September 27, 2026
Head coach Johan Ackermann breathed a heavy sigh of relief after his Vodacom Bulls weathered an early storm to trample Zebre Parma 47-13 in Italy last night. The thumping six-try United Rugby Championship opener washed away bitter memories of last season's early stumbles.
"The biggest thing we take is the fact that we got away with the win," Ackermann admitted post-match. "Last year is still in your memory, and we lost the first two games at home, so we were always nervous. We haven’t played a lot of warm-up games. I think there was only about 40 minutes of game time for each player that played tonight, so we were a bit nervous that we might not be as good as we wanted to be."
The Italian outfit asked serious questions in the opening fifteen minutes, throwing heavy artillery at the visitors' try line. The Bulls’ defensive grid held firm, absorbing the initial onslaught before launching a ruthless counter-offensive. Ackermann praised his side's early resilience but warned that upcoming opponents will punish the tactical lapses that crept into their execution.
"Although we had a good build-up with the guys, we made some sloppy errors in those first few minutes," Ackermann noted. "That’s the part we must correct because Munster will bring a different challenge. If we’re not accurate in our entries or exits in the 22, they will punish you."
"We showed a lot of fight in that first 15 minutes where we made a lot of errors and still kept them out," Ackermann added. "If we had conceded there, it would have given them a lot of energy. For me, that was the positive. Against a tough opponent, in a tough place to come to after the travel, the guys showed a lot of fight on defence. We will enjoy the performance tonight, especially defensively."
The Pretoria side's set-piece operated with clinical precision, earning major praise, particularly the new-look lock combination of Ruan Vermaak and Reihardt Ludwig. The tight five emptied the tank in the Italian heat, though the second-half scrum performance left room for technical adjustment.
"I think our line-outs were good. We won almost all our line-outs apart from one in the corner," Ackermann said. "The tight five played really well and put in a lot of hard yards. We had reasonable success in our own line-outs, and we stole a couple of balls, so that’s good. The scrum was a bit mixed. We started very well in the first half and then in the second half we conceded a few penalties. That’s a big work-on for us. You’re not always going to have the luxury of a scoreboard like tonight, so that’s something we can really improve."
Replacement prop Mornay Smith hobbled off the pitch with a twisted ankle, leaving medical staff racing against the clock before heading into a gruelling showdown in Ireland.
"There are a few knocks and bruises that must be checked out, but hopefully it’s nothing serious," Ackermann revealed. "The only concern is Mornay. He twisted his ankle, and we’re a little bit nervous about the outcome of that. It’s too soon now to say what the extent of the injury is, but over the next day or so the medical staff will assess him."