The Bulls showed incredible mental fortitude to fight back from 21-3 down and secure a memorable 22-21 win over old rivals Glasgow Warriors in their United Rugby Championship (URC) semifinal, said Johan Ackermann.
The Bulls coach said Saturday’s result, which sets up a repeat of last year’s final against Leinster in Dublin, personally ranked among his best.
The Bulls looked down and out after the hosts scored three unanswered tries in the first half and controlled all the momentum while the Bulls were pegged back with two yellow cards at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.
But physical dominance, an improvement in defence, and elevation in intensity by the five-Springbok bomb squad helped the Bulls to three of their own unanswered tries, while they kept Glasgow scoreless in the second half.
It went to the wire with the Bulls leading 22-21 in the final minutes but failing to put the game to bed after Handré Pollard missed three consecutive penalties.
In the end, resilient defence and a turnover at the death sealed their win.
‘I’m lost for words’
“I’m lost for words, actually,” Ackermann said. “It felt like I couldn’t believe the whistle went and we won. Because, you know, we really showed so much commitment tonight.
“I’m so proud of the team… The comeback is special, I won’t lie. Because they were really playing good rugby, and Franco (Smith, Glasgow coach) has had a team together for four years, and they’re a quality team.
“This is probably one of the best victories I’ve had, just the character that the guys showed.”
He said that trailing 21-10 at half-time, senior players told the team they could not always determine the result. But they could choose whether to play hard or go into their shells.
Aside from tweaking the defensive strategy slightly, all Ackermann asked of his players was to score the first try in the second half.
They did so when URC SA Player of the Season, Embrose Papier, snatched up the ball at the breakdown and dashed through a gap to score after Glasgow were yellow carded for ill-discipline of their own.
“Then we saw the belief,” Ackermann said.
Bulls coach didn’t imagine reaching the URC final
Ackermann said when the Bulls were in the midst of a seven-match losing streak earlier in the season, he would never have imagined reaching the final. He admitted he doubted his ability and decisions at the time.
“And that’s why this final will be very special for me personally. But we haven’t achieved anything yet.”
