The Bulls put on a masterclass at fortress Loftus on Saturday, systematically dismantling the Lions 57-15 in a Jukskei derby that turned into a one-sided thrashing long before the final whistle.

Cameron Hanekom produced a man-of-the-match performance, the big but agile loose forward scoring a brilliant brace whilst dominating the collision areas and breakdown in equal measure. His combination of power and pace epitomised the Bulls’ total superiority as they ran in eight tries to the Lions’ two.

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The capital city outfit’s tactical approach proved devastatingly effective, little grubber kicks in behind the Lions’ defensive line created chaos, whilst their patience in the red zone was rewarded time and again. The Bulls’ massive forwards pulled the visitors narrow before releasing their backs into acres of space, a simple but brutally efficient game plan that the Lions had no answer for.

Harold Vorster opened the scoring with a moment of individual brilliance in the 10th minute, chipping the onrushing defender after Paul de Wet spotted space on the blind side, collecting his own kick to dot down for an unconverted try and a 5-0 lead.

The Lions briefly hit back when Siba Qoma crashed over from a well-worked lineout move in the 17th minute, Chris Smith’s conversion giving the visitors a 7-5 advantage that would prove their only lead of the afternoon.

Bulls seize control before half time

The home side’s response was emphatic. Johan Grobbelaar barged over in the 26th minute after Canan Moodie’s devastating break down the right wing, with the Lions’ woes compounded when Morne van den Berg was yellow-carded for a deliberate slap-down in the build-up. The conversion made it 12-7.

Three minutes later came the first Hanekom special. Sebastian de Klerk sliced through midfield and found the rampaging loose forward, who cantered home unopposed for a converted try that stretched the lead to 19-7.

Smith clawed back three points with a penalty to make it 19-10 in the 32nd minute, but any hopes of a Lions fightback were extinguished just three minutes later when Hanekom produced his second moment of magic.

The big number eight found space and handed off the onrushing Kriel like he wasn’t even there, powering to the line for an unconverted try that pushed the Bulls clear at 24-10.

Jeandre Rudolph added another on the stroke of half-time, the Bulls capitalising on wave after wave of attacks that the Lions simply couldn’t repel. The conversion sent the home side into the sheds with a commanding 31-10 lead.

Second half Procession seals comprehensive victory

The second half began as the first had ended, with the Bulls in total control. Moodie crossed in the corner in the 44th minute after the home side went wide from a maul, making it 36-10.

The Lions managed a consolation try through Morne Brandon’s maul effort in the 50th minute, but it merely delayed the inevitable.

Things got spicy around the 56th-minute mark as tempers flared at Loftus, with the referee forced to separate players. The Bulls were pinged for backchat and received a team warning, but it did nothing to stem their dominance.

Lock JF van Heerden crashed over in the 68th minute to make it 43-15, though the Bulls had a try chalked off moments earlier for obstruction in the lineout when Cheswill Jooste was found with a cross kick from Handré Pollard.

Jooste wouldn’t be denied for long. In the 73rd minute, Vorster’s kick in behind found the winger, whose pace did the rest for a converted try that pushed the score to 50-15.

The Bulls added one more before the final whistle to bring up their half-century and more, finishing on 57 points in a performance that underlined their credentials as genuine title contenders.

The Jukskei derby belongs emphatically to the Bulls.

Hanekom’s performance will grab the headlines, but this was a complete team effort.

The Lions limped away licking their wounds. The Bulls march on, looking every inch like contenders.