Johan Ackermann wants to finish his tenure on a positive note by winning the Lions' maiden Super Rugby title against the Crusaders on Saturday.
Ackermann has twice suffered the heartache of losing in a Super Rugby final; once as a player and once as a coach. 10 years ago he suffered defeat as a player when his Sharks side lost to the Bulls in the final and last year he led his Lions side to the final only to fall at the final hurdle against the Hurricanes.
Ackermann will depart for England to take over the reins at Premiership side Gloucester and Saturday's final could be Ackermann's last chance to reach the pinnacle of Southern Hemisphere Club rugby by finally getting his hands on the coveted Super Rugby trophy.
The 47-year-old has spent five years in charge of the Johannesburg outfit and has become a father-like figure to his players. And the former lock is cherishing every moment of his last few days in charge.
“There’s one more game to go and this week I’m going to take it all in,” Ackermann said.
“It’s a privilege to be in the Super Rugby final. It’s exactly 10 years since I experienced the disappointment of losing as a player (for the Sharks against the Bulls)… this time I want to finish as a winner."
The Crusaders and Lions have both only lost one game this season and it promises to be a hard-fought encounter.
This season the Crusaders have built their success on a dependable forward pack littered with All Blacks and uncompromising defence.
And Ackermann is well aware of the challenge his side faces.
“They’ve changed since last year, as have we, and so, too, were the Hurricanes a different team," Ackermann said.
"The reality is the Crusaders are a quality side; there are All Black players all over the place … just look at their background, their history. It’s going to come down to one 80-minute performance.
“But we’ve got a lot of belief in our own abilities, no matter the opposition, so again all I can ask of the players is to give it their best.
“We will reset on Monday. Right now we haven’t achieved anything, we haven’t won a trophy yet. They are also going to fight to the end.”
The post Ackermann wants to bow out with a bang appeared first on Planet Rugby.