‘We had to be at our best,’ says Johan Ackermann after Bulls thrash Lions
· Citizen
Proud Bulls coach Johan Ackermann praised the efforts of his side after their thumping runaway 57-15 win over the Lions in their United Rugby Championship (URC) cross-Jukskei derby at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Bulls, boosted by the return of 10 Springbok stars, produced a statement performance as they bounced back from a loss against Munster in Ireland a week ago, to completely outplay an in-form Lions team, who were looking to upset the hosts on their home turf again.
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The Lions had stunned the Bulls at Loftus last season, and went into the match in good form after home wins over defending champs Leinster and Ospreys to get their season off to a great start.
Gulf in class
But the gulf in class between the two teams was heavily exposed, as the Bulls’ Bok stars stepped up to the plate on their return from international duty, to show just how good they can be when firing on all cylinders.
Ackermann, who in the build-up was worried due to his team suffering from travel fatigue and sickness, was a very pleased man after the match, and claimed that his side were still not at their very best and can be even better.
“I am just proud of the guys. We knew we had to be at our best to beat a side that is in form. The focus was to make sure that we started well, that our set piece was sorted out and everything,” said Ackermann.
“So just credit to the players and the mentality and maturity they showed out there today, especially to stay in the fight. Not everything went our way. We had some opportunities where we lost a few balls. But we stayed on task, so I am very proud of the guys and their effort.”
Hanekom impact
Returning Bok eighthman Cameron Hanekom produced a man-of-the-match performance in his first game of the season for the Bulls and Ackermann hailed his effort.
“Cameron has shown his strengths, and that stood out in some of the phases today. He hasn’t played with us for a long time, but came in and slotted in nicely, and I’m just proud of his effort, and everybody’s effort. Cameron is a quality player.”
Hanekom himself was proud of the team’s performance and was particularly happy that the Bulls managed to match the Lions’ high intensity game style.
“It was a tough game. The Lions are a big team and have been coming up over the past few years. They are a team that plays at a high tempo, so it was a fast-paced game, so I am proud of the boys that we could match it,” said Hanekom.
“We controlled things well and executed when we needed. We put a big emphasis on our first game back at home, so it was a special performance and I am very happy to be back with the boys.”