Bulls Coach Admits Side Underprepared for All Blacks Showdown at Loftus
- Johan Ackermann has revealed why the Bulls have had less preparation time than planned ahead of their highly anticipated All Blacks showdown at Loftus Versfeld
- The Pretoria side faces a difficult balancing act after cutting its planned break short while still having weeks to go before the new URC campaign begins
- New Zealand will arrive in Pretoria with plenty of confidence after producing two dominant performances against South African opposition on their current tour
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The Bulls will take on the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 15 August 2026, but coach Johan Ackermann admits his team will not be as prepared as he would have liked.
The Pretoria side has been away from competitive action since the United Rugby Championship (URC) final on 19 June, when it lost 36-7 to Leinster at Croke Park.
Ackermann explained that the All Blacks fixture has disrupted the Bulls’ planned pre-season schedule.
“We would probably only just have returned from the break,” he told the media on Tuesday, 11 August according to SA Rugby Mag.
“We had to cut the break short. We have to give the guys a five-week break, but we could only give them three weeks.”
All Blacks arrive in strong form after mauling Sharks
The timing has also created a difficult balancing act for the Bulls, who do not begin their next URC campaign until 25 September.
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“Normally you play a warm-up match or two, you trial stuff, see if it works and see what players are in form,” Ackermann said.
Instead, the Bulls have had to accelerate their conditioning and preparation for one of rugby’s biggest names.
New Zealand will enter Loftus after beating the Stormers before dismantling the Sharks 54-0 in Durban on Tuesday.
Ackermann refuses to make excuses
Despite the circumstances, Ackermann said the Bulls must embrace the occasion.
“It’s a great occasion, but we will definitely be a bit underprepared from where we want to be,” he said.
He added:
“We just want to embrace the occasion and hopefully get a reward for what we’ve tried to practise over the last few weeks.”
Source: Getty Images
JP Pietersen reflects after All Blacks rout Sharks
Briefly News previously reported that Sharks coach JP Pietersen gave a frank assessment after New Zealand handed his side a 54-0 defeat at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Tuesday, 11 August 2026.
The former Springbok winger admitted the Sharks struggled to match the All Blacks’ pace after half-time. But Pietersen also pointed to the experience his young squad gained from facing one of the world’s leading Test teams.
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Source: Briefly News
