Bulls bruiser Vermaak credits Ackermann for flawless transition to lock

In-form Bulls bruiser, Ruan Vermaak, has credited former Lions coach and Springbok lock Johan Ackermann for his seamless transition from loose forward to lock, where he is now thriving.

The 26-year-old, who stands a mighty 2.01m tall, started off as a flanker when he wore the colours of the Lions between 2018 and 2020, but a move to Japan where he was coached by Ackermann, saw him change position to lock forward.

Ackermann, himself a former No 4 lock, showed Vermaak the ropes and the now Bulls man is soaring in the second row of the Pretoria-based team, a regular starter under coach Jake White.

‘Taught me a few things’

“I played lock in Japan for two seasons, so it wasn’t a big adjustment,” said Vermaak this week when quizzed about his move from blindside flanker to lock.

“I’m happy to play lock, it’s just a bit of a different style. I learned a lot under Johan Ackermann, as he played there for the Boks. He taught me a few things I could implement in my game so it was a big benefit for me (playing under him).”

Vermaak says he also learned a lot from watching the likes of former Bulls locks Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha in action, who were role models for the former Monument pupil. “And now coach Andries (Bekker, also a former Bok lock) is with us at the Bulls and he’s also playing a huge role,” said Vermaak.

Having played in South Africa during the latter stages of Super Rugby and then in Japan and now going up against several European teams in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, Vermaak says he’s learning a lot about the game in different parts of the world.

URC run-in

“It’s a privilege to be able to have played in so many different competitions. I’ve also only got good things to say about Japan, I was very fortunate to play there and happy to have been there,” he said.

The focus right now though for the Bulls and Vermaak is the URC. With two rounds of matches remaining before the playoffs, and the Bulls in fourth spot chasing a home quarter-final, there’s no place for any slip-ups now.

The Bulls face Italian giant-killers Benetton this weekend, who’re coming off a win against the Sharks, to keep alive their hopes of a top eight finish.

“Benetton are a quality side. We’re expecting a really physical game from them. They play for 80 minutes, as we saw against the Sharks. They fight, they keep on coming and they have some flair.

“We’ve got two games left before the knockouts and need maximum points. We’ll take it one game at a time, put no extra pressure on ourselves and focus on getting the job done this week.”
The match on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld kicks off at 2pm.