Bulls grateful star players are available for ‘one-shot opportunity’ v Munster
· Citizen
Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann says he is grateful that a near-full-strength team will be available to him for their URC quarter-final against Munster.
The teams meet at Loftus on Saturday (kick-off 1pm), with the three-time finalists Bulls favourites to kick on and reach their fourth consecutive semifinal.
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Especially as they beat Munster at the same venue 34-31 in March. The match was tight, however, with the Irish side fighting back three times.
Ackermann joked he hoped for his nerves’ sake the game would not be so close, after he named his team on Friday.
Bulls’ strongest possible team
Springbok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse and regular captain Marcell Coetzee return from injury and illness, respectively.
Only Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel and Akker van der Merwe, who have long-term injuries, and Cheswill Jooste, who should return in time for the semifinal, should the Bulls progress, are unavailable.
That makes it an almost full-strength side while 2022/23 winners Munster will be missing Ireland internationals Jack Crowley and Tadhg Beirne, who are usually crucial to the side’s cause, among others.
“I’m very privileged and grateful that we could pick our strongest possible team,” said Ackermann.
He added that having just one or two players out of the picture was a blessing.
‘Mistakes tend to cost you’
While they were aware of the significance of knockout games, Ackermann said the Bulls’ coaches had not added to player pressure.
“There’s a little bit more pressure [in play-offs]. Mistakes tend to cost you. We know it’s going to be a big challenge. Munster have proven themselves over the years.
“We’ve put a fresh mindset on everything to reset ourselves. We know this is a one-shot opportunity.
“There’s a fine balance between adding pressure to a game that everybody knows is already big and you know the consequence if you don’t win, and still going and enjoying the game.”
He said there was more to life than rugby, and a player who based their joy on whether they won or not would “probably have a tough career”.
“We are not going to add pressure to the whole game… we can only control our mindset and plan.”
If the Bulls win, they will face the winner between Glasgow Warriors and Connacht, either at Scotstoun if Glasgow triumph, or at Loftus if Connacht win, in the first semifinal on 6 June.