Ackermann calls on Bulls to ‘live up to standards and values’

The Bulls are not concerned about what they need to do to stay alive in the Champions Cup when they take on French side Pau on Friday night, but are rather focused on living up to their own high standards.

That’s according to coach Johan Ackermann, who’s had a tough time of it since taking over the Bulls job from Jake White at the beginning of the season. His side are currently on a seven-game losing streak.

Defeat on Friday will end the Bulls’ Champions Cup hopes this season. They may get lucky and drop down into the second tier Challenge Cup, while elimination from all the competitions is also a possibility if other results go against them.

Ackermann said he and the players were only focused on winning on Friday night.

‘Play for 80 minutes’

“We haven’t spoken about permutations or scenarios, or slipping in through the back door,” said Ackermann ahead of the game, which kicks off at 10pm.

“The general talk [in the squad] is we need to start playing for 80 minutes, and live up to our standards and values so that we can be accountable to our sponsors and supporters, and to the jersey.

“There is already enough pressure on us, we’re not blind to that.

“We’re only focused on what we need to do now. Also, it’s worth the players remembering why they do what they do … one must never forget your why?”

Ackermann was referring to the players enjoying what they do.

Regarding the match against Pau, who’re comfortably in second place on the French Top 14 log with 10 wins from 14 matches, and just one log point behind Toulouse, Ackermann said: “We just want to take this game minute by minute, and hopefully put in a better performance than last week.

“If we get a result, so be it, and if we progress [to the next round] then we give ourselves a chance.”

Ackermann has named a team very different to the side that ran out and lost to Bristol at Loftus last weekend. Marcell Coetzee will captain the side, which includes Handré Pollard at 10, Kurt-Lee Arendse on one of the wings and Willie le Roux at fullback.