Overview
- The Gauteng rivals meet on Saturday at Ellis Park with a 2:30pm kickoff in the United Rugby Championship.
- The Bulls halted a seven-match slump with away victories over Pau and Edinburgh, lifting belief as captain Marcell Coetzee frames the derby as a reset.
- The Lions return from a two-match tour with draws against Perpignan and the Ospreys, and coach Ivan van Rooyen warns of a stronger Bulls unit reinforced by Springboks Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie and Coetzee.
- The Lions sit seventh and the Bulls ninth, four points apart, with a Bulls win potentially pushing them into the playoff picture and a Lions victory strengthening their first-ever knockout bid; in the SA Shield, a Lions win could effectively end the Bulls’ challenge.
- Historical and personal subplots include Johan Ackermann’s first game back at Ellis Park as an opposing coach since 2017, the Lions’ 43–33 win at Loftus in November, and the Bulls’ perfect URC record at Ellis Park.