He was unbelievably happy with the result, but Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann knows his team need to improve and fast if they are to make a big crack at this year’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship title.
While the Bulls beat the Ospreys 53-40, there was more relief than anything else at Loftus Versfeld. With a bunch of players away with the Springboks and an injury list as long as Ackermann’s arm, there was a bit of trepidation going into the season. The Bulls certainly hadn’t had the pre-season they had wanted, given the injuries and the inability to train as they would have liked, while a few pre-season games were cancelled.
So it was far from ideal going into their first game of the new era under Ackermann, and Ospreys were set to pounce. While the rest of South Africa was waiting for the Springboks to take the field, the Bulls were sweating a bit at Loftus and had to dig deep to win a high-scoring match.
But the win is all that counts, and that is all that makes sense for the Bulls now, especially as they look ahead to doubling it up against Leinster this weekend. The defending champions may not sport their British and Irish Lions players, but will be better than their performance in the 35-0 drubbing they had at the hands of the Stormers last weekend.
Ackermann said that with all the disruptions and the players out, it was a good showing that the side put on to win the high-scoring match.
“It's great to know what we've got at our disposal. But, then again, I've got a lot of faith in the current group that is playing,” Ackermann said after the game.
“It's just we need to be better because, obviously, the teams will get better as the season progresses. So, for us, some of the tries tonight were just too easy. You're going to get teams that won't allow you to score as many tries, and then you're going to not be on the right end of the result.
“So, we must fix the things now with the players that we've got. And I still believe they've got the ability to fix things and to compete against the best. So, we just need to work harder.
“But, again, it's important that we enjoy the moment. It's important that we enjoy a win and not take that for granted. So, I'm very proud of every player today, not just the 23, but the group we've prepared and got everybody ready.”
'FAR FROM PERFECT'
Ackermann said the side was “far from perfect” and there would be a lot of hard work this week.
“Our set piece was good, but apart from that, things went wrong when the ball was in play - on both sides,” the coach admitted.
“It was challenging because the 23 players who played haven’t trained together, and there were always disruptions, whether through injuries or players being unavailable due to the Currie Cup. The positive is that many of the combinations will improve, and the match fitness will come. You will always be happy with a win; you cannot take that for granted. It is better to win and not play well than to lose.”
The Bulls will need to be better against Leinster, who are their last home opposition before a three-week tour. With their Boks only realistically joining them in December, the next few months will weigh heavily on the rest of the group and Ackermann needs them to step up and perform to give the Bulls the basis to launch their title attack in the second half of the season.
But, as always, it is just one game at a time, and with the first nerves in the past, now the team needs to improve ahead of their date with the defending champions.