Johan Ackermann's first season at the Bulls was defined by a brutal onboarding — installed mid-July with the Springboks unavailable until late December, he had to build culture and systems on the fly. A year on, the contrast is stark. Pollard, Van Staden, Wiese and Wessels are in his starting XV for the Champions Cup opener against Stade Francais, with Grobbelaar, Steenekamp, Papier and Le Roux on the bench — depth he simply didn't have access to last time around. In the interview, Ackermann draws on the Leinster model — bringing 40-plus players to South Africa even knowing the Irish internationals wouldn't play — to illustrate what he's now able to replicate: genuine squad cohesion before the tournament starts. His point is that having worked with the Bok contingent for a full season means their December return after the Nations Championship will be an integration exercise rather than a first introduction.
Ackermann explains why this Champions Cup campaign starts from a completely different place
Ackermann explains how a full season working alongside his Bok players — compared to meeting them for the first time in January last year — has transformed the Bulls' Champions Cup preparation, with the Leinster squad-culture model as his benchmark.
Bulls face Benetton without Coetzee and Arendse as Pollard, Le Roux return
The Bulls face Benetton on Saturday without flu-stricken Marcell Coetzee and Kurt-Lee Arendse, with Pollard, Le Roux and Louw returning to a reshuffled side. A bonus-point win could move them into the top four and earn a home quarterfinal. Willie le Roux plays his 400th first-class match; Stravino Jacobs earns his 100th Bulls cap.
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
Contepomi: Boks have cracked the balance — and that's what makes them dangerous
Contepomi argues the Boks' real danger lies in their evolving balance between forward dominance and expansive attack — and flags sustained possession as the best way to exploit their defence.
Five takeaways from the Nations Championship squad: youth gambles, lock creativity and a scrum-half comeback
Erasmus's Nations Championship squad is built around SA Rugby's youth pipeline, creative lock depth management, and notable recall decisions at nine — with the ten jersey and Jantjies' comeback forming the squad's most interesting subplots.
Rassie's Bomb Squad reset: Who fills the Snyman and Smith void?
Cardinelli breaks down how the enforced absences of Snyman and Smith force Erasmus to reimagine the Bomb Squad, with Paul de Villiers earmarked for a key role and the flyhalf pecking order wide open heading into the Nations Championship.