Bulls eye Champs Cup fortnight as key to their turnaround strategy

Johan Ackermann may have six defeats in a row now as Vodacom Bulls coach, but as his side look to try and resurrect their Investec Champions Cup campaign this weekend at Loftus Versfeld, they believe they are closer to turning it around than ever.

Ackermann wasn’t as frustrated as previous games, even though a last minute Nthuthuko Mchunu try sealed the north-south Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby for the DHL Stormers this weekend by the smallest of margins.

In essence the Stormers probably were the better team on the day, but only just, and added to their unbeaten run to give themselves a lot of leeway in the URC log. But for the Bulls while the defeat was frustrating, the first run they had with a full squad almost paid off, their defence was a lot better and there were a lot of positives that Ackermann can take away from that game.

The real question is where to from here?

STILL UNDER PRESSURE

Until the side turns things around, there will always be question marks and Ackermann is still under immense pressure, but at least has forged a path ahead that he believes will get the Bulls back on track.

The firing of the assistant coaches may still raise eyebrows but Ackermann has taken control of the side now and will be looking to get them firing this weekend. The amount of errors on a windy Cape day, coupled with missed penalties by Handre Pollard and some poor attacking moments in the backline are still a concern, but the Bulls were better than before.

Is that enough to get them back into the Champions’ Cup after a horror start with losses to Bordeaux-Begles and Northampton Saints? Probably not - especially as they face a Bristol Bears side that has won both their games in the competition thus far, and will be looking for a good run at Loftus this weekend.

But Ackermann has a squad to work with now. Saturday was the first time he had all the players on contract technically available - bar injury - to be selected.

And while he may have lost Canan Moodie to a failed HIA test during the game, the Bulls can pick close to their strongest side for the Bristol game, and then if they win power on to face Pau next weekend in France in a last-ditch attempt to qualify for the playoffs.

Moodie’s status will be keenly watched, and Kurt-Lee Arendse is long overdue to return from his concussion layoff, with Marcell Coetzee also likely to return from a rib injury. Either way the Bulls should have a strong side this weekend to choose from.

GO HARD FOR THE TWO EURO GAMES

Ackermann indicated that he agreed with the assumption that the team needs to have some continuity now to get them back on the winning track, so he is likely to go hard at the next two games to get some momentum back into the game.

Asked about his strategy for the Champions Cup, where the Bulls are 0 from 2 and are on the verge of being dumped out of the competition, Ackermann smiled: “No, we're going to go full out for a day. As strong as possible. Next two games. We lose, we lose. And we know we're out that one. If we win it, we're in it.”

That alone seems to signal the change in attitude from the Bulls ahead of the clashes, and the fact they are closer - in their minds at least - to where they need to be going forward.

It’s not often that a Stormers’ loss is treated as a positive but somehow Ackermann’s enthusiasm seems to believe it can be.

“Hopefully a game like tonight makes it already a big positive on that track. Like I said, this week was the first week that I had every contracted player in the same room since we started. Not everybody is fit but we were in the same room.

“Obviously, there's a few players still injured, but everybody in the room. Canan came off his three-week rest and he performed well until he got injured. Ruan Nortje played 80 minutes.

“Marco (van Staden) played well for a guy who hasn't played for three weeks. He didn't even train with us until Monday. So, hopefully this is the start of getting that unity back and that gel back.

POSITIVE NOTE

“And that's why I said now we need to use the next two games to get everybody on the right track together. And hopefully that will take us into the URC on a bit more positive note. So, this next block is part of this journey of getting everybody on the same page and start building, hopefully, and turn our season around.

“But we know it's not going to be easy. Every team out there is good. We saw the Lions again, the result, and every team is strong. But we're personally just going to now start getting this group together and play them together as much as we can until the next break.”

That may give the frustrated Bulls fans some hope, but as Ackermann knows, the proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes. And only a victory will signal progress.

Bristol arrive this week for an intriguing game. If the Bulls can pull off the two wins they desire they may well be back in the groove they desperately need. But they need to get there first.