Veteran Bulls fullback Willie le Roux confident before URC derby clash with Lions

With all his experience and years of being the creative spark for the Springboks, Willie le Roux is a fine judge of the attacking abilities of backlines, and he rates the current Bulls backs as a very good outfit.

The United Rugby Championship (URC) returns this weekend after the Autumn Series of internationals, and the Bulls will host the Lions at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday in a mouthwatering South African derby that is only marginally less enticing than the top-of-the-log clash that follows in Limerick, where the Stormers take on Munster in a battle of the only two unbeaten sides remaining in the competition.

The Gauteng derby is a clash between numbers six and eight on the log, with the Bulls eager to re-establish themselves among the top handful of sides and the Lions hoping to hang on to the playoff spot that has so far eluded them in every URC season.

The Lions are known for trying to play a quick attacking game, helped by the coaching smarts of a great former Springbok in Jaque Fourie, who has one of the sharpest rugby brains.

But the Bulls, especially at Loftus, are also a dangerous attacking side.

Their backline is hugely dynamic, with multiple threats willing to attack from deep and especially in the broken-field situations generated by their kicking game.

It all adds up to a spicy clash, and Le Roux said he hoped the Bulls’ backline would get the quick ball they need to properly show their finishing ability.

The Springbok Centurion will again wear the No 15 jersey, with the exciting Sebastian de Klerk and the powerful Stravino Jacobs lining up alongside him in the back three.

Jan Serfontein and David Kriel are a quality centre pairing, while Embrose Papier has been one of the most consistent scrumhalves in the URC for several seasons, and Keagan Johannes is showing promising signs at flyhalf.

“We like to attack with the ball and play entertaining rugby. You just need to give our backline quick ball, and then they can make the magic happen.

“I’m excited for the weekend and what the players around me can show against the Lions,” Le Roux said.

“We’ve had three weeks of good preparation during the international break, working on things we let slip, such as our defence — we’ve leaked a few tries — and also playing in the right areas.

“Johan Ackermann has brought another dimension as coach, and we have had good results, but South African derbies are always different.”

While the Lions are only missing scrumhalf Morne van den Berg and prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, the Bulls have a host of Springboks unavailable.

Though those players will be back on an aeroplane to South Africa early next week, Ackermann said it was not certain they will be able to play next Saturday either, when his team hosts current champions Bordeaux-Bègles in the opening round of the Champions Cup.

“Hopefully this team that plays the Lions can put their hands up, and then we can get some continuity going, because we don’t know who will be available next week. We can only work with the players we’ve got.

“As a former Lions coach, I’ve been on that side, and I know they believe they can come to Loftus and win. They played well before the break, winning their past two games at home, so we must be ready.

“We have to make sure we match them physically because they always come with physicality,” Ackermann said.