The Bulls survived a Welsh scare and pulled clear to win 54-26, leaving a brave Scarlets side to rue how quickly the contest slipped away.
South African rugby kept up its show of strength in the United Rugby Championship as the Bulls beat the Scarlets 54-26 in a frantic, high-tempo contest. It was another reminder of how much weight the African challenge carries in this competition.
The Scarlets arrived with attacking intent and threatened to make life uncomfortable for the hosts. They moved the ball with ambition, backed their skills and asked real questions of the Bulls' defence. For a spell, the Pretoria side had a proper fight on their hands.
But the Bulls have the power and the quality to turn a scare into a statement. Once the game began to open up, the Scarlets faded and the gap grew. The home side punished the Welsh team's lapses and finished with a convincing winning margin.
For the Scarlets, there are positives in how they attacked with ball in hand, but the scoreline shows the problem. Playing good rugby for long stretches counts for little if you can't sustain it for 80 minutes against a side as ruthless as the Bulls.
The Bulls, meanwhile, take a big win and the kind of momentum that keeps South Africa's URC push firmly on track.
