Horn ready for ‘cracker’ as Lions target rare derby win over Bulls

Lions captain Francke Horn believes his side’s season may finally be turning after a stuttering start to their United Rugby Championship campaign, but insists none of their recent progress will matter if they can’t back it up in this weekend’s derby against the Bulls at Loftus.

The Lions return from the international break chasing a third win in a row, after losing their opening three fixtures of the URC season. A convincing 49-31 victory over Ulster before the break injected renewed belief into Ivan van Rooyen’s team, and Horn said the two-week pause offered a crucial chance to reset.

“Obviously, everybody knows the first three games didn’t go our way. But this break came at a very good time for us after a very good win to reassess, regroup, see what we did well and how to exploit the fixtures coming up,” Horn said.

“And the Bulls would have also done the same. I think it’s going to be a massive game this weekend. I know both teams are hungry for the victory, so I don’t expect anything less than a big, physical set-piece battle.”

For Horn, the Lions’ turnaround will only carry weight if they show consistency – something that has often eluded the Johannesburg outfit in recent seasons. He stressed that one strong performance does not rescue a campaign, and that the squad has spoken extensively about maintaining standards throughout the season.

“You don’t win the URC in the first three or four games and you don’t lose it then. There’s that saying that you only win the URC in June and I think that’s quite important,” he said.

“We did win against Ulster but that’s not going to help us or count for anything if we don’t back it up this weekend. So, if you go into the game with that mindset that every single game you need to be at your best, and we as a team need to play to our full potential, then the result looks after itself and every week will look after itself.”

Backing it up will require beating a Bulls side that has dominated recent derby meetings. Victories against their neighbours have been scarce for the Lions, whose last URC triumph at Loftus came two seasons ago. Horn said the squad knows how close they have come to upsetting their rivals since, and scoring provincial bragging rights.

“We did beat them at Loftus two years ago, if I’m correct,” he said.

“But we’ve come very close a few times, especially at Loftus, where we realise we missed one or two opportunities. And it’s about  bragging rights in Gauteng. You get two chances and you want to take both with both hands."

Horn expects no surprises from Johan Ackermann’s side, as they brace for a physically punishing encounter.

“It’s going to be a cracker. I know it’s going to be a big, physical game but I know everyone in the team is up for it. The prep has gone well, I think the mindset is there,” he concluded.

Saturday’s game at Loftus (2pm kick-off) will be followed by a home match against Benetton in the Challenge Cup next weekend for the Lions.