VIDEO: Ackermann admits Bulls feared 'another one' as Leinster took control
REACTION: The Bulls entered Friday’s United Rugby Championship Final determined to finally shed their unwanted reputation as perennial runners-up, with their painful record in championship matches serving as motivation rather than a burden.
Having lost three of the previous four URC finals, the Pretoria outfit viewed the Dublin showdown as an opportunity to finally get over the line and end years of frustration.
Instead, they found themselves chasing the game almost from the outset as a clinical Leinster side raced into a commanding lead.
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Ackermann: Bulls’ problem wasn’t tactics, it was executionhttps://t.co/64iGt7LM56
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Coach Johan Ackermann insisted afterwards that the scars of previous final defeats were never viewed as a source of pressure within the camp.
“We never felt there was external pressure from previous losses,” Ackermann said.
“If anything, we wanted to use that as motivation to get one over the line after being in four finals.”
However, Ackermann conceded that after a disastrous start, thoughts of another final slipping away may have crept into players’ minds.
“Maybe on the field, after a bad start, players might have thought: ‘Is it another one?’,” he admitted.
“But that certainly wasn’t the talk at half-time.”
Despite trailing 0-22 at the break, Ackermann said belief remained strong in the Bulls dressing room.
“Even though we were 0-22 down, there was still a belief that if we could score two early tries in the second half, we’d be back in it.”
That comeback never materialised as Leinster continued to dominate the key moments and punish every error.
Ackermann was left frustrated that the Bulls never truly gave themselves a chance to challenge for the title.
“I’m disappointed because we didn’t actually give ourselves a chance,” he said.
“We were out of it quite early on the scoreboard.”
While the result was painful, the coach praised the character shown by his players, particularly on defence.
“It wasn’t a lack of fight. The players showed a lot of heart and defended incredibly hard when Leinster attacked our line.”
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Ultimately, however, he felt the difference was Leinster’s ability to capitalise on every opportunity.
“You have to credit Leinster. For every mistake we made, they punished us.
“They were very clinical. They won most of the 50-50 contests, especially in the air, and they were simply a champion team today [Friday].”
The Bulls coach pointed to a series of small but crucial inaccuracies that prevented his side from building momentum.
“If you’re loose with your ball protection, if you concede yellow cards against a quality attacking side, and if you can’t build momentum, those small things become massive.
“We knew we had to be accurate, and unfortunately we weren’t.”
Ackermann believes a sharper performance could have produced a much closer contest.
“The disappointing thing is that if we were just a little bit more accurate, we probably could have made it a real spectacle and a genuine arm wrestle.”
Instead, the Bulls were left to reflect on another final defeat – one that hurts all the more because it came after a season in which they had once again shown they were good enough to reach the big stage.
“There are a lot of broken hearts in the changing room,” Ackermann admitted.
“But when I reflect on the season as a whole, I’m very proud of the way the players fought and rallied throughout the year.”
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