The 'turning point' that cost the Bulls dearly
REACTION: Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann pinpointed the potential turning point where things went south for his team in their 33-43 loss to the Lions at Loftus Versfeld.
The Bulls slipped to eighth place on the United Rugby Championship table following the loss to their Gauteng neighbours.
After going down 0-17 after 23 minutes of play, the Bulls fought back strongly to be down by three points (19-22) at half-time, thanks to a try by Akker van der Merwe and a brace by Embrose Papier.
There was a key moment after the break when the Bulls won a penalty in front of the posts, but opted to go for a tap play instead of levelling the game.
The decision backfired, and moments later the Lions extended their lead to 10 points in the 51st minute with a try by Etienne Oosthuizen, which Chris Smith converted.
Ackermann said that his team should’ve taken the points in hindsight, but that he doesn’t blame them for making a decision when they feel momentum is on their side.
“There was a three-point difference when we won a penalty in front of the posts,” said Ackermann.
“We sent the message down [to the pitch] to kick at goal, but by the time the message got there, the team had already decided to go with a tap penalty.
“Had we scored [from the tap], we would’ve said it’s a great decision because we would’ve taken the lead.
“I would never crucify the players if they make decisions based on feeling that they have the momentum.
“It’s easy to look back now and say we should’ve taken the penalty to draw level at 22-all, and from there the game’s momentum changes.
“From there onwards, we won a scrum penalty. We were just overly hasty. The space was there, and we could’ve scored had we held on for two more phases.
“And that’s the thing, we just needed that bit of patience.”
