Marcell Coetzee says back-to-back tour wins have boosted Vodacom Bulls belief as they seek revenge at Ellis Park for their loss to the Lions at Loftus.

The Bulls arrive in Joburg having defeated Pau in the Investec Champions Cup, to end a seven-match losing streak, and Edinburgh in the Vodacom URC.

The latter lifted them to ninth on the URC log, four points adrift of the seventh-placed Lions, who remain firmly in contention for a first-ever playoff appearance.

“The two wins were really awesome for the group’s morale,” Coetzee said on Tuesday. “The confidence is very high and the guys are just happy. We had to get back into that winning habit.

“Our defence really took a massive step up on tour. We managed to rectify the previous games’ mistakes, those soft moments that really cost us.

“We’ve got a tough derby waiting for us now at Ellis Park, so it doesn’t get any easier. The main focus now for the group is just to recover from the tour and then we’ll put all our energy into a quality Lions side this weekend.”

The Springbok loose forward says a South African derby is “like a reset button” in that recent results don’t matter much. However, the Bulls have clearly not forgotten their 43-33 defeat to the Lions at Loftus in November.

“It’s about which team pitches up on the day and uses the opportunity. But they had our number the previous game and it’s something we’re looking to rectify.”

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Coetzee says the Lions have “grown immensely” over the past few seasons.

“They’re a tight group and you can see how mature they are in the way they approach things and situations on the pitch.

“It’s going to have to be a full 80-minute performance [for the Bulls to beat them]. Starters and bench, it has to be buy-in from everyone. Especially against a side like the Lions, because they will punish you.

“For our campaign’s sake, it’s a must win,” he added.

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Photo: Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images