Ackermann desperate to end winless run
CHAMPIONS CUP SPOTLIGHT: Gloucester head coach Johan Ackermann is desperate to get his club’s season back on track when they face Connacht in their Champions Cup Round Three fixture on Sunday.
Gloucester’s 19-23 defeat to Harlequins in the Premiership last weekend was their fifth loss in a row in all competitions (Champions Cup and Premiership) and Ackermann has identified his team’s discipline as a key area of concern ahead of the Connacht clash.
“I felt that there were too many soft penalties where they [Harlequins] got easy possession, easy entries into our 22,” said Ackermann.
“I think we were on the verge to score a try with some of our best rugby and then unfortunately, the referee stopped the play because of an injury so [hopefully] we can have that kind of fluency a bit earlier in the game.
“They were stubborn, so credit to them, but three tries to two still shows that we got something right.
“It just isn’t good enough if your discipline is not with that and then again, they got points off the back of one or two decisions that perhaps were missed but we have to look out ourselves and keep trying to get that fluidity and accuracy in our game and work hard.”
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Ackermann believes his team is not far off from finding the magic on the field to get the results they want.
“We know that people are disappointed and we personally are very disappointed,” said Ackermann.
“We haven’t been outplayed in any of those games and if we are really brutally honest, it was a lot to do with our own mistakes and discipline and that is the frustrating thing about it at the minute.
“Hopefully the crowd will come out and give us the support at home, and I know we ask that off not a great performance but hopefully we can turn it around next week and get our season back on track.
“We have to keep searching for that magic wand and keep searching around, but the reality is that the only people who can fix it is us, us as a coaching group and as a playing group.
“There is nothing else other than to keep believing, keep doing what we are doing.
“I don’t think that we are far off but we need to be better if we want to compete in both European and in the Premiership because the quality of the teams is so good that if you are off your game then it will lead to mistakes.”
Additional Source: Gloucestershire Live
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