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ACKERMANN: Bulls paid the price for 80 minutes of catch-up rugby
The Star
|January 12, 2026
PLAYING catch-up rugby for 80 minutes in a must-win clash was never going to end well for the Bulls, and it ultimately led to their demise against the Bristol Bears in their second-last Champions Cup pool encounter in Pretoria on Saturday.
That, according to coach Johan Ackermann, was the biggest stumbling block they encountered as his side suffered a seventh straight defeat in all competitions, losing 61-49.
They have a mammoth task ahead of them to get out of this slump and Saturday’s performance does not suggest that things will get better anytime soon.
Bristol fired almost from the first whistle and scored four tries after 15 minutes of play. That meant the home team had to chase the game and under immense pressure their star-studded side faltered.
“We started badly and that set the tone,’ Ackermann said.
“Then we had to play catch-up for 80 minutes, and suddenly the good work you did during the game doesn't look so good because the result doesn't reflect it.
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