There is a particular kind of quiet in Pretoria in a Lions week. Nobody says much. Everybody remembers. The last time Johannesburg’s team walked into Loftus Versfeld, they left with a 43-33 win and a season’s worth of bragging rights. This Bulls v Lions preview starts there, because the Bulls certainly have. On Saturday a new captain leads them out, ten Springboks are in the home 23, and the visitors arrive with two wins from two and nothing to apologise for.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Match | Vodacom Bulls v Lions, United Rugby Championship, round 3 |
| Date | Saturday 10 October 2026 |
| Kick-off | 13:30 SAST |
| Venue | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| Referee | Hanru van Rooyen |
| Captains | Hanro Liebenberg (Bulls), Francke Horn (Lions) |
| Log after round 2 | Lions third on 9 points, Bulls seventh on 6 |
| TV | SuperSport |
Bulls v Lions preview: why Saturday matters
Two rounds is not a season, but it sets a mood. The Lions edged Leinster 27-26 and then put 35 points past the Ospreys, both at home, to sit third on the URC log. The Bulls opened with a 47-13 thrashing of Zebre in Parma, then lost 26-22 to Munster at Thomond Park and flew home with a losing bonus point and a long list of things to fix. Our Final Whistle on round 2 unpacked both games.
Here is the odd part. According to the URC’s own standings, the Bulls have scored more points (69) and more tries (10) than any team in the competition after two rounds, and conceded only 39. The Lions have scored 62 and let in 45. One team has the results, the other the numbers.
Home ground should help. The Bulls have won their last five URC matches at Loftus, a run that goes back to a defeat by the Stormers in March, according to the club and Rugby365. Last season ended in the Grand Final, lost 36-7 to Leinster in June.
The Bulls: a new captain and the Boks come home
Johan Ackermann has made sweeping changes. Ten Springboks are in his match-day 23, and Hanro Liebenberg captains the Bulls for the first time. He takes the armband from Marcell Coetzee, who is injured, according to both IOL and SA Rugby magazine. Stravino Jacobs is on the club’s list of unavailable players; the Bulls gave no reason.
Liebenberg, 30, is back after seven years and 152 matches with Leicester Tigers. His derby message: play on the edge, not over it. “I think if you’re going to cross that line against the Lions and give away penalties, they’re going to punish you,” he said, SA Rugby magazine reported. “And if we’re going to put ourselves under pressure by giving away penalties, we’re going to make it a long afternoon.”
The coach was honest about what the trip did to his squad. “It was a difficult week, I won’t lie about it,” Ackermann said this week, as reported by IOL and SA Rugby magazine. “The travelling was quite taxing. There were long flights. Then a number of guys arrived sick and couldn’t train.” His answer was to trust the Springboks who had been missing. “We want to recognise that there are some Springboks who can add value. They have been away from the team, but it was not by choice,” he said.
Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sebastian de Klerk, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Hanro Liebenberg (captain), 6 Jeandre Rudolph, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Alu Tshakweni, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Cheswill Jooste.
Look at that bench: Springboks Handre Pollard, Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden and Cobus Wiese, who is in line for his 50th Bulls cap if he gets on. Five forwards among the replacements means fresh legs for the final half-hour. More on the club’s identity on our Vodacom Bulls page.
The Lions: going for three from three
Ivan van Rooyen has picked what The Citizen called arguably his strongest current line-up. Springboks Morne van den Berg and Quan Horn start at scrumhalf and fullback, Boan Venter is at loosehead, and Henco van Wyk returns in midfield. Dylan Sjoblom and Hyron Andrews form a new lock pairing.
The one forced change hurts. In-form wing Erich Cronje is out injured, according to The Citizen and SA Rugby magazine, so Richard Kriel moves out to the wing. That opens the door for Ethan Adams, the 19-year-old Junior Springbok, to partner Van Wyk in the centres. Adams was among the replacements for the round 1 win over Leinster. Now he gets a Loftus derby, with Harold Vorster and Stedman Gans across from him.
Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Ethan Adams, 12 Henco van Wyk, 11 Richard Kriel, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (captain), 7 Siba Qoma, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Dylan Sjoblom, 3 Sebastian Lombard, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Boan Venter.
