JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 31: Kurt-Lee Arendse of the Bulls scores a try during the United Rugby Championship match between Lions and Vodacom Bulls at Ellis Park on January 31, 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Anton Geyser/Gallo Images)
The Bulls got revenge for their United Rugby Championship (URC) loss at Loftus late last year, as they emphatically smashed the Lions 52-17 in a one-sided cross-Jukskei derby at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions were chasing a bit of history, after beating 43-33 in the first Jukskei derby in November, but produced a dismal performance to be stampeded over by the Bulls, who will now feel they are truly back on track after a poor start to the season.
Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard, who has been under fire due to some poor recent performances, didn’t start well, but improved steadily over the match and ended up contributing 15 points through five conversions and try for a solid showing in the end.
Bulls strike first
It was a back and forth start to the match, but the Bulls were more in the ascendancy and that saw them strike first.
They kicked a penalty into the Lions 22m and attacked off the lineout, with them getting close for inside centre Harold Vorster to pick up at a ruck and bash his way over for the converted score in the 10th minute.
In the 15th minute Bulls wing Kurt-Lee Arendse then received a yellow card for a poor contest from an up and under that took out Lions wing Richard Kriel.
But the home team were unable to utilise the 10 minutes with a man advantage, with only a 22nd minute penalty from flyhalf Chris Smith to show for it.
The Bulls then kicked into high gear in the final 10 minutes of the half to pull away to a big lead at the break.
First in the 31st minute the visitors again setup a lineout in the 22m and attacked, going through the phases before hooker Johan Grobbelaar picked up and crashed over to make it 12-3.
It was then a disastrous final two minutes of the half, as the Bulls first broke into the Lions 22m and got close, with Pollard receiving the ball at pace and going over, before converting his own try.
From the kick-off the Lions tried to launch a final attack, only for wing Angelo Davids to throw an intercept pass for Bulls outside centre Stedman Gans to snaffle and break, with the ball going through the hands and ending with Arendse going over for the converted score to make it 26-3 at the break.
Lions score first
The Lions had to score first in the second half to have any chance and they did, attacking off a lineout in the Bulls 22m, but making no headway until captain Francke Horn broke the line and offloaded to scrumhalf Morne van den Berg to go over for a converted try in the 45th minute.
But the Bulls hit back in the 55th minute as they attacked from a scrum in their own half, wing Stravino Jacobs made a break down the touchline and got into the 22m, where they worked their way onto the tryline and Vorster crashed over for his second, with Pollard’s conversion making it 33-10.
Any slim chance the Lions may have had of fighting back was ended in the 65th minute, as some superb interplay in the hosts half ended with scrumhalf Embrose Papier going over for a converted try.
The 74th minute essentially summed up the match for the Lions, as they received a penalty just outside the Bulls 22m and close to touch, but kicked it dead.
From the resultant scrum the Bulls attacked and tore up the touchline, with replacement loose forward Mpilo Gumede going over with his first touch to make it 45-10
It was an action packed end to the match as the Bulls scored again through replacement flyhalf Keagan Johannes, followed by the Lions scoring a consolation after the hooter to inside centre Bronson Mills.
Scorers
Lions: Tries – Morne van den Berg, Bronson Mills; Conversions – Chris Smith (2); Penalty – Smith
Bulls: Tries – Harold Vorster (2), Johan Grobbelaar, Handre Pollard, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Embrose Papier, Mpilo Gumede, Keagan Johannes; Conversions – Pollard (5), Johannes
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