The Force lost narrowly to the Melbourne Rebels to start the Super Rugby season and then put in a poor performance all-round to hand rookie side the Southern Kings victory in Port Elizabeth, but it was a vastly different side on Saturday night.
Coach Michael Foley brought experienced South African flyhalf Sias Ebersohn into the line-up and he went on to kick two field goals, two penalties and two try conversions.
The Force seriously threatened the Bulls when leading 26-19 after a Toby Lynn try early in the second half, but the Bulls went on to score 17 straight points to end up with a four-try bonus point and the Force missed out on a point altogether.
It took just over a minute for the Bulls to make the perfect start when unlikely runner Morne Steyn, better known as a kicking machine, had no trouble carving through the non-existent Force defence to score the try.
The Force's kicking game was disastrous in their first up season losses to the Melbourne Rebels and then the Southern Kings, and the new game plan was quickly evident when Ebersohn nailed a drop goal at the 10-minute mark.
Both teams then traded penalties, including a 58-metre bomb by Ebersohn, with the Bulls leading 14-9 going into half-time.
It was then an Ebersohn field goal for the Force to start the second half before the Bulls scored another try far too easy, this time to winger Sampie Mastriet.
However, the Force weren’t ready to throw in the towel and in the 46th minute levelled the scores at 19-19 through a converted try to Angus Cottrell. Cottrell's intercept try was his first in Super Rugby in his 10th match.
The Bulls then surprisingly turned down an easy penalty goal to go for a lineout, but the Force defence created a turnover and from that Lynn went on to score his second career try in his 50th Super Rugby match.
When Ebersohn converted, the Force led a stunned Bulls outfit 26-19 but the home side got back to within four with 12 minutes remaining thanks to a Steyn penalty and then regained the lead thanks to a bullocking try from replacement flanker Jean Cook with nine minutes to go.
Steyn converted the try to see the Bulls up 29-26 and then a last second try to Werner Kruger and a conversion saw the home side win by 10.
Meanwhile, the defending champion Chiefs thumped the Cheetahs 45-3 at Waikato Stadium and the Sharks beat the Stormers 12-6 at Kings Park Stadium in Saturday's other two Super Rugby matches to conclude Week 3 action.
After three rounds, the Brumbies, Chiefs, Bulls, Blues and Sharks remain unbeaten with the Cheetahs, Force, Hurricanes, Stormers, Crusaders and Highlanders all yet to record a victory.