Reigning Super 14 champions the Bulls put on a second-half display of total rugby as they embarrassed the Cheetahs 60-20 in their final match of this year's competition in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Bulls will not be defending their title because of their poor start to the competition but they showed they have the potential to rumble with the best of them as they ran in eight tries with Springbok wings Bryan Habana and Akona Ndungane scoring two each.
The Cheetahs made the better start and raced into a 10-3 lead by the 23rd minute courtesy of two tries by centre JW Jonker.
The Bulls had a lame response to the early onslaught as they could only manage three points thanks to the boot of first five-eighths Morne Steyn.
In the 25th minute, Ndungane was on the end of Bakkies Botha's pass after the bulky lock had peeled off to the blindside from a ruck and passed to Ndungane, who ambled over to register the Bulls' first try.
At the half-hour mark Springbok and Bulls No.8 Pierre Spies powered his way over the line after making a break from the base of a Bulls scrum five metres from the line.
The Bulls hauled themselves to within a point of the Cheetahs when Steyn struck a dropped goal from 40 metres out.
In the second half the Bulls ran riot while the Cheetahs could only try and contain a side gaining confidence by the try.
In the 42nd minute Habana grabbed the first of his brace as he collected a pass from full-back Zane Kirchner, jinked past Cheetahs fullback Bevan Fortuin and sprinted to score under the posts.
In between Habana's tries, with the second coming in the 76th minute, Bulls prop Werner Kruger scored from a driving maul and Ndungane grabbed his second try from an interception.
Steyn also scored a try to collect a full house of points with a penalty goal, a dropped goal, seven conversions and a try.
Habana then grabbed his second try after Ndungane had taken an inside pass from Steyn and threw a long pass to Habana, who outstripped the Cheetahs defence with his pace.
Scorers: Bulls 60
Tries: Habana 2, Ndungane 2, Kruger, Spies, Steyn, Kirchner
Con: Steyn 7
Pen: Steyn
Dropped goal: Steyn
Cheetahs 20
Tries: Jonker 2, Nokwe
Con:De Bruyn
Pen: De Bruyn