Coach Johan Ackermann is full of praise for his captain, Marcell Coetzee, after a Player of the Match display in Wales. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: backpagepix
The Bulls are in the home straight after nearly a month on the road, and coach Johan Ackermann has praised his captain, Marcell Coetzee, for his role in keeping the team morale high and for inspiring last week’s defeat of the Dragons.
Coetzee was an easy choice for Player of the Match after leading from the front in the 47-7 win.
“I can just credit Marcell,” Ackermann said. “He has been so good for us in the past few weeks, both on and off the field.
"The way he has led the team and the way he challenges the guys and encourages them ... Against the Dragons, the amount of work he got through, and how he put his body on the line, was tremendous.
“He led by example for us when our backs were against the wall in a tight first half. Those are the moments you need your leaders to stand up, and he did that. Credit to him, and hopefully that form will continue for the rest of the season.”
The Bulls have been in Europe since playing the Glasgow Warriors in a Champions Cup match on 4 April. They spent time in the south of France rather than returning to Pretoria, and prepared there for the vital URC encounter with the Dragons.
Ackermann also praised Coetzee for a strong halftime team talk that saw the players tighten up their approach and play to the strength of their forwards. The Bulls went from 12-7 up at the break to scoring 40 unanswered points in the second half.
The Bulls are eighth on the URC log, and a win in Llanelli will strengthen their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals, especially because their final two matches are in Pretoria against struggling Benetton and Zebre.
The Scarlets’ only win in their last six URC matches was the 36-17 victory over Zebre in Round 13. The Welsh side have lost their last four URC clashes with South African opponents since beating the Lions in May 2025.
The Bulls’ only loss in their last seven URC matches was 19-32 to Stormers on 14 March.
The Bulls have won their last five matches against Welsh opposition since the Scarlets beat them at Parc y Scarlets in October 2024.