Bulls hammer the champions

Johannesburg - The Bulls scored eight tries in a rampant 61-8 win over Queensland Reds in rugby's Super 15 on Saturday, sending the injury-hit defending champions to consecutive losses in South Africa.

Fullback Zane Kirchner crossed in the first half and the Bulls added another seven tries in the second in a dominant performance at Loftus Versfeld. Springboks flyhalf Morne Steyn had 19 points in a faultless goalkicking display.

Queensland grabbed a consolation try through winger Dom Shipperley but the 2011 winners from Australia were completely overpowered in Pretoria to slip to 3-2. Queensland hasn't won at Loftus since 2001.

The bonus-point win moves the Bulls provisionally to the top of the South Africa conference.Pretoria - The Vodacom Bulls scored seven second-half tries as they hammered the Reds 61-8 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

Scorers:

Vodacom Bulls

Tries: Zane Kirchner, Wynand Olivier, Flip van der Merwe, Jacques Potgieter, Jano Vermaak, CJ Stander, JJ Engelbrecht, Bjorn Basson
Conversions: Morne Steyn (5), Louis Fouche
Penalties: Steyn (3)

Reds

Try: Don Shipperley
Penalty: Jonathan Lance.