Overview
- The Bulls demolished the Lions 52-17 at Ellis Park, clinching a third straight win after their European tour with Embrose Papier starting at scrumhalf and Elrigh Louw returning to the loose trio.
- Handré Pollard, Harold Vorster (two), Embrose Papier and Kurt-Lee Arendse were among the try-scorers as a revamped Bulls backline and pack overpowered a settled Lions outfit.
- In Durban later, the Sharks host the Stormers with Ox Nché, Siya Kolisi, Grant Williams and Edwill van der Merwe restored, and JP Pietersen expecting humidity to make scrums, lineouts, mauls and aerial contests decisive.
- The Stormers made sweeping changes including Damian Willemse at fullback and Evan Roos at No 8 after John Dobson called last week’s defeat their worst performance and targeted set-piece and discipline improvements.
- Separately, Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman included uncapped Luan Giliomee for SVNS Singapore to build depth toward the 2028 Olympics, with South Africa level on series points with New Zealand and Fiji.