Ex-Springbok ‘close to tears’ over Bulls shocker as fans slam ‘woeful’ performance in defeat to Bristol Bears
Bulls forward Cobus Wiese (INPHO/Christiaan Kotze) and an inset of head coach Johan Ackermann (INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon/EPCR Rugby).
Fans, pundits and former players have slammed the performance of the Bulls, who fell to a 61-49 defeat to the Bristol Bears in the Investec Champions Cup.
The result piles further pressure on head coach Johan Ackermann as the club slipped to a seventh successive defeat, with the former Springboks lock winning just three games since taking over from Jake White.
The Pretoria-based outfit reached the United Rugby Championship final last season, but look a shadow of that team, particularly during this torrid run of losses.
It was a disastrous opening 10 minutes for the Bulls, who had 10 Springboks in their starting lineup, as the Bears scored three tries in rapid succession through Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Max Lahiff and Noah Heward.
Jeandre Rudolph got one back from the hosts, but his effort was quickly cancelled out by Kalaveti Ravouvou. The opening 40 minutes was played at a breakneck speed, and defence was very much optional; highlighted by further tries for Stravino Jacobs (2), Kieran Marmion, while Heward crossed twice more to complete his hat-trick.
Torrid first half
That meant that the Bulls trailed 47-28 at half-time in the Champions Cup clash, and fans, journalists and ex-players did not hold back in their reaction to what unfolded at Loftus Versfeld.
“I’ve seen enough. Need to get rid of Ackermann and a few of these players! No one will fight for the coach. He’s finished,” rugby enthusiast Adrian Slabbert remarked early in the first half.
Veteran South African journalist Brenden Nel was just as damning in his reaction to the action, with multiple posts on social media platform X throughout the match.
“Bulls need a serious rethink. Fired Jake. Fired assistant coaches. Never addressed issues in the squad. Will fire the defence coach next. Wont solve the problems. Sometimes when you tinker too much,” he wrote during the first half.
Soon after, adding: “Been watching rugby for 39 years as a journo in Pretoria. Don’t think I have ever seen as lacklustre a defence as this season. No commitment. No fire. Fortress Loftus is a joke.”
His final note on the first 40 minutes read: “When last has a Bulls side conceded almost 50 points in a half. Not like Bristol were superhuman. Two intercept tries and a host of mediocre performances. This is extremely poor. A new low.”
Former Springboks winger Breyton Paulse, an ex-Stormer, also weighed in, writing ‘OH NO BULLS, I’m close to tears, painful to watch!!!’
Meanwhile, fan Graeme Peacock wrote: “How can any professional side ship just under 50 points in a half, serious questions need to be asked of this Bulls team, shocking defensive performance.”
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Calls for change
Bulls fan AP Cronje has called for Ackermann to be sacked, writing, ‘Call Joey Mongalo. Call Pieter Bergh. Call Santa Claus for all I care.’
That post came after he described the current situation as close to the club’s lowest-ever point.
“Think this is close to the nadir tbh. Losing to the Sunwolves and this. If we have any gumption as a franchise heads will roll before the week is up. Starting at the board level where these decisions were made,” he wrote.
“Bristol are playing very well – make no mistake. But this is patently unacceptable.”
At full time, he remarked: “The fightback cannot be allowed to paper over the cracks. They’re not cracks. They’re chasms. Canyons. Bulls are woeful and scoring some tries after the game was lost does not change that fact. This is not a case of ‘if we did a few things more accurately’ – this was turgid.”
Cronje was not the only fan to call for the head coach to be dismissed, with several posts simply reading ‘sack Ackermann’.
Keanu Moodie, brother of Springboks and Bulls back Canan, predicts that today’s performance will lead to changes.
“I don’t know what to say, I’ve never been this disappointed in the Bulls,” he wrote on X.
“This is a hard loss, and I’m afraid there will be consequences for this loss today.”
Reporter Yoza Qoshe added: “Bulls conceding 60 points in 60 minutes at Loftus? Never thought I’d see or say that in my lifetime.”
