Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann faces a major selection headache ahead of their historic tour match against the All Blacks on 15 August. While Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus strategically omitted scrumhalf Embrose Papier from his latest 43-man squad, Papier’s inclusion in the Bulls' lineup remains highly uncertain.
The highly anticipated fixture at Loftus Versfeld, marking the first meeting between the teams in 50 years, the Blue Bulls beat the All Blacks 29-27 at Loftus, comes at an awkward time for the Pretoria-based franchise.
“Although it’s a wonderful opportunity, in the bigger picture it’s not ideal for our pre-season and preparation for the United Rugby Championship (URC),” Ackermann told Netwerk24.
According to Ackermann, Papier has endured an incredibly demanding season and desperately needs a proper window to rest before the URC kicks off. "Embrose is going to need a proper opportunity to rest at some stage," the coach added.
Compounding Ackermann’s woes is the absence of nine other key Bulls players who are away on national duty. The franchise remains entirely in the dark regarding whether any other international reinforcements will arrive.
“We’ll probably only know in the week before the match whether any of our other Springboks will be released to play against the All Blacks,” Ackermann noted.
The logistical challenge is doubled by a scheduling logjam. The Bulls are scheduled to play a Currie Cup fixture against the Cheetahs the very next day, forcing the union to split its playing resources entirely.
“That means we need 46 players available that weekend, and it’s entirely possible one or two players could make their Bulls debut against the All Blacks,” Ackermann explained.
Despite fielding a heavily depleted and experimental side, the coach remains defiant: “We’re a proud union and a proud team, and we won’t make it easy for them.”