Ackers: Kicking key in wet and windy Edinburgh

Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann believes the aerial battle will be key against an Edinburgh side that kicks more than most, especially in conditions that favour them, when the teams meet at Hive Stadium on Friday night (kick-off 9.45pm).

Sean Everitt named a full-strength Edinburgh side, bringing back several Scotland internationals for their home fixture, where they are unbeaten this season.

Edinburgh come from a 63-10 thumping away to Bath in their last match. They have won two of their last six games and are 10^th in the URC with three wins from eight games. They are one spot, and one point, above the Bulls.

Bulls name their best-available side

Ackermann named a strong team too, though no fewer than seven Springboks are unavailable, including Cobus Wiese, Canan Moodie and Elrigh Louw.

However, three Springboks return to the fold: Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw and Ruan Nortjé.

Ackermann largely rotated his forward pack around Marcell Coetzee, who, although Ruan Nortjé is the club captain, was backed by the coach after his leadership helped the Bulls end their seven-match losing streak against a second-string Pau last week.

Four players in the Bulls backline are unchanged, with David Kriel starting at inside centre as Harold Vorster moves to the bench.

Handré Pollard, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sebastian de Klerk, Cheswill Jooste, and Willie le Roux retain their positions.

Jooste, a star in the U20 World Championship-winning Junior Springbok squad last year, will have to go against Scotland’s all-time leading try scorer, Duhan van der Merwe.

Kicking game key between Bulls and Edinburgh

Ackermann backed the youngster but warned conditions would be tough. Edinburgh has been cold and wet all week and Friday’s forecast is no different, with wind also expected and temperatures ranging from 4°C to 7°C.

Ackermann said they would adapt whatever the conditions were.

“I think they kick the most out of all the teams [in the URC]… probably because of the conditions they play in,” he said. “They are very good in the air.”

“It is going to be about muscle and attrition up front. The team that handles the kicking game the best and controls the territory, and if you have possession how you hold onto it at the right times… Because if there’s a wind and you can’t kick against the wind, you probably have to hold onto it.”

He said their skill level “has to be up there” while they could not concede penalties because defending 22m entries against Edinburgh in the rain would be challenging.

The Bulls and Edinburgh have met six times, with three wins apiece. Last season, Edinburgh knocked the Bulls out of the Challenge Cup with a 34-28 defeat in the quarter-final in Scotland. The Bulls got revenge with a 42-33 win in the URC at Loftus the next month.