Bulls vs Ulster URC preview: Lineups and predictions

Home team	Bulls
Away team	Ulster
Venue	Loftus Versfeld
Competition	URC
Kick-off time	12:45 (UK) 1:45 (SA)
Watch Live in the UK	Premier Sports

Bulls vs Ulster URC preview as the sides meet in round four of the URC in Loftus Versfeld. The Bulls have won two of their three matches so far this season and sit on 11 points. Ulster are sitting on eight points after three games and are still waiting on their first win but have drawn three games so far. 

Read more match previews here

Bulls vs Ulster confirmed lineups

Bulls			Ulster
Forwards
Steenekamp		1		O’Toole
Grobelaar		2		Stewart
Klopper		3		Knox
Vermaak		4		Donnell
Ludwig		5		Izuchukwu
Coetzee		6		McCann
Liebenberg		7		Timoney
Louw		8		Augustus
Backs
de Wet		9		Doak
Pollard		10		Murphy
Jooste		11		Lowry
Vorster		12		McCloskey
Xamlashe		13		Benson
de Klerk		14		Mullins
Giliomee		15		Stockdale
Replacements
van Staden		16		Walker
Tshakweni		17		O’Sullivan
Mchunu		18		Wilson
C Wiese		19		Snyman
Hanekom		20		McNabney
Burger		21		Devine
Bosch		22		Flannery
Maart		23		McKillop

Recent Form:

Bulls (Home team): 

Result	Date	Competition	Opponent	Score
Won	17th October 2026	Champions Cup	Stade Francais	56-20
Won	10th October 2026	URC	Lions	57-15
Loss	3rd October 2026	URC	Munster	26-22
Won	26th September 2026	URC	Zebre	13-47
Loss	15th August 2026	Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry	All Blacks	19-50

The Bulls have had a strong start to the season after a loss in the URC final at the end of last year. Their only defeat was narrowly away to Munster. In the Champions Cup, they welcomed Stade Francais and dominated scoring eight tries, conceding two. At it’s closest the game was at 28-20 with just over 20 minutes to go. The Bulls would score four more tries late on.  

Ulster (Away team): 

Result	Date	Competition	Opponent	Score
Won	17th October 2026	Challenge Cup	Zebre	21-40
Draw	10th October 2026	URC	Munster	26-26
Draw	3rd October 2026	URC	Glasgow	33-33
Loss	25th September 2026	URC	Edinburgh	29-34
Loss	22nd May 2026	Challenge Cup final	Montpellier	59-26

Ulster picked up their first win of the season against Zebre in the Challenge Cup, but are still waiting on their first URC victory of the year. A great first half against Zebre saw the visiting side take a 19-0 lead into halftime. Both teams would score three second-half tries for Ulster to win comfortably. 

Bulls vs Ulster head-to-head record (last five matches):

Date	Competition	Winner	Score
11th October 2025	URC	Ulster	28-7
5th October 2024	URC	Bulls	47-21
29th October 2023	URC	Ulster	26-19
25th March 2023	URC	Ulster	32-23
2nd April 2022	URC	Bulls	34-16

The home team has won each of the meetings between these teams since South African sides joined the URC. 

Predictions

• Bulls to win
• Both teams to score 3+ tries
• Bulls to come back and win in the final 25 minutes