are not playing a second-division team. That is why we must be at our best.
“They also want to win. They also have a plan in place. On the day, it is about who can handle that under pressure.
“It will obviously boil down to the last game but the reality is that tomorrow is the decider, if we want to progress in the main competition.”
The Bulls and Bristol have only faced each other once before, the Bulls winning 31-17 in their third-round Champions Cup clash at Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol, in 2024.
