‘Great occasion’: Bulls relish rare opportunity against All Blacks
While the Bulls are not at their best, they appreciate what may be many of their players' only chance to play against New Zealand.
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann expressed his team's excitement for their upcoming match against the All Blacks on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld. Most of the South African players will only have this one opportunity to face the New Zealand team, having not played against them in 30 years since their last encounter. The Bulls have only met the All Blacks four times in history, with the New Zealand side prevailing three of those games.
Coach Ackermann highlighted the significance of their upcoming clash, noting the All Blacks' fast tempo and emphasis on scrums and lineouts. He emphasized that his team shares a similar playing style and is striving to emulate it. However, he pointed out that the Bulls have been out of sync due to their brief return from a three-week hiatus, as opposed to the usual five-week break.
Despite the lack of cohesion, Ackermann stressed that the Bulls are still honored to be part of such a historic occasion. He recognized the All Blacks' fitness advantage, having been match-fit after the New Zealand side's last match against the Sharks. Ackermann also mentioned that the All Blacks had last visited South Africa 30 years ago, making this game particularly poignant for the South African team.
He concluded by expressing his surprise at the Sharks' limited training time and the potential for this match to be a unique opportunity for some of the Springboks.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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