Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann didn’t sugarcoat his frustration after his side’s 46-33 defeat to defending champions Bordeaux at Loftus on Saturday.

It was a match the Bulls genuinely had in their grasp before ill-discipline and key errors killed their momentum.

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Ackermann said the Bulls were “constantly forced to play catch-up” after leaking soft points in the first half, but praised his team for showing fight to storm into a halftime lead.

The problem, he stressed, was what followed.

“We started the second half poorly again and our discipline really cost us,” he said. “Too many penalties, the yellow cards – it all put us on the back foot.”

The Bulls pack had moments of dominance, especially in the scrum, but critical lineout losses and turnovers allowed Bordeaux’s slick backs to strike. Ackermann admitted the French side hurt them with their clinical finishing and superior tactical kicking.

He didn’t shy away from the bigger issues either.

“We let it slip through our fingers because of a lack of discipline and individual errors,” Ackermann said. “Our defence must sharpen up. There’s a lot of hard work ahead.”

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Still, he found pride in the fight the Bulls showed.

“I’m proud of the character and the fighting spirit,” he said. “But it simply wasn’t good enough after 80 minutes.”

Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images