Vodacom Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann said he was disappointed and that it "hurts to lose like this" after his team's 13-08 defeat to the Stormers on Saturday, citing bad luck and missed opportunities as the major contributing factors.
Ackermann expressed his strong emotions, stating it was a “tough place to be” and that he felt sorry for his players because things did not “seem to want to turn” for them.
“It’s obviously disappointing at the moment. We’re all emotional, and it hurts to lose like this.”
“I feel sorry for the players because things just don’t seem to want to turn for us. Even when we win a high ball, the bounce doesn’t go our way. It feels like every little kick goes against us, and you don’t get the 50-50 calls from referee Griffin Colby either. It’s a tough place to be.”
Ackermann highlighted the team's failure to capitalise on chances, such as losing lineouts after gaining penalties from scrums. He noted, "We didn't use our opportunities. That's the reality.”
“I really wanted the players to put their hands up, and they did. It wasn’t a fluent game. There were mistakes from both sides, and it boiled down to one or two big decisions. Credit to the Stormers, they finished well.”
“For large parts of the game, we were good and created opportunities. When Sebastian [de Klerk] won that ball at the end, on another day the pass sticks and we score in the corner.”
“Those mistakes are fixable, and that’s why I believe we can turn the season around.”