Bulls coach's déjà vu moment

Bulls coach Johan Ackermann can be forgiven if he has a déjà vu feeling that something overly or unpleasantly familiar is about to happen.

The Bulls, coming off their fourth loss in five years in a United Rugby Championship Final, will barely have time to put their feet up before starting to prepare for another start to a season without their horde of Springboks.

If their 7-36 loss to Leinster at Páirc an Chrócaigh in Dublin last Friday is a bitter pill to swallow, imagine having to restart and plan for the next season without almost your entire starting XV.

Ackermann, speaking to Rugby365 after the Croke Park rout, admitted that planning for the new season is already complicated.

Players like Wilco Louw (moving to the Stormers), Ruan Nortjé (to the Steelers in Japan), David Kriel (to Stade Rochelais in France), and Jan Serfontein (retired) are all moving on.

Then there are the Springboks, who will be on international duty till late in November.

This includes Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese, Embrose Papier, Handre Pollard, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie.

With 10 players each, the Bulls and Stormers (10 if you count Siya Kolisi as a Stormer, since he has already played his last match for the Sharks) and the Sharks (eight), provide the bulk of Rassie Erasmus’ Bok squad.

Ackermann, when speaking about the metamorphoses of the playing roster, admitted the loss of experience (50 Tests’ worth of it) is not ideal.

(WATCH as Bulls coach Johan Ackermann speaks to @JanDKrugby about overcoming the disappointment of losing another URC Final and planning for the start of another season without his Springboks……)

“It is quality players that are leaving,” he said of Louw and Nortje, adding: “Rugby is an opportunity sport.

“Sometimes a player departs or gets injured, and the next player comes in and takes his opportunity and becomes a superstar.

“We have some good young players coming through, we have signed some players from other unions, and a few returning from abroad to strengthen our squad.

“We are losing some experience, but there is still enough experience that with the new players coming in, we can still be competitive in all areas.

“It is a matter of getting those players used to the culture at the Bulls.”

The recruits include Thaakir Abrahams (from Munster), Curwin Bosch (Brive), Luan Giliomee (Sharks), Hakeem Kunene (Sharks), Hanro Liebenberg (Leicester Tigers), Dylan Maart (Stormers), Mawande Mdanda (Sharks) and Sango Xamlashe (Pumas).

Then there are Jean Erasmus, Heinrich Theron and JJ Theron (all promoted from the Bulls’ Academy).

After a short break, the Bulls will start preparing for their clash against the All Blacks on August 15.

(Continue below …..)

Turning to the absence of his Springboks for the next five months, Ackermann said it is a challenge he is willing to embrace.

“We have to deal with it,” he told Rugby365, adding: “We must prepare the squad we do have as best as we can.

“It is time for the young players to step up and give a good account of themselves.

“The challenge is more logistical.

“With the All Blacks’ trip to South Africa, we have to juggle our pre-season.

“We don’t have the luxury of a block of three months just preparing for the URC.

“We have to prepare for the All Black game in between.

“We have to cut our rest short, build the players back up physically to be ready for the All Black game, then taper it down again, as the season will then be too long.

“It is not just about the squad [players] we have to factor into our planning, it is our pre-season.

“The first few months, we will be a new squad with some new players, but there are enough young players to hopefully carry us through.”

@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com