Boan Winter is ready for the personal derby between the Lions and Bulls in the URC

The Sharks team, captained by Andre Esterhuizen, is expected to show its influence after returning from the Springboks squad in the upcoming coastal derby against the Stormers on Saturday. Overall, the Sharks and Lions have an advantage heading into the first round of the United Rugby Championship (URC) derby against the Stormers and Bulls, respectively.

The Durban-based team, which has not lost two consecutive matches, ranks first in the URC table thanks to two victories with bonuses at Kings Park. The return of players from the Springboks has boosted their confidence, and they are now aiming for a third consecutive win in the tournament by defeating the Stormers.

JP Pietersen's team is the league leader with 10 points after a 26-20 victory over Leinster. However, they must confirm their home form in a tense away match at the DHL Stadium on Saturday at 4:00 PM.

Sharks aim to strengthen dominance over Stormers

It appears that the return of players from the Boks was timely: captain Andre Esterhuizen, wingers Edwil van der Merwe and Ethan Hooker, added valuable experience to the attacking line, while prop Thomas du Toit performed brilliantly in the scrum against Leinster, earning crucial penalties. In the reserves, left-winger Ox Nche and lock Eben Etzebeth shone.

The Stormers will be closely watching their opponents, especially after two previous games that did not go their way. They intend to rectify the situation against the Sharks and will have a good opportunity to do so in their famous 'Men in Black' kit in Cape Town.

Stormers fans, affectionately known as the Stormers Faithful, are anticipating this homecoming. After a 17-13 defeat to Edinburgh, the team desperately wants to return to winning ways following a strong start against Connacht in the first match. Rugby Director John Dobson and his assistants will conduct a full week of training, and the return of Springboks players may add the necessary depth and experience for this important clash.

Lions bring momentum to Loftus

In Loftus, the Bulls are in a difficult position ahead of the Jukskei derby against the Lions on Saturday afternoon (match at 1:30 PM). Although they are returning home after an inconsistent two-week overseas tour, the visitors are in excellent form after two confident home wins, which has allowed them to secure third place in the URC table.

The Pretoria-based team faces injury concerns before the game after a 26-22 loss to Munster, and head coach Johan Ackermann hopes this will not significantly disrupt his team's performance. Meanwhile, the Lions are gaining momentum and aim to surpass the hosts early in the season to maintain their pace.

However, for Ackermann and his colleague Ivan van Rooyen, the team composition and the availability of Springboks players will be crucial in trying to find the right balance to gain an advantage on Saturday afternoon. Jeanandre Rudolph made a run to the try line, helping the Bulls stay in the fight.

The Lions integrated their Boks players into the squad through the bench in the 35-19 victory over the Ospreys last week, but Van Rooyen intends to bring scrum-half Morne van den Berg and fullback Juan Horne back into the starting five for this battle. Ackermann will have to decide where to fit his international players without disrupting the team's cohesion. They fought hard throughout the match against Munster, but minor errors disrupted their rhythm.

If injuries exclude captain Marcel Coetzee and versatile backup Stravinho Jacobs from playing, Boks player Marco van Staden might play at flanker, and Handrie Pollard could potentially take the number 12 spot next to flyhalf Kurwin Bosch, who started his career well with the Bulls. Ackermann is also interested in bringing forwards Johan Grobbelaar and Jan-Hendrik Vessels back into the game for this contest.

Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen stated that his team will have to significantly raise their level of play when they meet the Bulls in the upcoming Saturday derby at Loftus Versfeld.

Lions secured their second consecutive win in the URC, defeating Osprey 35-19 at Ellis Park stadium on Saturday. This victory followed a dramatic win against defending champions Leinster with a score of 27-26 in the first round.

Nevertheless, van Rooyen did not want the team to relax after overcoming a poor first half and scoring five points after the break. He emphasized: 'Today's game will be insufficient against the Bulls next week. It is a typical derby, so having tactical preparation and high physical power will be of huge importance.'

He added that the Bulls showed a desire to play more actively, which makes them dangerous, but there are also opportunities for the Lions.

In the first half, the Lions trailed Osprey 12-10, but then they reacted decisively. The forwards took control of the match, which helped change the tide in their favor. Captain Frankie Horn noted that the players decided during the break that they needed to 'roll up their sleeves' and succeed against Osprey.

Horn said: 'We went into the break and said: 'Listen, we aren't able to attack down the flanks today,' and sometimes that happens. The forwards said we need to roll up our sleeves and secure maul tries. If we have to go into scrum, penalty, kick out, maul, penalty, kick out again, and then score from the maul, we will do it. And that's how we started the second half.'

