Les All Blacks écrasent les Sharks pour leurs retrouvailles avec Ma’a…

Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has challenged his side to make life as difficult as possible for the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Bulls are next up for New Zealand on the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour after they dug deep to beat the Stormers and swept aside the Sharks.

Ackermann knows his side faces an All Blacks team that is more battle-hardened, but believes the Bulls can still push their illustrious opponents all the way if they execute their game plan.

MORE: Ackers relishing Rennie reunion

“We’re competitive and we’re going to give them a run for their money, hopefully. That’s the aim,” Ackermann said.

“We don’t want to make it easy. Even though they’re probably, from a rugby point of view, more battle-hardened, we’re going to give it a bash. We still believe that if we do the things well, we can upset them and push them all the way.”

Ackermann says the opportunity to face the All Blacks is one he believes his players should embrace.

“It’s a great privilege to play against the All Blacks in any format, whether it is for the Barbarians, for South Africa or for the Bulls,” he said. “This is an occasion that a lot of the players would never have had.”

ALSO: Bulls ‘underprepared’ for Loftus occasion

The clash will also carry plenty of personal significance for Ackermann, who missed the three-Test series against the All Blacks the last time they played in South Africa in 1996 through injury.

“It’s obviously fond memories for me. I played a lot in New Zealand, either in Super Rugby or the Test match that I played there,” Ackermann said.

“But it’s also a bit of a sad reminder because the one thing I will always think about is: what if I didn’t get injured in my fourth Test?”

“A week before they played their last three-match Test series in 1996, I got injured. I knew that was the last time the All Blacks would do it in South Africa, and we wanted to play in that, and then I got injured.”

BOSCH: My best is good enough for Boks

With the Springboks now preparing to face New Zealand in another series, Ackermann believes the Bulls should relish their opportunity to share the field with the All Blacks.

“It’s great to have the All Blacks in South Africa. It’s a great challenge for these players.”

Photo: Vodacom Bulls

The post Ackers: Bulls don’t want to make it easy appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie said he knew before a 54-0 tour victory over the Sharks in Durban on Tuesday that former All Black Ma’a Nonu would perform a solo Haka.

After the All Blacks performed a traditional pre-match Haka, 44-year-old Sharks substitute Nonu stepped forward and delivered a response.

“We knew the Ma’a Haka was coming,” said Rennie, whose team scored eight tries in wet and chilly conditions for a second straight win since the South African tour kicked off last Friday.

“Ma’a came and saw our defence coach Tana Umaga last night and said he wanted to be respectful and queried about the right way to respond to the haka,” Rennie told reporters.

Nonu later told SuperSport TV: “On behalf of myself and my family, I thought it was the right thing to do, to answer the boys and the All Blacks.

“It was such a privilege and an honour, and to do the Haka, showing my respect on behalf of my family to the team I love.

“I got nearly 20 minutes off the bench. I tried my best. It was great to see the New Zealand boys.

“The All Blacks opened up in the last 30 minutes and I was chasing my tail. Credit to them, they are improving, and all the best to the brothers for the next game.”

Watch as Nonu performs the Haka:

It doesn't get more special than this in #RugbysGreatestRivalry

Ma'a Nonu responds to the All Blacks' Ka Mate with a one-man Haka.

Stream on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/pEqaHDNkHx

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 11, 2026

Double Rugby World Cup winner Nonu joined the Sharks as a mentor last month, but Springbok call-ups and injuries led Sharks coach JP Pietersen to include him among the substitutes.

“Ma’a has been good for the guys, especially the backs. He is a great addition off the field, helping the youngsters prepare, warm up and get their mindset right,” said Pietersen.

“He spoke to Tana about how to respond to the tradition of the Haka, but was nervous about doing it by himself.”

Nonu came off the bench after 62 minutes, by which stage the Sharks were trailing 35-0. Just one minute later, scrumhalf Kyle Preston scored the sixth try for the tourists.

“Conditions made it challenging to shift a lot of ball, but it was a really solid defensive effort,” said Rennie, who succeeded Scott Robertson as head coach last March.

“The last 40 minutes were very positive. I thought we kicked really well, our kicks in the central area of the field found a lot of space. Our option taking was pretty good.

“We gave away a lot of early penalties, so we struggled to get our hands on the ball. In the second half we were a lot more clinical and kicked really well.

“The response after our chat at half-time was good to see, because every penalty we concede is a chance for the opposition to slow the game down.”

New Zealand inside centre Jordie Barrett was voted man of the match. He scored a try and set up several others with superb cross-field kicks.

“It was a pretty greasy surface and there was lots of water underfoot. So we are pretty proud that we backed our skills and got ascendancy after a tight first half.

“We need to tidy up our discipline and we let the Sharks into our 22 in the first 10 minutes. So the second half was about minimising those entries.”