Johan Ackermann hails Bulls' fighting spirit after nail-biting win in Galway

"A one-point win not just changed the mood of Pretoria, it changed the mood in the change room as well," Ackermann said. "It was a happy change room. A great, grateful one. Very grateful that it went our way because I felt we were in the game and controlled the game in quite big areas."

Ackermann acknowledged the team still made some silly errors, but was impressed with the players' defensive effort, which saw them make 246 tackles and miss just 24.

"We still make silly defensive errors, like the try they scored around the ruck, but the way the guys put their bodies out there... it was a massive effort.

"We had a good talk in the week about effort and defence being a big part of how much you care for each other and the team."

Ackerman singled out the likes of Jan Hendrik Wessels, JJ Theron and Paul de Wet, while also acknowledging a superb performance from winger Sebastian de Klerk.

The coach acknowledged moments where the Bulls could have managed the game better, pointing to a costly cross-kick error that gave Connacht a late try and nearly turned the result around.

"Those are moments we have to fix... we should not have put ourselves in those positions."

The coach also refused to dwell on the missed bonus point, saying he was very happy with the victory.

"If you told me before that we would win by one point and get the four points, I would have taken it every time," he added. "Connacht is a quality side with many internationals and a new coach; they are on a high."

Looking ahead, Ackermann confirmed several changes to the squad for their next URC clash against the Glasgow Warriors. Alulutho Tshakweni will be unavailable as he returns home for a family funeral, while Wilco Louw and Canan Moodie are set to rejoin the Springbok squad. 

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