Bulls blast out Brumbies

Jacques Potgieter: try wrapped up the Bulls' win

Akona Ndungane: first-half try for the Bulls

The Bulls knocked the Brumbies out of Super Rugby and booked their own place in the play-offs after beating the Lions 37-20 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

The victory was the Bulls' ninth consecutive win over the Lions since 2005 and keeps the Lions winless at Loftus since 2002.

Wings Akona Ndungane and Bjorn Basson scored first-half tries for the Bulls while scrum-half Michael Bondesio and No 8 Josh Strauss dotted down for the Lions, with fly-half Elton Jantjies converting both and kicking two penalties.

But the Bulls were more clinical after half-time and tries by scrum-half Francois Hougaard and flank Jacques Potgieter within eight minutes of the re-start gave the home team a decisive 34-20 advantage.

The result means the Bulls will finish the regular Super Rugby season in fifth place and they will travel to Christchurch to play the Crusaders in the play-offs.

The three-time title holders entered the final league-phase match in the southern hemisphere championship lying eighth, but the bonus-point win lifted them above Coastal Sharks, ACT Brumbies and Wellington Hurricanes.

Title-holders Queensland Reds of Australia host the South African Sharks in the other play-off.

Table-toppers Western Stormers of South Africa and runners-up Waikato Chiefs of New Zealand receive byes into the semi-finals and will enjoy home advantage in Cape Town and Hamilton respectively.

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