Newly appointed Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann is under no illusion about the enormity of the task at hand. However, he is determined to help the Vodacom Bulls win a final in the near future.
"My track record in finals isn’t great. I’ve lost Super Rugby and European finals, so I’m not going to pretend I know the missing 1%."
"Sometimes it’s one pass, one refereeing decision. The Springboks won a World Cup with three one-point wins. If any of those had gone the other way, people would be asking what was missing."
"What I can control is planning well, getting players into a good space, and ticking every box to give ourselves the best shot."
“I’ve gained experience working in different environments, at Gloucester, in Japan, with players from New Zealand, England, Scotland and Australia. That’s made me more streetwise.
“At the Lions, we had a young group hungry to prove themselves. At Gloucester and in Japan, you deal with big personalities and mixed cultures.
“The key lesson I’ve learned is to be yourself, but also to listen and allow input. That’s the balance I’ll be aiming for at the Bulls.”
When questioned on his post description, Ackerman said: “Even ‘head coach’ is not always right for me, because I want to be on the field. That is important to me.”
He said that despite Jake White's claims that the players were not good enough to win the Uniter Rugby Championship and the Investec Champions Cup, he believes it is a good squad.
"The reality is, if you haven’t worked with a player or a team, it’s difficult to come to any conclusions. For me, the first thing is to get to know each player, each talent, and what their strengths are."
"Then you can put a plan in place according to the team’s strengths. I do believe it is a good squad."
"The big thing is how they will fit into the plan. The challenge is, and I made it quite clear to the group when I met with them the first time: To play for the Bulls, you have to earn the jersey."
"Unfortunately, I am of the opinion that you can have 100 Tests or be an Under-20 player, if you do what we expect you to do from a coaching perspective, you will play."
"So it’s not about players that are coming in, or the ones that were recruited before me, I am happy to work with whatever the squad is, as long as they fall into our culture and perform like we want them to perform."
Discussing the assistant coaches, Ackermann said: “I want a team that works hard, so if you are not willing to work hard, it’s going to be a problem.
“And I want a team that is a serving team. It’s not about you, it’s about how you can serve the team.
“The team first is always important. It’s about picking up stuff that lies around, giving someone else water instead of you drinking first, caring for your teammates, and treating people well.