The Vodacom Bulls will face the Glasgow Warriors on Friday at the Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow on Friday at 20:45 (SA Time). Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann said their 27-26 win over Connacht Rugby was dramatic and “Obviously, you couldn’t get it closer.”
“We could have lost it. They had the kick to win it, so we were grateful to get over the line, but I felt we did a lot of good things.
“We probably didn’t feel too guilty about the win because we really were in control of the game until that last moment.”
Ackermann took particular heart from the way his team bounced back from the previous week’s 28-7 defeat to Ulster in Belfast.
“The pleasing thing was the character. I asked the players that we don’t have that big slump we had against Ulster, and they showed that fight,” he said.
However, he admitted there is still work to do in terms of cutting out costly lapses in concentration.
“The ability is there, the skill is there, but we tend to switch off,” he said.
“We feel in control, then one little mistake snowballs, and we let the other side in. Every week, you play quality sides that will punish you when you make errors, so if we want to progress, we need to cut those mistakes.”
The trip to Scotland brings down the curtain on a three-match adventure in Europe for the Vodacom Bulls.
“It is a tough old tour. But then again, we are getting it out of the way early,” said Ackermann.
“It’s a challenge playing Glasgow at their home. They’ve been one of the most consistent sides the last couple of years under Franco Smith and are one of the best attacking sides in the competition.
“They are well coached style-wise and tactics-wise with quality players. They have a strong culture and a passionate crowd.
“It’s another opportunity to measure ourselves. As a team, we are still not firing like we want to, but this is another chance.”