Replacements: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 SJ Kotze, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 JP du Preez, 20 Batho Hlekani, 21 Siba Mahashe, 22 Nico Steyn, 23 Boeta Chamberlain.
Van Rooyen is not reading much into last season’s win. Speaking after the Ospreys game, he pointed out that the Bulls of November 2025 were a side still bedding in a new coach. “Last year, when we played them there, it was part of their transition period,” he said. “I think it will be very different this year. Even though they are travelling back, their squad depth is good enough to manage that.”
He was just as clear about what wins the day. “Accuracy will be massive. It’s a typical derby, so it’s going to be massive set-piece, and huge physicality,” Van Rooyen said. Venter, who joined from Edinburgh and plays his first derby for the Lions, sounded like a man who has already pictured the first scrum. “We kind of know what’s coming; we kind of just need to match fire with fire and see who comes out on top,” he said this week, Rugby365 reported. For the Lions’ long story, from Transvaal to the URC, see our Lions page.
Where the game will be won
Up front, early. Both coaches have said it, so believe them. Ackermann rates the Lions as a pack that can hurt you in every set-piece phase. “They remain one of the most dangerous teams because they can dominate you at the set-piece. They can maul, they can scrum, but they can also attack out of nothing at any time,” he said. Venter against Francois Klopper, and Steenekamp against Sebastian Lombard, will tell you a lot by the 20th minute.
Tempo against tired legs. Ackermann expects the Lions to test a squad that has just come back from Ireland. They will want to “play at a high tempo because they know we’ve just flown back, and they’ll want to use that to their advantage”, he said. If Van den Berg gets quick ball, the Lions will run. If the Bulls slow the breakdown, the game shrinks to their size.
Discipline. Penalties give the Lions territory and lineouts, and lineouts give them the maul. Hanru van Rooyen has the whistle.
The Lions midfield. Adams, 19, and Van Wyk against Vorster and Gans is youth against experience. Expect the Bulls to test it early.
History: 43-33, then 52-17
The recent record favours the Bulls. The Lions have won only one of the last six URC meetings, according to the Bulls and Rugby365. But that one win came at Loftus, 43-33 on 29 November 2025, the most recent meeting in Pretoria. The Bulls answered in the return, winning 52-17 in Johannesburg on 31 January 2026. The season before, the Bulls won both: 35-22 away and 31-19 at home, according to the URC’s results.
There is a coaching thread too. Ackermann was head coach of the Lions from 2013 and took them to two Super Rugby finals, according to the Bulls. As IOL put it this week, he knows the Lions well.
What comes next
Loftus turns pink for the derby, with the Bulls backing I Love Boobies, the non-profit that fights the under-diagnosis of breast cancer. At 16:00 the Stormers host the Sharks at DHL Stadium in the second derby of the afternoon (our Stormers page has the background), and the MTN8 final follows that evening. Every weekend start time is in our SA sport fixtures guide.
After this, the Bulls switch to the Investec Champions Cup and host Stade Francais at Loftus on Saturday 17 October. The Lions head north to play Edinburgh on 23 October. The two meet again in Johannesburg on Saturday 5 December.
Frequently asked questions
What time is Bulls v Lions on Saturday?
Kick-off is 13:30 SAST on Saturday 10 October 2026 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. The match is in round 3 of the United Rugby Championship and is on SuperSport.
Who is captaining the Bulls against the Lions?
Hanro Liebenberg captains the Bulls for the first time. He takes over from Marcell Coetzee, who is injured according to IOL and SA Rugby magazine. Francke Horn captains the Lions.
Is Erich Cronje playing for the Lions against the Bulls?
No. Cronje is out injured, according to The Citizen and SA Rugby magazine, so Richard Kriel moves to the wing. Ethan Adams partners Henco van Wyk in midfield.
Who won the last Bulls v Lions match at Loftus?
The Lions won 43-33 at Loftus on 29 November 2025. The Bulls won the return match 52-17 in Johannesburg on 31 January 2026.
Where are the Bulls and Lions on the URC log?
After two rounds the Lions are third with nine points from two wins. The Bulls are seventh on six points after a win over Zebre and a 26-22 defeat by Munster, but they have scored the most points and tries in the competition.