URC 2025/26 · Round 2 (Rescheduled)
Bulls
Stormers
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Championship Standings
The Stormers sit 5th on 36 points from just 10 games — the best win rate in the league at 80%. The Bulls are 8th on 30 points from 11, separated by a single win but a chasm in point differential: +113 vs +5. Both teams have games in hand on the top four, making this a pivotal fixture in the playoff race.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Glasgow Warriors | 12 | 9 | 3 | +150 | 45 |
| 2 |  Leinster | 12 | 8 | 4 | +67 | 41 |
| 3 |  Cardiff | 12 | 8 | 4 | +35 | 40 |
| 4 |  Munster | 12 | 8 | 4 | +15 | 39 |
| 5 | Stormers | 10 | 8 | 2 | +113 | 36 |
| 6 |  Ulster | 11 | 7 | 4 | +83 | 36 |
| 7 |  Lions | 11 | 7 | 4 | −20 | 33 |
| 8 | Bulls | 11 | 6 | 5 | +5 | 30 |
| 9 |  Ospreys | 12 | 5 | 5 | −13 | 29 |
| 10 |  Connacht | 11 | 4 | 7 | −21 | 25 |
| 11 |  Sharks | 10 | 4 | 5 | −36 | 24 |
| 12 |  Edinburgh | 11 | 4 | 7 | +6 | 23 |
| 13 |  Benetton | 12 | 4 | 7 | −65 | 23 |
| 14 |  Dragons | 12 | 3 | 7 | −50 | 20 |
| 15 |  Scarlets | 11 | 3 | 7 | −71 | 16 |
| 16 |  Zebre | 11 | 2 | 9 | −154 | 12 |
Bulls
W6, L5The Bulls are on a three-match winning streak and building genuine momentum. The 41–12 demolition of the Sharks at Loftus was their most complete performance of the season — 29 points of margin against a local rival — and the 52–17 annihilation of the Lions in Johannesburg showed devastating attacking intent. But this is a side that lost four on the bounce between rounds 6–9, including a 43–33 home loss to the Lions and a 13–8 defeat to these same Stormers in Cape Town. The question is which Bulls turn up.
Stormers
W8, L2The Stormers’ season has been a tale of two halves. They won eight of their first ten — including a 35–0 shutout of Leinster at home and a 34–27 Cape Town derby win over the Lions — but have now lost two straight against SA rivals: 24–10 at Ellis Park and 36–24 in Durban. Conceding 60 points in two games is alarming for a side that built their campaign on defensive solidity. They need to arrest the slide before it becomes a pattern.
Head-to-Head at Loftus Versfeld
2 – 0 – 2
Bulls wins · Draws · Stormers wins (4 recent meetings)
Bulls (2)Honours are dead even in recent meetings — two wins apiece. The Stormers won the most recent clash 13–8 in Cape Town and took the previous meeting 19–16, but the Bulls won 33–32 in a thriller and romped to a 40–22 victory before that. This fixture delivers drama: the average combined score across the last four meetings is 56 points.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | URC | Stormers 13–8 Bulls |
| 2025 | URC | Bulls 16–19 Stormers |
| 2024 | URC | Stormers 32–33 Bulls |
| 2024 | URC | Bulls 40–22 Stormers |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Bulls 24 – Stormers 22 in the last four meetings. Dead level — two wins apiece.
Extended Form
Bulls6W, 9L
Wins: Sharks (41–12, URC), Lions (52–17, URC away), Edinburgh (19–17, URC away), Section Paloise (26–24, ERCC away), Connacht (28–27, URC), Leinster (39–31, URC). Losses: Bristol (49–61, ERCC), Stormers (8–13, URC away), Sharks (12–21, URC away), Northampton (5–50, ERCC away), Bordeaux (33–46, ERCC), Lions (33–43, URC), Glasgow (12–21, URC away), Ulster (7–28, URC away), Ospreys (53–40, URC — win).
The Bulls’ European campaign was a disaster — losses to Bristol (49–61), Northampton (5–50) and Bordeaux (33–46) exposed their limitations against top-tier opposition. But domestically they’ve found their groove, winning three straight URC matches by an average margin of 22 points. The Loftus factor is real: they beat Leinster 39–31 and the Sharks 41–12 at home this season.
Stormers7W, 4L
Wins: Lions (10–24, URC away), Sharks (24–36, URC away), Leicester (26–39, ERCC), Bulls (8–13, URC), Lions (27–34, URC), La Rochelle (21–42, ERCC), Bayonne (17–26, ERCC). Losses: Harlequins (61–10, ERCC), Munster (27–21, URC — win), Benetton (16–31, URC — win).
The Stormers’ record across all competitions is impressive — wins at Munster, La Rochelle and Bayonne in Europe showed real continental pedigree — but the 61–10 humiliation at Harlequins was a stark reminder that they can be dismantled when the pack is outmuscled. Their two recent SA losses (Lions 24–10, Sharks 36–24) suggest fatigue or a dip in intensity after a gruelling European schedule.
Bulls XV
Coach Johan Ackermann brings back the big guns for this derby. Ruan Nortje returns to captain the side, with an all-Springbok front row of Steenekamp, Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw. Marco van Staden starts at blindside flanker, Canan Moodie slots in at outside centre, and ex-Stormers scrumhalf Paul de Wet gets the nod at 9. Willie le Roux’s experience at fullback adds composure under the high ball.
Stormers XV
The Stormers are boosted by the return of captain Ruhan Nel at outside centre and Springbok utility back Damian Willemse at inside centre. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at fly-half, with the experienced Warrick Gelant at fullback. Deon Fourie’s inclusion at blindside adds breakdown nuisance value. Neethling Fouché anchors the scrum at tighthead.
Key Matchups
The Bulls’ decisive advantage is up front — an all-Springbok front row against a Stormers pack that was bullied in Durban two weeks ago. Nortje and Wiese give them lineout dominance, and van Staden’s jackal threat at the breakdown could be the difference. But the Stormers’ midfield of Willemse and Nel is the best in the league when both are fit — their combination of power, footwork and distribution is a class above Kriel and Moodie. Feinberg-Mngomezulu vs Pollard at 10 is the marquee battle: youth against experience, flair against game management. The back three is tight, but Gelant’s counter-attacking and Hartzenberg’s finishing give the Stormers the edge out wide.
Match Forecast
The Bulls should edge this at Loftus. Three wins on the bounce — including a 41–12 dismantling of the Sharks and a 52–17 hammering of the Lions — have restored confidence, and the all-Springbok front row gives them a significant set-piece advantage. Pollard’s goalkicking and Nortje’s lineout control will be crucial in a tight derby. The Stormers have lost two straight, conceding 60 points in those defeats, and travelling to the highveld after back-to-back losses is a daunting assignment.
The Stormers’ path to an upset runs through their midfield. Willemse and Nel are the best centre pairing in SA rugby when both are firing, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu has the talent to outplay Pollard if he gets front-foot ball. Gelant’s counter-attacking from deep could exploit any loose Bulls kicking. But the altitude, the hostile Loftus crowd, and a Bulls pack that demolished the Sharks suggest the home side will grind this out. The Stormers won 13–8 in Cape Town in January — expect the Bulls to settle that score.
Bulls to win a tight, physical derby at Loftus — the Stormers’ two-match losing streak extends to three on the highveld.