Two tries in the last 20 minutes have helped the Jaguares secure a 27-12 Super Rugby victory over the visiting Bulls in a scrappy contest played in heavy rain.

The Bulls led 12-9 when five-eighth Handre Pollard converted his fourth penalty on the hour mark.

However, Jaguares replacement Rodrigo Bruni went over off a catch-and-drive in the 64th minute before winger Bautista Delguy scored in the 73rd to seal the three tires to zero win for the hosts.

The result was a tonic for the ambitious Argentines, who lost 25-16 at home to the Lions last weekend, and a disappointment for the South African visitors, who smashed the Stormers in their opener.

That 40-3 win was the biggest in the first round but the Bulls struggled to get a handle on the powerful Jaguares, who finished runners-up to the Lions in the South Africa conference last year.

The Pretoria-based Bulls started brightly but their early confidence was shattered when Jaguares centre Matias Orlando pounced on a Pollard handling error to race the length of the pitch for the opening try on 17 minutes.

No.10 Pollard’s place-kicking kept the visitors in a tight contest, however, and he reduced the deficit to 7-3 at halftime before he inched the Bulls ahead from the tee in the 60th minute.

The hosts came racing back, though, with loose forward Bruni grounding the ball off the back of a rolling maul from an attacking lineout four minutes later.

Jaguares flyhalf Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, who converted all three tries, kicked his second penalty on 67 minutes to extend the lead further before Delguy added gloss to the scoreline when he raced over untouched after a turnover.