Budowlani Lublin vs Budowlani Lodz

For the first ten minutes, the scoreboard remained untouched. Then the dam broke.

Budowlani Łódź opened the scoring in the 15th minute after driving Lublin's scrum backwards, allowing Adri Kermis to touch down. Xander Kruger converted for a 7-0 lead. Eight minutes later, Ashwin Swarts carved through the home defence for another try, Kruger again accurate — 14-0.

The floodgates opened fully before half-time. Filip Soszka crossed in the 30th minute (21-0), Kermis added his second (28-0), and then snatched his third — and his side's fifth — just before the interval. Kruger converted all five, and Łódź led 35-0 at the break.

The second half followed the same script. Swarts scored within the opening minute of the restart, collecting a pass from Makary Madej to race in untouched. Kermis completed his quartet of tries in the 49th minute after pouncing on a clever kick from player-coach Theuns Kotze. Kruger converted both — 49-0.

Tymoteusz Draniewicz, introduced from the bench, scored his first of the season before Swarts added another. Michał Łaszcz sprinted 60 metres to touch down in the 72nd minute after a turnover, Kruger converting to make it 70-0. Swarts added his fourth try late on — the one conversion Kruger missed — and Sylvester Hassien rounded off the scoring in stoppage time.

The match turned in the 15th minute when Łódź overpowered Lublin's pack at a scrum five metres out. Kermis' opening try — the simplest of finishes after a dominant push — exposed a physical mismatch that only widened as the game progressed. Lublin never recovered and were chasing shadows for the remaining 65 minutes.

Adri Kermis — four tries and a relentless carrying display. His strength close to the line proved unstoppable, particularly in the first half when he scored three times.

Ashwin Swarts — also crossed four times, showcasing pace and footwork that Lublin's defence simply could not handle.

Xander Kruger — a perfect 11 from 12 conversion attempts in difficult conditions, contributing 22 points to go with his game management at fly-half.

Player of the match: Adri Kermis. Four tries from close range set the tone and broke Lublin's resistance inside the first 40 minutes.

The 12-try haul tells the story of total dominance, but the 35-0 half-time scoreline is particularly revealing: Łódź scored five tries in the final 20 minutes of the first half alone, exposing a collapse in Lublin's defensive organisation after the initial scrum score. Kruger's 91.7% conversion rate (11/12) ensured maximum punishment — a clinical edge Lublin could not match in any phase. Lublin failed to register a single point across their first competitive outing of the season, having had their round-one fixture postponed.

Budowlani Łódź go to 10 points from two matches (both bonus-point wins), maintaining their perfect start to the 2026/27 Ekstraliga campaign after beating Juvenia Kraków 32-14 in round one. Lublin sit bottom of the table having not yet played a full match — their round-one fixture against Arka Gdynia was postponed.

Łódź host RC Lechia Gdańsk next on 5 September. Lublin travel to Juvenia Kraków on the same weekend, needing a response after this humbling start.

A mismatch in every department. Łódź's power up front and finishing out wide were at different levels to a Lublin side missing match sharpness and, after the first scrum score, belief. The margin flattered nobody — it accurately reflected the gap between these two sides on the day.