Van Rooyen was particularly pleased with how his players adapted after an disorganized first forty minutes. He noted: 'Osprey is a strong team, they are very tough, they have great character, and they will keep coming back and pushing forward if you are inaccurate. We were not accurate enough. We lost some early out lines, and then it's impossible to gain momentum and execute our plans.'

He continued: 'At halftime, we really simplified the task and just said: 'Find a way.' We believe there is a small gap, let's go there and see if we can use it. The second half was much better, and I am very proud of the guys for finding a way.'

'The Lions can draw confidence from their victory over the Bulls in Pretoria last season with a score of 43-33, but van Rooyen expects a completely different challenge this time. He explained: 'Last year, when we played there, it was part of their transition period. I think this year everything will be very different. They have real speed on the flanks, they have a good pack of forwards, and power up front. I think it will be a completely different test.'

He concluded: 'There is one or two things we can take from past experience, but we won't be blind to the fact that this is a new week, a new opportunity, and a different game.'

Furthermore, the Lions may have two returning Springboks players in the starting lineup—midfielder Morne van den Berg and versatile back-rower Juan Horn, both of whom participated in the second half against Osprey. Van Rooyen said he would not be surprised if both feature in the starting fifteen against the Bulls.

These returns create healthy competition for spots in the team, especially after Boeta Chamberlain and Nico Steyn impressed in the first two Lions matches. Van Rooyen noted: 'I think Boeta has been a breath of fresh air for us; I think he was exceptional in two games, and he can play several positions for us. Nico is probably playing the best game of his life too, so that's good, healthy competition for us.'

Despite the Lions starting the campaign perfectly, earning nine points in the first two matches, van Rooyen knows that the next match will show much more about his team's standing. He repeated: 'Accuracy will be of huge importance. It is a typical derby, so tactical preparation and high physical power will be of huge importance. We will take five points, but we must improve because next week will demand it.'

Captain Franke Horn admitted that the Lions team is far from perfect, but the victory over Aspiris, which brought five points, gives the Johannesburg club the necessary momentum before the match in Pretoria.

Although the Lions did not show as brilliant a performance as in the victory over Leinster last week, Captain Franke Horn believes that their triumph with a score of 35:12 over Aspiris at Ellis Park stadium was an important lesson on how to achieve victory, even if it doesn't look brilliant.

In their debut match in the United Rugby Championship, where they stunned Leinster with a score of 27:26 at the same arena, the Lions looked far from their best in the first half, trailing the Welsh visitors by 12:10.

However, after the break, the team transformed, dominating the ball game and scoring four touchdowns, which allowed them to win with bonus points and earn nine points in the first two games.

United Rugby Championship

Horn admitted that the first half was 'very careless,' noting that this is an area the team needs to improve in the future, especially in the upcoming match against the Bulls.

He acknowledged the forwards' efforts in the second half, emphasizing the presence of many quality scrums and powerful mauls, as well as the active participation of the backline. 'It was a hard-fought victory,' he stated. 'We got our five points. It wasn't perfect, but five points count.'

The scrum became a serious weapon for the Lions in the first two matches, and it once again provided the foundation for the team's dominance in the second half against Aspiris. Nevertheless, Horn emphasized that discipline must be as important as strength.

'It is definitely a good weapon in our arsenal at this stage,' he said. 'We just need to show patience and choose our moments, without giving away easy penalties [Aspiris earned two penalties for scrums despite being outnumbered].' He added that 'overall, the forwards put in a huge effort.'

The arrival of scrumhalf Morne van den Berg also helped change the pace after the break due to his crisp passing and confident game management, giving the Lions more control. Horn also thanked the substitute players for bringing extra energy and impetus, noting that the final defensive plays also looked good. He concluded that 'there were many positive moments in the second half. We just need to improve the first half.'

The Lions now have nine points in the table after two opening games and have started the season impressively, aiming to build on last year's quarter-final exit. However, for Horn, early points are just the beginning. He noted that the team wanted to score 10 points in the first two weeks, and having scored nine, there is still work to be done.

Next weekend, the Lions will face a serious increase in intensity when they travel to Pretoria to play the Bulls, after which they will switch to the Champions Cup and a series of European away matches against La Rochelle and Glasgow Warriors. They will then return to Johannesburg for the return URC match against the Bulls on December 5th.