Ellis Park will once again rumble like a restless scrum on Saturday afternoon as the Lions and Bulls lock horns in a Jukskei Derbythat promises sparks, sweat and shifting momentum on the URC log.
TheLions, settled and confident, return home looking to turn continuity into currency. Their memories of last November’s 43–33 win over the Bulls still echo, but head coach Ivan van Rooyen knows this weekend’s contest will be a far sterner examination.
“Obviously, they’ll be hurting from the result at Loftus,” Van Rooyen said.
“But they’ve got some superstars returning in Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, and Marcell Coetzee, and mentally they’ll be a very different team after the two results they got overseas. We’ll have to rise to that emotional level and physical level.”
For Van Rooyen, the derby won’t be decided on reputation but on precision when lungs burn and legs feel heavy.
“Of course, we’ve got plans, they’ve got plans – but I think the team that can execute under pressure on Saturday, and enforce their strengths more often during the 80 minutes will emerge successful.”
The Lions’ unchanged 23 is a statement of trust. Chris Smith, facing his former employers, will be the conductor of tempo at flyhalf, while skipper Francke Horn leads a familiar loose trio into what is expected to be a collision-heavy battle for breakdown supremacy.
Out wide, Springbok fullback Quan Horn provides composure at the back, with Richard Kriel and Angelo Davids offering strike power on the wings.
Across the tunnel, Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has reloaded his side with intent. The return of Elrigh Louw at openside flank sharpens the Bulls’ breakdown blade, while Devon Williams replaces veteran Willie le Roux at fullback, injecting pace and aerial contestability for what is expected to be a tactical kicking duel.
YOUR team to face the Lions tomorrow at Ellis park 🥶
🏆Vodacom Bulls vs Lions | ⏰KICK-OFF: 14:30 | 📍Ellis Park | 🗓️31 January
In midfield, Harold Vorster and Stedman Gans form a more direct, defence-first pairing, signalling a Bulls side built for impact rather than finesse. Kurt-Lee Arendse’s return on the wing adds lightning to the Bulls’ backline, while Handré Pollard resumes his role as the general steering the attacking ship.
The Bulls’ engine room has also been reshuffled, with Reinhardt Ludwig starting at lock and Cobus Wiese primed off the bench to bring brute force in the closing exchanges.
With both sides chasing log momentum, this derby shapes as less chess match and more street fight — a high-tempo contest where accuracy will be the sharpest weapon and composure the ultimate decider.
Teams
Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Bronson Mills, 11 Richard Kriel, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (capt), 7 Batho Hlekani, 6 Jarod Cairns, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 SJ Kotze Replacements: Morne Brandon, RF Schoeman, Conraad van Vuuren, Etienne Oosthuizen, Darrien Landsberg, Renzo du Plessis, Haashim Pead, Erich Cronje
There are derbies, and then there are rugby events that feel bigger than the competition table. The Stormers versus Bulls north–southclash at a sold-out DHL Stadium on Saturday belongs firmly in the latter category. It’s a fixture where reputations are tested as brutally as defensive lines.
The first URC blockbuster of 2026arrives wrapped in symbolism. Damian Willemse will make his 100th start for the Stormers. Ruan Nortje returns to captain the Bulls. And at flyhalf, the generational baton hangs tantalisingly between two Springboks: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Handré Pollard.
One represents the present tense of South African rugby’s future: instinctive, elastic, daring. The other is its hardened past and still-relevant present: precise, economical, forged in World Cup fire. Saturday is less about rivalry than rugby arithmetic: what happens when flair meets control under maximum pressure?
Stormers: Tempo, Power and Cape Town Edge
The Stormers receive a significant boost with the return of Willemse and Feinberg-Mngomezulu, restoring balance to a side that thrives on momentum. Willemse’s presence in midfield alongside Wandisile Simelane gives the hosts ballast and punch, while Cobus Reinach and Feinberg-Mngomezulu form a halfback pairing designed to accelerate the game.
Director of Rugby John Dobson framed the occasion without hyperbole:
“This is one of the biggest club rugby matches in the world and will be played in front of a sold-out DHL Stadium. It should be an incredible experience for everyone there.
We know that we will need to be at our absolute best throughout the game to come away with the result.”
Out wide, Suleiman Hartzenberg and Leolin Zas provide finishing pace, with Warrick Gelant lurking at the back like a counter-attacking wildcard. Up front, captain Salmaan Moerat marshals a pack that blends aggression with continuity, supported by Evan Roos and Ben-Jason Dixon in the loose — players built for derby combat.
Here is your DHL Stormers team for the sold-out @Vodacom#URC derby at DHL Stadium on Saturday.
The Bulls arrive in Cape Town with a side subtly reshaped for control rather than chaos. Ruan Nortje’s return to the starting XV restores authority to the pack, while Marco van Staden adds breakdown venom. The front row of Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw remains intact, signalling a clear intent to contest the set-piece battle.
Behind them sits a familiar Bulls spine: Pollard at 10, Willie le Roux at 15, David Kriel in midfield — experience stacked upon experience. Canan Moodie’s move to centre injects line-breaking speed, while Paul de Wet starts at scrumhalf against his former side.
Head coach Johan Ackermann underlined the method behind the selection:
“We’ve assessed the Sharks game and made adjustments where needed. Ruan’s leadership is vital, and bringing in players like Canan Moodie and Marco van Staden gives us the right balance for this contest. It’s about alignment and intensity as we start the year.”
The Key Battlegrounds
The obvious headline is flyhalf, but the game may hinge elsewhere. The midfield collisions between Willemse and Moodie will dictate gain-line success. The breakdown duel with Roos and Dixon versus Van Staden and Louw, could determine territory. And off the bench, both sides possess finishers capable of swinging momentum late.
This is not a derby built on nostalgia. It is one shaped by present ambition and future consequence. The Stormers want tempo and emotion. The Bulls want structure and silence.
Cape Town will decide which philosophy holds firm when the noise peaks.
