Lions eye rare URC double but expect Bulls to hit back in second Jukskei clash

The Lions are under no illusion that the Bulls are a different side from the one they beat a couple of weeks ago, and they must brace for a physical 80 minutes at Ellis Park in the return Jukskei derby in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

Valuable log points and bragging rights are up for grabs in the Gauteng clash (2.30pm kick-off) as the hosts look to secure a rare double victory over the side from Pretoria.

Both teams are unbeaten in their last two matches, but the Bulls will arrive with renewed confidence, knowing that a victory could see them climb the URC log and leapfrog the Lions in the process.

Francke Horn, captain of the Johannesburg outfit, said that although they have already banked a victory at Loftus Versfeld, there can be no resting on their laurels or expectation of an easy win. He knows they are in for a tough contest, noting that the Bulls have turned a corner following a string of earlier losses.

“We know one moment on Saturday could determine the outcome, so we won’t read too much into what happened at Loftus,” Horn said.

“This is a new game, and the Bulls have good momentum after picking up two victories. They will be ready for this clash and will throw everything they have at us. But the same goes for our team.

"I know the guys are up for it. We’ve prepared well over the past two days.

“Our next three games are SA derbies, so we’ve set a short-term goal of trying to win the SA Shield. However, if we can’t do the job this weekend, we can forget about the other two. We must take care of business before we look ahead. It will be one game at a time.”

According to Horn, it took some adjustment to being back on home soil, particularly with the sunny conditions. However, the team is looking forward to playing in dry and warm weather after the last two weekends of winter conditions in Europe.

In both away matches, the Lions had to contend with chilly temperatures but relied on a strong forward-oriented approach to stay in contention and grind out draws. Now, with sunnier conditions back in South Africa, there is the prospect of returning to their more expansive running blueprint.

“It’s good to see the sun again. Monday was the first time we saw it after being away for a while,” Horn added with a smile.

“There’s some heat, and it took a bit of time to get used to it. But this is what we want to play for: a 2.30pm kick-off in front of the Ellis Park fans, where we can throw the ball around and score some beautiful tries.

“We’re really looking forward to being back at home and delivering an energetic performance. Both teams will be desperate.”