Bulls halfback Francois Hougaard snatched a stoppage-time try to give the titleholders a 32-21 bonus-point triumph over the Cheetahs in a rousing Super Rugby clash on Saturday.

A fourth consecutive victory lifted the Pretoria franchise one position to seventh, one point behind the NSW Waratahs, who visit Loftus Versfeld next weekend.

The top six finishers next month after the league phase of the southern hemisphere rugby union championship qualify for the play-offs with the Bulls chasing a fourth title in five seasons.

Defeat signalled the end of a four-match Cheetahs winning streak, but the injury-hit Bloemfontein team played their part in a typically physical and pulsating South African derby.

Success for the Bulls completed a great South African weekend with the Lions winning in New Zealand, the Western Stormers victorious in Australia and the Sharks overcoming the Waratahs in Durban.

The Bulls started with the same fiery spirit that produced recent victories over the Chiefs, Melbourne Rebels and Sharks and they were ahead within three minutes when left wing Bjorn Basson went over in the corner.

After securing ruck possession, flyhalf Morne Steyn and fullback Zane Kirchner handled slickly to create space and Springboks World Cup hopeful Basson eluded fullback Riaan Viljoen for his eighth try this season.

Steyn atoned for a rare poor conversion attempt that finished well left of the target by kicking two penalties to give the Bulls a 11-0 halftime lead while rival flyhalf Sias Ebersohn missed two shots at goal, one a sitter.

A better Cheetahs showing early in the second half was rewarded on 51 minutes when livewire flank Ashley Johnson dotted down in the corner and Ebersohn converted.

The Bulls quickly regained the initiative and replacement forward Danie Rossouw dotted down twice as they surged to a 25-7 advantage. He broke the line and charged over for the first try and seven minutes later strolled across.

Steyn succeeded with both conversions and the rattled Cheetahs appeared set for a hiding when loosehead prop Coenie Oosthuizen was sin binned after a dangerous tackle on Kirchner.

But the Bloemfontein franchise refused to bow and another break ended with Johnson going over under the posts and Ebersohn converted. Replacement Hennie Daniller felt he also scored a try but it was ruled out for an elbow in touch.

An Ebersohn try one minute from fulltime which he converted set up a tense finale in which Cheeetahs were dispossessed as they sought a match-winning try and multi-phase pressure culminated in Hougaard diving over beside a post.

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