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BULLS COACH, ACKERMAN FACES TOUGH QUESTIONS AHEAD OF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Published: 2026-01-14 21:36:26 Last Updated: 2026-01-15 13:24:15

Before their fascinating Investec Champions Cup final pool match against the French team PAU on Friday night, the Vodacom Bulls have a very intriguing opponent. Should they try to make it to the EPCR Challenge Cup with virtually no chance remaining in the Champions' Cup, or should they give up and consider the European season a failure?
That would be the standard perspective if this were a regular season, but the Vodacom Bulls will be eager to win as quickly as possible after a seven-game losing streak. For the last match against a French team that is now ranked second in the Top14 and will not be easy to defeat at home, they have assembled one of the best touring teams to leave South Africa since entering Europe.
Even though it might be difficult to advance in the Champions Cup, it is more likely that the Bulls' internal focus on halting the rot now takes precedence over everything. Three teams have already qualified with outstanding performances in Pool 4: the Loftus destroyers, Bristol Bears, the reigning champions Bordeaux-Begles, and Northampton Saints, the finalists from the previous season.
There is still one spot available, but whoever accepts it will have a very low seeding going into the round of 16, which will put them at a significant disadvantage. As of right now, PAU has five points after defeating Scarlets last weekend to record their first victory in Europe. Scarlets are in fifth place with two points, while the Bulls are in bottom place with two. The top four teams go to the Round of 16, the fifth-place team advances to the EPCR Challenge Cup, and the sixth-place team withdraws from the competition entirely.

They could advance above Scarlets and PAU with the win, depending on whether a bonus point is awarded, and then have to travel away from home to play one of the best teams in the competition in the Round of 16.

However, if they lose against PAU and advance to the EPCR Challenge Cup, the scenario is equally intriguing. The Bulls could utilise the second-tier competition to try to regain some momentum in the season, although it isn't quite as competitive as the Champions' Cup due to the away games it will entail. Since the likelihood of advancing in either competition depends on wins away from home and additional travel to Europe, it could be wiser to stay in sixth place and withdraw from Europe entirely.

That idea, however, overlooks the extreme pressure the team is currently under due to their losing streak and the shock of conceding the most points at Loftus Versfeld in the modern era—61 points to Bristol. The players' dedication—many of whom pushed former coach Jake White out of the position—is under scrutiny, and the defence has been appalling. Regardless of the outcome, the Bulls must win for Johan Ackermann and rebuild confidence that, in spite of their notoriety, they are a team capable of competing at this level.

The proof hasn't been present in the last seven games, and Ackermann is under increasing pressure to defend himself by repeatedly citing his faith in interviews. In any case, this is a challenge for the Bulls team. It remains to be seen if they possess the confidence, cohesiveness, and continuity necessary to win away from home.

Although their final pool match is theoretically a bit of a dead rubber, there is currently a lot more riding on it, so whatever happens next is up to them.

YOUR touring squad to face Pau this weekend in the Champions Cup and Edinburgh next weekend in the VURC 🐂@Vodacom | @ChampionsCup | @URCOfficial_RSA #TheUnbreakableLine pic.twitter.com/0RX7IPi4xS
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) January 12, 2026

Article Tags: Viral Championship Investec Vodacom Bulls Blue Bulls