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Johan Ackermann: 'It’s obviously disappointing at the moment'
By Henry Lee
Despite the scoreline reading only a five-point loss, it’s a nightmare start to 2026 for Johan Ackermann and the Vodacom Bulls, who have just gone down to rivals the Stormers, in Cape Town.
The Bulls now sit eleventh in the URC standings and will travel to in-form, fourth-placed Gallagher Premiership outfit the Bristol Bears in their next game, after the Bears’ narrow victory over the Sale Sharks on the weekend.
It was a tight contest in Cape Town, with neither team scoring until the 30th minute, when Springboks No.10 Handre Pollard crossed the white line for the first try of the evening.
From there, it was all the Stormers, apart from one Pollard penalty early on in the second half. A Willie le Roux yellow card didn’t help the cause, before a late try to Stormers replacement prop, Ntuthuko Mchunu, secured the win for John Dobson’s side.
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The late rolling-maul try ruined any chance of a late twist in favour of the Bulls, handing them their sixth loss in a row.
Ackermann, who said post-match he was disappointed, also said he feels bad for the players after the five-point defeat.
“It’s obviously disappointing at the moment. We’re all emotional and it hurts to lose like this,” Ackermann said after the match.
“I feel sorry for the players because things just don’t seem to want to turn for us. Even when we win a high ball, the bounce doesn’t go our way. It feels like every little kick goes against us and you don’t get the 50-50 calls either. It’s a tough place to be.”
Although the Bulls left DHL Stadium without the win, Ackermann said he was proud of his players.
“I really wanted the players to put their hands up and they did. It wasn’t a fluent game. There were mistakes from both sides and it boiled down to one or two big decisions. Credit to the Stormers, they finished well.
“For large parts of the game we were good and created opportunities. When Sebastian [de Klerk] won that ball at the end, on another day the pass sticks and we score in the corner.
“Those mistakes are fixable, and that’s why I believe we can turn the season around.”
On the topic of turning the season around, the 55-year-old head coach said it’s time to knuckle down and start getting results.
“We’re going full out with the strongest possible team for the next two games.
“If we lose, we’re out. If we win, we’re in [the playoffs], it’s simple.
“This next block is about getting everyone on the same page, building cohesion and turning our season around.”
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