The Bulls chose the worst possible time to be off-colour and missed a golden opportunity to move to second on the United Rugby Championship log when they lost 35-21 to the Glasgow Warriors at the Scotstoun Stadium on Saturday night.
AS IT HAPPENED | Glasgow Warriors v Bulls
The Bulls were never at the races for the best part of the game and couldn't put together any tangible phases in the Warriors' 22m area.
They were consistently disrupted at the breakdown as Franco Smith's side had their number on the synthetic turf.
The win was the Warriors' second of the season and at home, a result that'll see them go to South Africa to face the Sharks and the Lions with some confidence.
The Bulls, who were third and far from convincing in their opening three games that they won, need to up their game for their visit to Munster next week.
The Bulls were played off the park in the first half, with the hosts accruing a lead they fully deserved and eventually won them the game.
There was an inexplicable passiveness to the Bulls' defence that allowed the Warriors to make extra metres with ball in hand.
This was apparent in the Warriors' first try through Matt Fagerson in the seventh minute when he wormed his way over the tryline after repeated bashes by the hosts.
The Bulls then trailed 14-0 after 11 minutes when lock Walt Steenkamp missed a tackle on Sione Tuipulotu, from where the hosts scored through Sebastian Cancelliere.
The Bulls did hit back in the 19th minute when Bok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse was on the receiving end of a rasping Bulls turnover to score.
That was as good as it got for the visitors in the first half as they weren't allowed any leeway at the breakdowns and mauls by referee Andrew Brace.
The Bulls had numerous 22m entries, but couldn't get their rolling maul going as the hosts, aided by Brace's benevolent officiating, found ways skirting on the edges of the law to successfully disrupt the Bulls set-piece.
This buoyed the hosts, who made metres around the fringes at will and scored through lock Scott Cummings in the 23rd minute.
The Bulls' physicality was matched, but their defence was found wanting when scrumhalf George Horne weaselled his way through the Bulls' defence to score a wonderful individualistic try in the 37th minute.
The Bulls had some small playing respite early in the second half, but couldn't get any forward momentum and rhythm.
They were duly punished for their inability to use the ball effectively when Warriors fullback Josh McKay crossed over in the 47th minute to stretch the Warriors lead to 28 points.
It became clear from this point that the Bulls weren't going to win, but also didn't look like they were positive and physical enough.
There was the funny matter of Warriors scrumhalf Horne and Bulls No 8 Elrigh Louw being yellow-carded for a scuffle that was taken too seriously by the pedantic Brace.
Horne's absence allowed the Bulls to be busier at the breakdown and in the 59th minute, the Bulls scored their second try through replacement hooker Bismarck du Plessis.
The Warriors thought they had a sixth try through Cancelliere in the 75th minute, but it was chalked off after replays showed that former Bulls lock Sintu Manjezi, now playing for the Warriors, interfered with the Bulls' halfback Embrose Papier.
The Bulls did get a third try through replacement lock Janko Swanepoel, but there was too much for them to do.
Scorers:
Glasgow Warriors: 35 (28)
Tries: Matt Fagerson, Sebastian Cancelliere, Scott Cummings, George Horne, Josh McKay
Conversions: Horne (5)
Bulls: 21 (7)
Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Bismarck du Plessis, Janko Swanepoel
Conversions: Chris Smith (2), Morne Steyn