Bulls coach Johan Ackermann hails 'emotional' return to Ellis Park after Lions demolition

Johan Ackermann said he had a hunch that his team was on the verge of clicking, but had no idea that a 52–17 demolition of the Lions was on the cards.

The Bulls’ 61–49 defeat to Bristol at Loftus Versfeld on January 10 seems a world away now that Ackermann’s men have won three in a row, all of them on the road. At Ellis Park on Saturday, the Lions were shut out from the first whistle to the last, with the Bulls scoring eight excellent tries. They scored exactly 26 points in each half.

“We wanted to mix it up a bit, and the boys got the balance right,” a delighted Ackermann said.

“There were one or two opportunities probably out wide as well, but we felt the forwards were doing well, and we just stuck to that. The first few aerial contests went our way, and that’s the fine margins of this game.

“There were games in the past that didn’t go our way, so you take the wins however they come. I’m just proud of the guys, of the effort, because it takes a lot of effort to play as we did.”

The Bulls these days are a far more determined side, and their willingness to fix errors was evident.

“We made a few mistakes back-to-back, but luckily we didn’t concede,” Ackermann said.

“When we got it going, we really did well. I always felt a good performance was around the corner; we just had to get the passes sticking and get the momentum going. The first half exceeded our expectations. We played really well. One or two mistakes, but we bounced back well.”

The Lions forwards went into the game with a growing reputation, but they were outplayed. That meant half-backs Handré Pollard and Embrose Papier enjoyed quality possession with which to dictate play.

“Handré has come in for quite a bit of stick recently, and he didn’t have the best start today, but he really grew into the game and in the second half was pulling the strings really nicely,” Ackermann said.

“It’s because of the kind of player he is, and he’s hard on himself. The good thing about Handré is that he doesn’t let mistakes make him negative.

“Embrose’s kicking game was spot on today. It allowed us to contest those balls. Obviously, he’s also got a lot of speed if he gets a little bit of a sniff of a break.”

This match marked Ackermann’s first return to Ellis Park since his successful days as a coach at the Lions. He admitted it was an emotional experience.

“I’ve got close ties with the Lions and always will have,” he said.

“A lot of memories came back when I walked onto the field for the first time. Those are memories that last forever, but you start building new ones.

"I’m with a new team now, and I’m building new relationships. They’re my sons now — the players I’m looking after — and I want them to do well.”