Eight From Nine

Home advantage is a phrase that does a lot of lazy work in rugby. At Ellis Park in 2025/26 it meant something measurable: eight wins from nine, 336 points scored and 209 conceded, and two heavy defeats for Scottish opposition.

GLASGOW WARRIORS 54-12. The Warriors had won the Shield in their region in four of the previous five seasons and reached the URC semi-finals. At Ellis Park they were beaten by 42 points.

EDINBURGH 54-17. A second Scottish visitor, a second scoreline in the fifties. Two matches, 108 points, and a message to the rest of the competition about what a trip to Doornfontein now cost.

THE SHARKS 34-22. The rescheduled Round 8 derby, played on 21 February 2026, delivered with a bonus point and kept the Shield within reach going into the final derby weekend.

THE STORMERS 24-10. The one that mattered most. Two tries inside twenty minutes, a 14-0 lead, and the South African Shield secured for the first time.

ULSTER AND CONNACHT. Both beaten in Johannesburg, both contributing to a home return that no side in the competition bettered by much.

Altitude gets the credit and deserves some of it. But altitude has been at Ellis Park for a century and the Lions have not won eight from nine every year. What changed was a squad that treated home matches as non-negotiable and a crowd that was given a reason to believe it before kick-off rather than after.