Springboks coaches recruited to ease Bulls crisis as Johan Ackermann does damage control
Duane Vermeulen and an inset of Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann.
The Bulls have reportedly recruited the help of two Springboks coaches following the departures of assistant coaches Chris Rossouw and Andries Bekker.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the duo were shown the door at Loftus Versveld, becoming the first two victims of the lacklustre start to the Johan Ackermann era.
The Pretoria-based outfit have suffered five straight defeats under their new boss, who took over from Jake White at the start of the season, which has prompted the change.
Bulls get Springboks’ help
It was initially reported that Ackermann would not bring any other coaches immediately, with the head coach taking over the forward’s duties; however, that has reportedly changed.
According to well-connected rugby account Oom Rugby, the Bulls have recruited the help of SA Rugby’s Duane Vermeulen and Felix Jones.
The Pretoria club’s defence has been a serious area of concern this season, but assistant Jean Tiedt, who runs that facet of the game, was not one of the coaches shown the door. Instead, Oom Rugby states that SA Rugby’s coaches are being brought in to assist.
“Hearing that Bulls will keep Jean Tiedt as D coach, but they want to find a mentor or consultant to back him,” he wrote on X.
“Tough to comment because we don’t know inner workings, and it can have to do with anything from budget reasons to culture reasons, but it certainly appears to be an interesting call if we consider that the issues on D is THE fundamental problem at Loftus…
“Hearing that Duane [Vermeulen] is one of the names in the running. Also interesting. Again, I don’t know more than this, but my feeling is if you consider yourself an elite rugby club, then you must act in a more uncompromising way.”
A day later, after receiving further information, he added: “Felix [Jones] and Duane to help out at Bulls… They both are, in a sense, ‘generalists’, so maybe it is a sign that Ackers is looking at his problems as a whole and not in silo’s. So it is more about how different parts all relate to each other – the breakdown, carrying, patterns, transition to D and so forth. But still can’t help wonder – especially for something like defence – you want one guy in there owning it.”
As alluded to above, the pair joining the Bulls’ coaching team would not be on a permanent basis but rather in an advisory capacity.
De Bruin reunion
While Jones and Vermeulen have been working closely with the Springboks recently, the duo have also been involved with franchises in the past, working as ‘roving coaches’ to assist all the unions in South Africa.
His report comes after Rugby365 reported that Ackermann has added Neil de Bruin to his backroom staff.
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The pair worked together at the Red Hurricanes and D-Rocks in the Japan Rugby League One, with De Bruin serving as the attack and backs coach. He is currently employed as the Paarl Boys High Director of Rugby.
De Bruin also served as an attack coach for the Lions between 2018 and 2020, the same position he is set to take on at the Bulls following Rossouw’s departure.
