The Bulls beat the Stormers 25-17 in the Super Rugby match at Pretoria on Friday with Morne Steyn kicking the home team to an opening day win in the South African conference.

Steyn landed all seven of his kicks and Chiliboy Ralepelle went over for a 68th-minute try for the Bulls, the three-time champions.

Flyhalf Elton Jantjies had a bad start to his time with the Stormers and missed his first four kicks before Joe Pietersen took over.

Captain Jean de Villiers scored a 50th-minute try for the visiting Stormers and Pietersen closed it to 12-10 after the Bulls’ first-half dominance.

But Steyn’s accuracy was decisive and Ralepelle snapped up a loose ball close to the tryline to seal it before Andries Bekker’s late try for the Stormers.