9 October 2026
Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann faces a high-stakes balancing act ahead of Saturday's Jukskei derby against the Lions at Loftus Versfeld. The Pretoria franchise weathered a disruptive week of long-haul travel from Ireland, compounded by a squad illness outbreak that severely hampered pre-season training schedules. Ackermann must now integrate returning Springboks into a fatigued lineup to counter a well-drilled, dangerous opposition.
“It was a difficult week, I won’t lie about it,” Ackermann said. “The travelling was quite taxing. There were long flights. Then a number of guys arrived sick and couldn’t train.”
The coaching staff structured selection to inject fresh legs alongside their returning international heavyweights. Ackermann opted to leverage his Springbok depth immediately rather than making them fight their way back through the ranks. This strategy aims to counter physical deficits with sheer class in the collisions.
“We want to recognise that there are some Springboks who can add value,” Ackermann explained. “It’s difficult not to play them. It’s not like a guy coming back from injury who must work his way back into the team.”
The visiting Lions pose a massive threat at the set-piece, capable of shifting from a heavy maul to an expansive running game in a single phase. Ackermann knows his former side will attempt to use tempo to exploit any lingering Bulls jet lag. The hosts must anchor down defensively to survive an early onslaught at Loftus.
“They remain one of the most dangerous teams because they can dominate you at the set-piece,” Ackermann warned. “They’re definitely going to play at a high tempo because they know we’ve just flown back, and they’ll want to use that to their advantage.”