The Bulls staged a remarkable recovery but could not prevent the Cats, thanks to a brilliant hat-trick by centre Gcobani Bobo, from running out 44-31 winners in a pulsating Super 12 match at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.

Leading 18-8 at the break, the Cats earned a vital away win and a bonus point when substitute winger John Daniels collected a pass from Bobo to score the visitors' fourth try, on the hooter.

The Bulls could have snatched victory with a minute remaining, but right-wing Wylie Human spilled the ball one metre from an open tryline with the score at 37-31 to the Cats.

The visitors had earlier opened up a 31-14 lead in the 55th minute when Bobo charged down a Boeta Wessels kick to race in and score under the poles.

But the Bulls showed great character to come back via tries by replacement lock Matt Frank and centre Frikkie Welsh, and two penalties and a conversion by Wessels.

But with the score at 31-34, Cats' flyhalf Louis Koen, who scored a match tally of 24 points, slotted a difficult penalty, setting the scene for an absorbing and dramatic final five minutes, which only ended when Daniels dotted the winner.

The Bulls started after the break with a try by centre Adrian Jacobs and a Wessels penalty, but Koen's reply and Bobo's third try stretched the lead and the hosts just could not come back despite some late match heroics.

The Cats dominated the first half, on the scoreboard and on the park, with their quick backline showing heaps of imagination and flair. Both the Cats' first half tries came about through slick handling and quick recycling with Bobo proving to be a deadly finisher.

Scorers:

Bulls - Tries: Adrian Jacobs, Matt Frank, Frikkie Welsh; Conversion: Boeta Wessels; Penalties: Boeta Wessels (3).

Cats - Tries: Gcobani Bobo (3), John Daniels; Conversions: Louis Koen (3); Penalties: Koen (6)

Scoring Sequence:

First Half: 3-0 Wessels penalty (3rd); 3-3 Koen penalty (13th); 3-10 Bobo try, Koen conversion (16th); 6-10 Wessels penalty (24th); 6-15 Bobo try (30th); 6-18 Koen penalty (32nd).

Second Half: 11-18 Jacobs try (3rd); 11-21 Koen penalty (6th); 11-28 Bobo try, Koen conversion (8th); 14-28 Wessels penalty (14th); 14-31 Koen penalty (17th); 21-31 Wessels penalty (20th); 24-31 Frank try, Wessels conversion (22nd); 24-34 Koen penalty (30th); 31-34 Welsh try, Wessels conversion (72nd); 31-37 Koen penalty (76th); 31-44 Daniels try, Koen conversion (80th).

Teams:

Bulls: Boeta Wessels, Wylie Human, Frikkie Welsh, Adrian Jacobs, Hannes Venter, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Coenraad Groenewald, Chris Roux (capt), Anton Leonard, Piet Joubert, Victor Matfield, Marco Wentzel, Piet Boer, James Dalton, Wessel Roux. Substitutes: Danie Coetzee (Dalton 50th), Richard Bands (Boer 70th), Matt Frank (Wentzel 59th), Danie Rossouw (Leonard 13th), Hakkies Husselman (Groenewald 65th), Gavin Passens (Jacobs 70th), McNeil Hendricks.

Cats: Conrad Jantjes, Friedrich Lombaard, Gcobani Bobo, Eugene Meyer, Dean Hall, Louis Koen, Deon de Kock, Russel Winter, Jannes Labuschagne (capt), Piet Krause, Willem Stoltz, Boela du Plooy, Willie Meyer, Delarey du Preez, Heinrich Kok. Substitutes: John Daniels (Lombaard 75th), Andre Pretorius, Grant Bartle, Lodweyk Hattingh, Nico Breedt, Lawrence Sephaka (Kok 73rd), Leon Boshoff.