The Bulls head to Rodney Parade this Friday night for a high-stakes United Rugby Championship (URC) encounter against the Dragons. While the Pretoria-based side enters the match as favorites, the pressure is on to secure a victory and solidify their standing in the race for a top-eight finish.
Despite a perfect four-from-four record against the Newport side in previous URC meetings, the Bulls are taking nothing for granted. The Dragons arrive with momentum, fresh off two vital away wins in the EPCR Challenge Cup playoffs, proving they are a dangerous prospect on their home turf.
The Objective: Victory at All Costs
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has been blunt about the team’s mission in Wales. For the men from Pretoria, clinical execution is more important than flair as the season reaches its business end.
“The reality is we have to win, and we know it,” Ackermann stated. “I don’t even care about the bonus point… we just need to win.”
While the Bulls have been statistically superior on attack this season, their defensive stats are only marginally better than the Dragons’. This suggests a high-scoring, thrilling encounter could be on the cards if both teams decide to run the ball.
Match Information
- Fixture: Dragons vs. Bulls
- Date: Friday, 17 April 2026
- Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport
- SA Time: 20:45
- Referee: Sam Grove-White
- TV: SuperSport
Starting Lineups
BULLS: 15 Devon Williams, 14 David Kriel, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp. Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Willie le Roux, 23 Sergeal Petersen.
DRAGONS: 15 Cai Evans, 14 Jared Rosser, 13 Fine Inisi, 12 Fetuli Paea, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Niall Armstrong, 8 Harrison Keddie (c), 7 Harry Beddall, 6 Ryan Woodman, 5 Seb Davies, 4 Levi Douglas, 3 Chris Coleman, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Wyn Jones. Replacements: 16 Oli Burrows, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Matthew Screech, 20 Thomas Young, 21 Morgan Lloyd, 22 Harri Ackerman, 23 Huw Anderson.
