01 November 2026
Vodacom Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann admitted his side made life unnecessarily difficult for themselves, delivering a blunt assessment of their performance despite a seemingly emphatic 54-26 United Rugby Championship (URC) victory over the Scarlets at Loftus Versfeld.
While the scoreboard reflected a runaway eight-try blowout, the reality on the pitch was far more tense. The match sat deadlocked at 26-26 up until the 55th minute before a devastating four-try surge in the final quarter added immense polish to the final scoreline, ultimately lifting the hosts to second place on the URC log.
Speaking to the media after the game, a wry Ackermann didn't hide his frustration with the team's mid-game slump. “Same speech as last week,” Ackermann quipped to the media afterwards. “We’re thankful for the win, but we made it difficult for ourselves.”
The Bulls entered the clash having undergone heavy squad rotation ahead of the upcoming November international break. The coach pointed to a lack of mental sharpness during the week as the primary catalyst for the disjointed performance.
“I was concerned . . . the Bok guys were [mentally already] on tour, the others going on holiday were already [mentally] on holiday,” Ackermann candidly noted. “The Scarlets never gave up; they scored some good tries and stayed in the game. But I’m proud we found a way and showed good character.”
Despite a habit of letting momentum swing, Ackermann took confidence out of the way as his team rallied to finish the game strongly. The final 25 minutes saw the Bulls execute ruthlessly to secure maximum log points. “The Scarlets pushed the Stormers all the way, and they pushed us all the way. That’s the nature of the game. There’s no easy game, and if you can win and get five points out of it, you must be happy," Ackermann said. “Regardless of the momentum swings, mistakes and moments we didn’t play well, we scored when we needed to, and for me that’s a good sign: we can be clinical and finish when we need to.”
Ackermann singled out his Springbok players for refusing to coast, praising their work ethic just days before joining the national squad. “I’m very proud. Look at a guy like Sebastian de Klerk. All our Springboks today played for this team and put their bodies on the line: Cameron Hanekom, Sebastian, everybody. I’m proud of everybody.”
There was also a brief scare when loose forward Cameron Hanekom had to leave the field, paving the way for Marcell Coetzee to make an impact from the bench. Ackermann provided a quick update on Hanekom’s condition: “He’s fine, but he was battling.”
