Bulls target URC fitness and breakdown work after 50-19 loss

The Bulls will make conditioning and breakdown work their main priorities after losing 50-19 to the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld. The defeat gave the Pretoria side a demanding test against international opposition as preparations continue for the United Rugby Championship.

Ackermann said the match exposed the need for the Bulls to improve their fitness before the new URC campaign begins. He also indicated that the team has limited preparation time, with only one scheduled warm-up match before its league opener away to Zebre Parma in Italy.

That warm-up will come against the Stormers in Paarl. The fixture is expected to provide the Bulls with an opportunity to build match conditioning, while also allowing the coaching staff to address weaknesses identified against New Zealand.

Breakdown performance has been singled out as another area requiring immediate attention. Captain Marcell Coetzee believes the Bulls must become more effective and accurate in that contest if they are to produce greater consistency during the season.

The loss also offered lessons in how international teams create pressure. New Zealand showed a willingness to begin attacks from deep positions, an approach Ackermann does not expect to see in the same form when the All Blacks face South Africa. He anticipates the Springboks will defend and apply pressure differently in the opening Test of their series.

For the Bulls, however, the immediate focus is on turning the lessons from the Loftus defeat into practical improvements. The team will use its Stormers fixture to raise its conditioning level and sharpen its work at the breakdown before travelling to Italy for the start of the URC campaign.