Lions brace for breakdown battle: Can turnover kings snuff out the Bulls?

With the expertise of JC Pretorius still some weeks away, Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen will once again rely on a plucky crew of players to defend the breakdown this weekend against the Bulls.

With conditions expected to be conducive to running rugby on Saturday at Ellis Park (2.30pm kick-off), the ruck could be the match-defining department during the Jukskei derby. The Lions do not have an outright jackler at the moment in the vein of Pretorius, who it is hoped will be back at the end of February, but that has not stopped the Lions from conceding the second-fewest turnovers in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this season.

They have also won 56 turnovers at the breakdown, the most of any of the South African franchises, according to the URC’s statistics. Lock Etienne Oosthuizen has led the Lions in this department, winning seven turnovers thus far.

Van Rooyen, however, will be looking for a team effort this weekend to attack and defend that point of contact. It will be especially important as the Lions come up against a Bulls unit that could include Marcell Coetzee, Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Elrigh Louw, and Jeandré Rudolph, who is leading the turnover stats for the competition so far in 2025/26.

“Our attacking breakdown has been functioning well and we haven't conceded too many turnovers,” Van Rooyen said, earlier this week.

“While saying that, though, we know Marcell, Grobbies, and Jan-Hendrik — they are all tough on the ball. If our attacking breakdown stays effective, we eliminate those players.

"It’s such an effective counter-attacking opportunity because you can attack an unstructured defence. With the Bulls speed out wide, I think they will target the breakdown and move the ball to that speed outside ... They have shown some pictures that we think we can also exploit.”

“Between Jarod (Cairns) and Renzo (du Plessis),” Van Rooyen added, “we have been doing a great job (at the breakdowns). We tend to have quite a number of guys going to the ball as well.”

Those "pictures" might refer to Willie le Roux. Although the Springbok fullback has a wealth of experience, he has been guilty of isolating himself in matches. As such, he has been poached the second-most often, with 15 turnovers lost during this campaign thus far.

In the scramble for the ball at the breakdown, the strength of Henco van Wyk and Bronson Mills in the Lions' midfield will be critical. Van Wyk, in particular, will need to make further improvements in his game to help the Lions snuff out a Bulls team still smarting from a November defeat to their southern neighbours.

“His frustration currently is that he gets going and then he gets one or two niggles and then he has to restart," van Rooyen said of Van Wyk.

"He has worked hard to come back ready. He is looking sharp and fit.

"He had a great tester on Saturday (against the Ospreys), and the next three matches against the South African conference will give him an opportunity to show what he’s got,” Van Rooyen concluded.