Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann praised his team's character and resilience in a "gritty" performance that snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 26-24 win over Section Paloise on Friday in a Round 4 Investec Champions Cup.
The win keeps their Investec Champions Cup last-16 hopes alive. Ackermann highlighted the "lot of character in the team" and their ability to "stay in the fight under pressure".
“The reality is it’s only one win,” he said. “We next face a tough Edinburgh (away in the URC), which is one of the best teams and a team full of internationals. We will enjoy the win as a group and then reset tomorrow and start focusing on Edinburgh. It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s only one win. Nothing to get overly excited about.”
He mentioned that players "really put their bodies on the line" from the first minute, acknowledging the performance "wasn't perfect" but expressing gratitude for the victory.
“It wasn’t perfect, but I’m just grateful for the victory. We keep working on the same things week after week, and hopefully we can just keep transferring it back on the field.”
“There’s a lot of character in the team, and I’ve never doubted that. We sometimes put ourselves under pressure through errors or our discipline. But without the character, we wouldn’t have been able to hang in there and give ourselves a chance at the end. That’s the part I’ve been most proud of.”