However, the match will renew doubts over their scrummaging prowess.
It was initially going well for the Bulls in that set-piece, until Cheetahs coach Franco Smith brought on his two props from the bench – Charles Marais and Maks van Dyk – renewing their strength in that department.
From the latter stages of the first half and throughout a torrid second half, just getting their own scrum ball became a major project for the Bulls and the Cheetahs revelled in the forward platform they suddenly enjoyed. Victory would surely have been their’s if they could have just finished better, with flyhalf Niel Marais also missing a crucial conversion and penalty in the second half.
The Cheetahs backline is an exceptionally dangerous unit as they showed from the kickoff when they set up a penalty for Marais.
But the Bulls defence is also ferocious at home at Loftus Versfeld and they managed to contain the Cheetahs in the first half and cause mistakes and turnovers.
Coach Nollis Marais is keen on using turnover ball to attack and that worked well in the seventh minute, earning an equalising penalty for flyhalf Tian Schoeman.
Six minutes later, Schoeman put a lovely grubber through for wing Travis Ismaiel, who was just not able to cross the line, partly due to a marginally high tackle by Paul Schoeman, for which the eighthman received a yellow card.
The penalty was kicked to touch and the Bulls set up a midfield ruck from the lineout, and from there the Cheetahs were not going to stop giant lock RG Snyman when he came charging through, using his 2.05m reach to dot the ball down for the opening try.
It was all happening for the Bulls as fellow lock Jason Jenkins also charged over from close range for a try, Tian Schoeman’s conversion giving the home side a 15-3 lead.
There were many who would have felt coach Smith acted rashly in changing his props at that stage, but as Marais and Van Dyk took control of the scrums, so the visitors began to prosper.
Wing Sergeal Petersen stole the ball at a ruck as the Bulls scrambled back to gather a chip into their 22 by fullback Clayton Blommetjies, and, after a storming run by Paul Schoeman down the left, the ball made its way back to Petersen on the right and he screamed over in the corner.
