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Cape Town - When the Bulls were battered by the Brumbies in Canberra on Friday they saw a seven-match undefeated streak come to an end.
The Bulls had not lost since the opening weekend of Super Rugby when they were downed by the Stormers in Cape Town, but Friday's 23-6 defeat has brought them crashing back down to earth.
The Brumbies bossed the game from start to finish, and in the end the scoreline was perhaps a little flattering to the visitors.
The result also means that the Bulls have let the Sharks gain some valuable ground as the race for playoff places intensifies.
With one more match - a clash against the Waratahs on Saturday - of their Australian tour remaining, the Bulls will need to be vastly improved if they are to come back to Pretoria with any more points in the bag.
For coach Nollis Marais, a largely successful season up until now was somewhat tainted by the Brumbies performance.
"It’s difficult playing away from home, especially playing here," Marais offered.
"It’s the second loss for the year but it feels like we’ve lost eight in a row now after tonight.
"We’ll have to bounce back next weekend and make sure that we’re better prepared against the Waratahs."
Captain Adriaan Strauss agreed, and he praised the Brumbies for their clinical display on Friday.
"I think we were under a lot of pressure. We made a lot of tackles. I think we did quite well in that area … we didn’t miss as many tackles as the scoreboard may suggest," he said.
"They used their opportunities quite well and kept us under pressure, even in their own half. I think they controlled the game, especially in the second half. They were very good."
