Following the Bulls’ 52-17 victory over the Lions at Ellis Park, here are our five takeaways from the United Rugby Championship clash.
Top line
The Bulls took all the spoils, bragging rights and a full-house of points in a statement URC Jukskei derby victory, battering over for eight tries to the hosts’ two.
Now in blue, Ellis Park remains a happy hunting ground for Johan Ackermann as his charges stampeded their way to a comprehensive victory, inspired by old-school Pretoria rugby.
Former Lion Harold Vorster drew the first blood as the man of the match powered over the line in the ninth minute of the encounter. Chris Smith replied with a penalty for the hosts, but that would be the only contribution that the Lions made to the scoreboard in the first half as the visitors ran riot.
Johan Grobbelaar, Handre Pollard and Kurt-Lee Arendse, who was also yellow carded, crossed for five points to secure the bonus point before the break, with Pollard packing his kicking boots, converting three of the four scores.
Morne van den Berg’s 44th-minute try posed the threat of a comeback, but it never materialised as the Bulls took control of the derby as Vorster grabbed his second try before Embrose Papier, Pollard, Mpilo Gumede, and Keagan Johannes ensured that the visitors matched their first-half try tally.
Bronson Mills grabbed a five-pointer back for the Lions with the clock in the red, a try that mattered little in the grand scheme of things.
Regression for progression’s sake
There was a real air of familiarity in the manner in which the Bulls went about their business on Saturday, almost as if we had been teleported back to the Heyneke Meyer era of one-off runners, 12-man rugby focused on sheer brutality and battering the opposition into submission, bossing possession, territory and the air.
It’s nearly 20 years now since those tactics produced a maiden Super Rugby title for the Pretoria-based club, but it’s plainly obvious that they are still very effective in the modern age of intricate attacking patterns, defensive structures and detailed analysis.
Physical dominance and relentless, bruising attacking phases are ingrained in the Bulls’ DNA from the days of Fourie du Preez and Morne Steyn, even Divan Serfontein and Naas Botha before them, and particularly the first 40 minutes of this game was a homage to what Bulls rugby is all about.
Pollard and Papier set the tempo, with forwards folding around the corner again and again and again, bossing the possession stats with 66% of the ball in the first half and they had a 57% territory advantage.
Jeandre Rudolph, Elrigh Louw and Harold Vorster were the go-to battering Bulls, charging into the red wall as if the matador had forgotten to move his cape.
Having 138 post-contact metres from 91 carries in the first half was an indication that the Bulls were happy to run it hard and straight, softening up the bodies, putting lead in the opposition’s legs, a slow poison approach that eventually told in the hammering Joburg heat.
Ackermann-coached teams have become renowned for their attacking fluidity and flair, but this performance was a nod to the Bulls’ history, realising that to progress, a regression in the approach is needed to build confidence in the squad.
Much like the championship-winning Bulls of the past, while there was a lot of grunt up front, there was still room for flair, particularly once a linebreak occurred, with support runners aplenty providing the options to turn opportunities into tries.
Ackermann endured a torrid run of results over the December period, and things look to be turning around for him and his charges with this performance providing another strong foundation to build upon.
Handre Pollard thrives
Ackermann’s tenure has closely mirrored the return of Loftus’ star boy Pollard, who hasn’t quite hit his straps, struggling with injury niggles and adapting to the shape and structures in place. Fast, expansive attacking rugby isn’t the double Rugby World Cup winners’ bread and butter, but the manner in which the men in blue played here absolutely is.
Armed with excellent service from the ever-present Papier, Pollard was able to dictate proceedings and, when the opportunity arose, strike, grabbing two tries. It was also a throwback of sorts with the experienced number 10 not overly forcing the issue but instead playing a quarter-back-esque role where his contributions were to best serve the team.
In the week that former Leicester teammate and England great Anthony Watson hailed him as one of the ‘top three fly-halves ever’, Pollard certainly flexed his strengths, orchestrating the win. It wasn’t an age-defining or even a box-office performance, but it was a professional and meticulous one.
Lions’ 2026 struggles
A stunning 23-22 come-from-behind victory over the Sharks and a 42-33 win over Lyon hinted at a successful 2026 for the Lions, but a break from the action could not have come at a better time for the Joburgers.
Back-to-back stalemates, the first of which ended their Challenge Cup campaign, and this URC defeat indicate a team that is fatigued and somewhat low on confidence.
Far too many tackles and carries lacked the edge and aggression needed in a South African derby, while the defence was far too easily fractured, particularly around the fringes.
The Lions certainly have the talent within their squad to press for a place in the URC play-offs, and their exit from the Challenge Cup will only aid their cause, but they simply cannot afford many more performances like the one they produced against the Bulls.
Not to collect a single log point in a local derby at home is a massive disappointment for a team that came tearing out the blocks in 2026 only to lose steam.
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Works-on
A fortnight in the north worked wonders for the Bulls as Ackermann’s men managed to turn things around, qualifying for the Investec Champions Cup Round of 16, beating Edinburgh and pulling together as a squad. They now look a far more cohesive, well-drilled unit and they now get to put their feet up with three straight wins in the bank after seven straight defeats.
However, Ackermann will be demanding further improvement. The head coach looks after the forwards and lineouts and while the pack dominated the collisions, the lineout remains shaky at times.
The 89% success rate on their own throws suggests an accurate set-piece but it was far from a sturdy platform. But on the same note, they held the Lions to a 69% success rate, a real positive.
Their Springbok front row was effective around the park but did not enforce themselves on the set-piece, something the Lions can be proud of from their performance.
As mentioned above, the break in play is a timely one for the Lions, who desperately need the reset. The Lions lack the same depth as the other SA URC teams and it showed here as they were off the pace after a gruelling run of fixtures.