24 October 2026
The Vodacom Bulls face a major physical test at Loftus Versfeld this afternoon at 13:45 SAST as they brace themselves for a tough encounter against Irish side Ulster. The Bulls will be looking to continue their momentum at home and build on their Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign.
Ulster, on the other hand, travels to South Africa desperate to break a sequence of back-to-back draws against the Glasgow Warriors and Munster. The visitors showed plenty of attacking flair by scoring six tries past Zebre recently. However, the Belfast-based outfit faces a significantly stiffer task dealing with the brutal thin air of the Highveld.
The third-placed Bulls will heavily back themselves in front of an energetic home crowd in Pretoria. Johan Ackermann’s charges have picked up two comprehensive victories and suffered only a narrow defeat against Munster so far in the URC. Motivation is sky-high following a commanding 56-20 demolition of Stade Français in the Investec Champions Cup.
Historical statistics heavily favour the men from Pretoria on their own turf. Head-to-head metrics show the Bulls outscoring Ulster by 126 points to 88 across previous encounters. The defensive structures tell an even more telling story, with the Bulls conceding just 54 points compared to the 93 leaked by the Irishmen.
This commanding statistical cushion combined with the altitude advantage should ignite a dominant display from the local heavyweights. Expect a tactical arm-wrestle upfront before the explosive Bulls backline attempts to run the visitors off their feet. A bruising, tightly contested battle will decide who commands the top tier of the URC table.
Head coach Johan Ackermann has rung the changes, entirely revamping his starting forward pack with eight tactical rotations. Regular captain Marcell Coetzee returns to the starting line-up at openside flank, forcing Elrigh Louw to shift to the number eight jersey. The front row sees a complete overhaul from last week’s win over Stade Français, with Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, and Francois Klopper all promoted from the bench to start.
In contrast, the Bulls' starting backline remains completely unchanged to preserve attacking cohesion. Springbok World Cup winner Handré Pollard headlines the backline at fly-half, partnering with scrum-half Paul de Wet. The pairing is crucial as reigning SA URC Player of the Year Embrose Papier has been sidelined for several weeks following ankle surgery.
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has made four strategic changes to his run-on side following their win over Zebre Parma. Jamie Benson shifts to outside centre, allowing young playmaker Jack Murphy to step into the starting line-up at fly-half. This positional shuffle sees the versatile Mike Lowry deployed on the left wing for the first time since early last year, while Ben Donnell gets the nod to start in the second row.
The visitors are forced into a major backline alteration with Chay Mullins elevated to the right wing. Mullins replaces powerful Ireland international wing Robert Baloucoune, who is entirely ruled out of the clash after picking up a knock last weekend. Despite the injury blow, Murphy has heavily stacked his matchday squad with eight returning Irish national call-ups, opting for an aggressive six-two split on the replacements bench to combat the brutal Highveld altitude.
Rugby pundits unanimously back the Vodacom Bulls to claim a comfortable victory over Ulster at Loftus Versfeld this afternoon. Mainstream analysts and bookmakers have installed the Pretoria franchise as overwhelming favourites, with straight-win odds sitting at a restrictive 1/10. Corporate statistical models assign the South African side an authoritative 80% win probability.
Teams:
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Luan Giliomee, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Cheswill Jooste, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Reinhardt Ludwig, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp. Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Alu Tshakweni, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Curwin Bosch, 23 Dylan Maart.
Ulster Rugby: 15 Jacob Stockdale, 14 Chay Mullins, 13 Jamie Benson, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Michael Lowry, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 David McCann, 5 Cormac Izuchukwu, 4 Ben Donnell, 3 Keynan Knox, 2 Tom Stewart (c), 1 Tom O’Toole. Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Eric O’Sullivan, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 James McNabney, 21 Matthew Devine, 22 Jake Flannery, 23 James McKillop.