The inconsistent Bulls surprised the Canterbury Crusaders 35-20 and jumped off the bottom of the Super 12 standings into the semifinals race on Saturday.
The Stormers held off the Queensland Reds 15-13 in Cape Town, and helped console South African fans after their two other franchises lost in New Zealand; the Cats to the Auckland Blues 23-6, the Sharks to the Waikato Chiefs 40-5.
In today's last match of the seventh round, the leading New South Wales Waratahs visit the third-place Wellington Hurricanes in New Zealand's capital.
PHOTO: EPA
The Waratahs have 25 points, Otago 23, Wellington 21, and Canterbury 20. Saturday winners Auckland, the Stormers and the Bulls filled places 6 to 8.
The Bulls have frustrated supporters by losing to the one-win Cats, and beating Wellington on the road, but made their intentions clear to Canterbury within two minutes, when prop Richard Bands banged heads with Crusaders captain Richie McCaw, who was stretchered off Loftus Versfeld with suspected concussion.
Canterbury gave New South Wales its first loss of the competition the previous weekend, and moved on to Pretoria's altitude with high confidence, but the four-time champion was brought to earth by the Bulls, whose defense conceded only a penalty in the second half.
Springbok center Bryan Habana, on the left wing, scored two tries in seven minutes and by halftime the Bulls led 21-17 over Canterbury, which stayed in touch through Daniel Carter's boot.
After halftime, the Bulls took advantage of some loose play by the Crusaders, and right wing Akona Ndungane finished a move started by center Etienne Botha from inside his 22. Botha then dotted down in the 63rd for the bonus fourth try which sealed the upset. Both tries were converted by flyhalf Morne Steyn in his debut start -- he kicked 15 points.
"The forwards and backs put their bodies on the line and we finally played as we practiced the whole week," Bulls captain Anton Leonard said.
At Cape Town, Stormers flanker Luke Watson scored from a rolling maul off their dominant lineout for 15-6 over Queensland after 50 minutes, but the defense became complacent.
Queensland finally broke through a minute from time, when replacement hooker Sean Hardman went over through the middle of a lineout to give the Reds a bonus point for its narrow loss.
The point lifted the Reds just above the Cats and Sharks at the bottom of the standings.
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