Pretoria - The Bulls notched up their second half-century in two matches when they beat the Brumbies 50-32 after a slow start to their Super 14 encounter at Loftus on Saturday.

With the Bulls pack taking matters into their own hands after the break when they trailed 21-20, the Brumbies' early efforts that threatened to derail the Bulls came to naught. Man of the Match Morne Steyn scored 35 points including two tries. The Bulls scored five tries to three and after two matches have a full house of 10 log points.

The first half scoring sequence see-sawed from the very first kick-off when the Bulls were penalised for obstruction for Stirling Mortlock to slot the penalty from right in front, but the visitors somehow kept their noses in front until the 33rd minute.

The early minutes were marked by aggressive tackling from the visitors that didn't allow the Bulls much leeway. The Brumbies also scrummed well initially, but despite one or two turnovers at the breakdowns the possession stakes went to the Bulls.

The first two tries nevertheless went to the Brumbies who took the lead in the 15th minute after a storming run from Rocky Elsom that took the score to 8-3 after Steyn had earlier evened matters.

The Brumbies exploited an elaborate Bulls set move gone wrong in their own half. George Smith rounded off after Elsom had stolen the dropped ball and fellow-loosie Stephen Hoiles had switched his pass cleverly.

At 15-6 matters looked gloomy for the Bulls who couldn't get into their full stride because of the close Brumbies attention. But Fourie du Preez got on the board when the Bulls opted for a line penalty from where they drove well to set Du Preez loose on the blindside.

With the conversion good, the Bulls were only 13-15 behind and then 13-18 after another Mortlock penalty.

Again the ruck - or rather, a series of rucks - came to the Bulls' rescue.

With Francois Hougaard and Flip van der Merwe prominent, Morne Steyn virtually strolled through under the posts for a converted try. After 33 minutes, the Bulls were ahead for the first time (20-18).

Another penalty to the Brumbies, after a good build-up, was slotted from touch by Mortlock, and the Brumbies went into the break at 21-20.

The Bulls' driving tactics paid off increasingly in the second half and they controlled possession and also territory, but not before Matt Giteau had dropped a goal from just short of 50 metres on the angle and Mortlock had stretched the halftime lead to 27-20 11 minutes later.

The Bulls pressure really started taking its toll, and Steyn pulled back a penalty.

Then, from a Bulls lineout, ironically won by the Brumbies, a handling lapse by Giteau saw Gerhard van den Heever collect and run 30 metres to score under the posts (30-27 to the Bulls).

Next, from a scrum in centre field an inside the Brumbies 22, Wynand Olivier ran a good angle from a Steyn pass. With the latter converting the Bulls had scored 17 points in ten minutes to lead 37-27.

Olivier's try also brought the try bonus point in the 61st minute.

Six minutes later Steyn added to the Brumbies agony with another penalty (40-27) and rubbed it in with one more six minutes later. (43-27).

Then, with four minutes remaining, a good run by Van den Heever brought the ball back and Steyn broke through for his second try and conversion giving him a total of 35 points in the match.

Pam McCabe got a consolation try for the Brumbies after the hooter.

Scorers: Bulls: Tries: Fourie du Preez, Morne Steyn (2), Gerhard van den Heever, Wynand Olivier. Conversions: Steyn (5). Penalties: Steyn (5).

Brumbies: Tries: Rocky Elsom, George Smith, Pat McCabe. Conversions: Stirling Mortlock. Penalties: Mortlock (4). Drop kick: Giteau.