The Lions return to Ellis Park in Johannesburg for Round 4 of the United Rugby Championship, aiming to claim their first home win of the 2025-2026 season against Scarlets. 

Captain Francke Horn leads a settled side, as the South Africans seek to capitalize on home advantage and altitude after two challenging road results.

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Assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher said the Lions focused this week on simulating defensive pressure and improving composure in attack.

“The energy within the camp is good,” Loubscher said. “We can’t wait for Saturday, it’s great to be back home. We know that it’s going to be a tough challenge on the weekend. Scarlets present a different approach defensively, so from an attack point of view, we need to be ready for that.”

Loubscher added that preparation has centered on training sessions designed to mirror the speed and structure expected from the visitors.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said his team is preparing for the Lions’ tempo and physicality.

“The Lions are always a difficult proposition at home,” Peel said. “You are playing at altitude, and it is a place where they look to run teams off their feet. They are also a physical, athletic team, so we will have to manage that.”

Peel added that the Scarlets are focused on bringing the same physical edge that helped them win at Ellis Park last season.

Lions vs. Scarlets Kickoff Time, Lineups

Kickoff is 7:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, South Africa, in Round 4 of the United Rugby Championship.

How To Watch Lions vs. Scarlets

Lions vs. Scarlets streams live in the United States on FloRugby and the FloSports app, with full-match and on-demand coverage available for annual subscribers.

Lions Lineup vs. Scarlets

• Starting 15: Quan Horn, Eduan Keyter, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Angelo Davids, Chris Smith, Nico Steyn, SJ Kotze, Franco Marais, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Etienne Oosthuizen, Darrien Landsberg, JC Pretorius, Ruan Venter, Francke Horn (CAPT)
• Replacements: Morne Brandon, RF Schoeman, Conraad van Vuuren, Reinhard Nothnagel, Jarod Cairns, Layton Horn, Lubabalo Dobela, Kelly Mpeku

Scarlets Lineup vs. Lions

• Starting 15: Ioan Nicholas, Ellis Mee, Macs Page, Johnny Williams (CAPT), Blair Murray, Sam Costelow, Archie Hughes, Alec Hepburn, Marnus van der Merwe, Archer Holz, Harvey Cuckson, Alex Groves, Jarrod Taylor, Dan Davis, Taine Plumtree
• Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Sam O’Connor, Henry Thomas, Dan Gemine, Ben Williams, Dane Blacker, Joe Hawkins, Joe Roberts

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URC Standings 2025: Round 3

1. DHL Stormers (14) – 3-0-0
2. Munster Rugby (14) – 3-0-0
3. Glasgow Warriors (11) – 2-1-0
4. Cardiff Rugby (11) – 2-1-0
5. Ulster Rugby (10) – 2-0-0
6. Vodacom Bulls (10) – 2-1-0
7. Benetton Rugby (9) – 2-1-0
8. Zebre Parma (9) – 2-1-0
9. Connacht Rugby (6) – 1-1-0
10. Leinster Rugby (6) – 1-2-0
11. Ospreys (5) – 1-2-0
12. Edinburgh Rugby (3) – 0-2-0
13. Hollywoodbets Sharks (2) – 0-2-1
14. Dragons RFC (2) – 0-2-1
15. Lions (1) – 0-3-0
16. Scarlets (0) – 0-2-0

Team (Pts.) – W-L-D

URC Results 2025: Round 3

• Munster 20 - 19 Edinburgh
• Scarlets 0 - 34 DHL Stormers
• Benetton 41- 15 Lions
• Ospreys 24 - 0 Zebre Parma
• Glasgow Warriors 49 - 0 Dragons RFC
• Leinster 31 - 5 Hollywoodbets Sharks
• Ulster 28 - 7 Vodacom Bulls
• Cardiff Rugby 14 - 8 Connacht

URC Schedule 2025: Round 4

Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

• Cardiff vs. Dragons RFC — 2:45 PM ET
• Edinburgh vs. Benetton — 2:45 PM
• Connacht vs. Bulls — 2:45 PM ET 

Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025

• Lions vs. Scarlets — 7:45 AM ET
• Sharks vs. Ulster — 10 AM ET
• Leinster vs. Munster — 12:15 PM ET
• Zebre vs. Stormers — 2:45 PM ET
• Ospreys vs. Glasgow Warriors — 2:45 PM ET

How To Watch URC Rugby 2025

Watch URC rugby matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app.

Watch Scarlets vs. Stormers Highlights: URC Round 3

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