THE BULLS have returned to South Africa on the back of two hard-fought wins in Europe, carrying renewed belief but also burdened with the physical toll of a bruising tour.

Now, as they prepare to face the Lions in another Jukskei derby at Ellis Park, several threads converge into what is shaping up to be a significant United Rugby Championship clash.

1. Thoughts of revenge after the Loftus defeat still lingers

For all the turbulence in the Bulls’ season, one result stands out as particularly damaging: the home loss to the Lions at Loftus Versfeld last December.

That defeat came during a seven-game losing streak and had a sharp impact on the Bulls’ confidence. While losses in the Champions Cup and on overseas tours were seen as part of the challenge, the derby loss at home carried greater weight.

It also saw the Lions move ahead of the Bulls on the URC table, adding to the pressure on a side that had expected more after finishing as finalists last season. With the second leg of the Jukskei derby now set for Ellis Park, the Bulls have a chance to respond directly to that setback.

2. Battered bodies, but improved injury news

The Bulls arrive home “battered and bruised” after physical contests in France and Scotland, but the injury picture has improved ahead of the Lions clash.

Several Springboks who stayed behind to recover during the tour are now available. Hooker Akker van der Merwe is expected to be over a neck spasm, loose forward Elrigh Louw has recovered from a buttock muscle injury, and centre or wing Canan Moodie has completed his concussion stand-down period. Utility forward Cobus Wiese is also set to return after paternity leave.

Prop Gerhard Steenekamp remains touch-and-go as he continues to nurse a thumb injury.

Moodie’s availability is especially timely after the Bulls lost two backs to concussion against Edinburgh. Coach Johan Ackermann said: “Cheswill and Sebastian picked up head knocks. There will be a compulsory stand-down, so they won’t be available for the Lions game.”

Long-term absentees Jan Serfontein, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and Cameron Hanekom are only expected back for the return match against the Sharks on February 28, when the URC resumes after the Six Nations break.

3. What two wins in Europe actually changed

The Bulls’ victories over Pau in the Champions Cup and Edinburgh in the URC ended a seven-game losing streak and helped stabilise a difficult season.

The wins were not polished performances, but they showed resilience and an ability to stay in the fight under pressure. In Edinburgh, the Bulls had to recover from a difficult first half before producing a more controlled second-half display.

Bulls Coach Johan Ackermann said that a time of recovery is important for the team right now: “There are a lot of sore bodies, a lot of cuts, bruises, and stitches. That artificial surface (at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium) took its toll, so recovery is massive for us now.”

All in all, what is clear is that the Bulls believe they have turned a corner, even if they are not yet claiming a complete revival.

4. Ackermann’s demand for consistency

Despite the improved results, Ackermann has repeatedly stressed that consistency remains the biggest challenge.

The Bulls created opportunities in the second half against Edinburgh but failed to convert many of them, a theme that has followed them throughout the season.

“We all strive for that perfect game where you finish every 22m entry, so that is a big work-on,” Ackermann said.

He added:  “I think the first positive is that we made Edinburgh work hard in that first half. Even though we made some silly errors and gave them opportunities, we really made them work. And then in the second half, we got what we needed.”

Ackermann pointed to composure as the key difference, while warning against dramatic swings in performance levels.

“You seldom will have all the momentum or control the game for 80 minutes. But we can’t have those fluctuations, those massive highs and massive lows. It will help if we can get more consistency in our 80 minutes overall and drop our error rate.”

5. Why this game matters before the Six Nations break

This derby comes just before the URC pauses for the Six Nations, increasing its significance for both momentum and confidence.

Ackermann praised the way his players adapted at the breakdown in the second half against Edinburgh after struggling early on.

“They’re tough at the breakdown. They contest every breakdown, so we had to clean that up and make sure we got our ball because they obviously slow your ball down. Everything that we spoke about, the players really executed in the second half.”

He also emphasised belief and composure under pressure.

“Credit to the players. We spoke about it earlier – there was no panic. There was a massive belief that we could turn it around.”

With the Lions awaiting, Ackermann is clear about the challenge ahead.

“We must just go in and embrace the challenge,” he said. “They were very good when they beat us at Loftus. It’s a massive challenge for us to now go to Ellis Park and see if we can get a result. We have to recover from our trip and make sure we are refreshed for what will be a highly physical battle.”