| Home team | Lions |
| Away team | Dragons |
| Venue | Ellis Park |
| Competition | United Rugby Championship |
| Kick off time | 2:30 pm (UK) |
| Watch Live in the UK | Premier Sports |
Lions vs Dragons URC preview as the Welsh side travel to Ellis Park.
The Lions currently sit inside the top eight on 38 points. A win could see them push for the top four, but the chasing pack in eighth and ninth could catch them if they were defeated. Dragons currently sit 15th out of 16 teams and will be looking for a win to try and push themselves away from the bottom two. They sit just two points behind 13th.
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Lions vs Dragons confirmed lineups and team news
Lions (1-15):
Kotze, Botha, Schoeman, Oosthuizen, Nothnagel, Mahashe, Venter, Horn, Steyn, William Smith, Cronje, Mills, van Wyk, Davids, Horn
Replacements (16-23):
Brandon, Davids, Lombard, Delport, Hlekani, Du Plessis, Pead, Kriel,
Dragons (1-15):
Martinez, Coghlan, Coleman, Davies, Carter, Woodman, Young, Wainwright, Armstrong, O’Brien, Dyer, Owen, Inisi, Rosser, Evans
Replacements (16-23):
Dee, Morris, James, Douglas, Keddie, Williams, Lloyd, Paea
Recent Form:
Lions (Home team): W-W-W-L-D
The Lions have won their last three games after the early February break. This will be their fifth home game in a row, having won each of the last three and only losing to the Bulls. In the last round, they picked up a huge 54-17 win over Edinburgh. They led 35-0 at half-time, having scored five converted tries without conceding.
Dragons (Away team): L-D-L-L-W
The Dragons’ only win in the last six games came in the Challenge Cup against Newcastle Red Bulls, who are bottom of the Gallagher Prem. In the last round, they got beaten 29-21 by the Stormers. They fell to an early 14-0 deficit and were never able to get too close. A late converted try brought them back within eight to make the defeat seem reasonable.
Lions vs Dragons head-to-head record (last five matches):
| Date | Competition | Winner | Score |
| 18th January 2025 | Challenge Cup | Lions | 60-10 |
| 13th October 2024 | URC | Lions | 19-23 |
| 2nd December 2023 | URC | Lions | 49-24 |
| 22nd January 2023 | Challenge Cup | Lions | 25-30 |
| 10th December 2022 | Challenge Cup | Draw | 31-31 |
Since the Lions joined European rugby, they haven’t lost to the Dragons, winning six of their seven games against the Welsh opposition. In the Challenge Cup in 2022/23, the sides drew 31-31. In all four of their meetings in South Africa, the Lions have scored more than 30 points, including the 60 they got last season.
How to watch Lions vs Dragons?
Lions vs Dragons will be available to watch on Premier Sports 2. Coverage starts at 2:00 pm for a 2:30 pm kick-off.


