Connacht's search for a first win of the season continues after they were well beaten by the Bulls in Pretoria.

Jack Aungier and David Hawkshaw did reply for the visitors late on but they could not force an unlikely comeback.

After consecutive fixtures in South Africa, Connacht now return home to prepare for back-to-back interpros.

Andy Friend's side remain rooted to the bottom of the United Rugby Championship table with no points from three games.

Friday's match was always going to be a tough ask for the Irish province against last year's beaten finalists, who flew out of the traps and crossed inside seven minutes after Kurt-Lee Arendse picked up a loose ball just outside his own 22 and raced under the posts.

The score was soon doubled as the Bulls romped down the right and to within a metre, allowing Burger to snipe over from the base of a ruck.

Connacht did threaten the hosts' tryline and were handed a lifeline when Marco van Staden was shown yellow for a dangerous tackle on Leva Fifita, drawing a penalty which brought the visitors deep inside the 22.

However the Bulls' defence held firm and they managed to extend their lead before the break through captain Marcell Coetzee, who charged over from close range on the stroke of half-time.

The fourth try came just six minutes into the second period as Ruan Nortje broke through the Connacht defence and fed Burger for the bonus-point.

Bulls were again temporarily reduced for 14 when Johan Goosen was sent to the sin-bin for a head-on-head collision with Kieran Marmion, allowing Connacht to apply some late pressure.

Aungier held off three tacklers for a 67th minute try, before David Hawkshaw charged down Chris Smith's attempted clearance to score the visitors' second try in quick succession, but the comeback came too late as the Bulls held on to win.

Bulls: Arendse; Moodie, Hendricks, Kriel, Nkosi; Goosen, Burger; Steenekamp, Grobbelaar, Klopper, Steenkamp, Nortje; Coetzee, Van Staden, Louw.

Replacements: Wessels, Matanzima, Smith, Swanepoel, Ludwig, Papier, Smith, Mapoe.

Connacht: McNulty; Porch, Farrell, Daly, Hansen; Hawkshaw, Marmion; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham, Fifita, Dowling; Murphy, Oliver, Butler.

Replacements: Stewart, Dooley, Aungier, Thornbury, Hurley-Langton, Reilly, Ralston, Booth.