For just over 30 minutes, it really did seem as if the Lions would remind us all that a week is indeed a long time in rugby before the Bulls' pedigree was enough to ensure them back-to-back victories.
The Bulls have shown with their approach to filling the void left by Trevor Nyakane that they're not the freewheeling spenders some perceive them to be.
Gert Smal's return to his old hunting ground proved bittersweet as his relentless Bulls made an ominous statement of intent in this year's Currie Cup, overwhelming his beloved Western Province by 40-21.