VIDEO: Ackermann calls for 'family unity' after disunity claims
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann said he will face his problems head-on and will not shirk the responsibility of getting the Bulls back on track.
The respected coach’s comments followed his team’s horror show in the opening encounter of a three-match United Rugby Championship tour.
After wins over Ospreys and Leinster at Loftus Versfeld in the opening rounds of the tournament, the proverbial wheels came off against Ulster in Belfast at the weekend, going down 7-28.
It was a performance that elicited a brutal appraisal from Bulls President Willem Strauss.
“[It was] arguably our worst performance since joining the URC,” Strauss said in a dispatch to the media.
“Terrible effort,” he added, saying the players were not interested and disconnected.
“We’ve now conceded 14 tries in just three games.
“We need urgency and intensity asap.”
The statistics seem to confirm Strauss’ view, with 20 turnovers and 19 missed tackles.
Senior players like Canan Moodie, Harold Vorster, Marco van Staden, Cobus Wiese, Willie le Rouxand Johan Grobbelaar featuring prominently in the red on a very poor collection of numbers.
Ackermann admitted there is some frustration from his employers, but said he will work at ‘uniting’ the family.
“There are going to be a lot of people with comments,” Ackermann said, adding: “As long as every person is doing his job as best he can.
“I said to the players, families go through tough times.
“Show me one perfect family that doesn’t fight or go through difficult moments.
“[Show me] one marriage or one relationship [that doesn’t have issues].
“We are in a relationship, players, staff, etc. We are in this together.
“There is no hiding or easy way out.
“Do we like to lose? NO!
“Do we like to lose? NO!
(WATCH as Bulls coach Johan Ackermann responds to ‘reports’ of disunity in the camp….)
“All we can do is look at ourselves, fix what needs to be fixed, and be accountable.
“You can’t run away from trouble. You have to face life head-on on and that is what we are going to do.
“I said to the team: ‘We can either sit and sulk or we can stand up’.
“As South Africans, we’ve shown many times that we can stand up, and hopefully we can do that this week.”
It doesn’t get any easier for the Bulls.
They head to Galway to face a high-flying Connacht team, before travelling to Glasgow to face the Warriors.
The reality of a winless tour is not concerning for Ackermann, who was not willing to speculate on the ‘what-ifs’, having brought in some Springboks, who did not live up to their reputations.
He added that ‘lost opportunities’ in the first half were at the heart of the loss.
“We have to look at ourselves as coaches before we start looking at the players,” Ackermann said.
Ulster coach Richie Murphy described his pack’s performance as “incredible” and was understandably delighted with the result.
“The Bulls threw everything at us, but the fight we showed, how hard we worked for each other, was really satisfying,” he said.
“In my time here, this is probably my biggest win in relation to what we are trying to do as a team.
“It’s really positive, two wins from two. It’s really important now that we keep going forward.”
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