Bulls suffer 10th Super Rugby defeat this season as the Kings run riot at Loftus

A day after their Super Rugby execution, the Southern Kings came to Pretoria and gave SA Rugby the middle finger by ransacking whatever remained of the rancid Loftus Versfeld fortress with a well deserved sixth win of the season.

Having led 22-3 in the first half, it should have been a comfortable win but through Lionel Cronje's 21 points, including a last-minute penalty, consigned the Bulls to a 10th defeat.

The Kings should have made more of their one man advantage when Jason Jenkins was yellow-carded in the 23rd minute for a late and dangerous tackle on Cronje.

While the offence was similar to the one All Black centre Sonny-Bill Williams was sent off for in the second British and Lions test in Wellington, Argentinean match official Federico Anselmi was lenient.

He dished out another one to Wandile Mjekevu five minutes for a similar offence but the Kings scored two tries through Lionel Cronje (26th) and Malcolm Jaer (34th).

Jenkins's brain fade meant the Bulls were denied a beautiful Travis Ismaiel try that contained sleight-of-hand offloads foreign to the Bulls.

With Makazole Mapimpi having scored the game's first try in the 12th minute after burning Ismaiel and Warrick Gelant for pace on the left hand side, te Bulls were taken to the cleaners in the first half.

The Bulls dominated possession and marginally shaded the metres made section but the territory stats belonged to the Kings. All the Bulls had to show for their efforts was Jenkins's 40th minute try.

That try was the catalyst for their fast second half start from where Duncan Matthews wrong footed Jaer to score in the 43rd minute.

The Bulls played more of their rugby in the Kings' half and with the pressure they were applying, forced the visitors into a myriad of mistakes.

The Bulls benefitted from Anselmi's officiating and saw Lubabalo “Giant” Mtyanda yellow-carded in the 65th minute for a ruck infringement.

While Schoeman added second half penalties to help the Bulls inch ahead, Cronje's 66th minute drop goal gave the Kings the lead.

The Bulls finally made their advantage count through Jaco Visagie's 76th try but Cronje's script still had to be completed.

 - TimesLIVE