The Rebels, making their first appearance in South Africa, started brightly and stretched the Bulls defence in the first six minutes with some quick passing movements.
But a seventh-minute try against the run of play, when centre Wynand Olivier gathered a chip kick from fly half Morne Steyn and ran 40 metres to score under the posts, gave the Bulls a lead they never relinquished.
"We're finding it tough to get into games," admitted Rebels captain Stirling Mortlock.
"There is a lot of work to be done," he said of a side firmly anchored at the bottom of the Australian conference table.
The Bulls, Super 14 champons last season but needing a strong finish to the league phase to feature in the play-offs this year after losing five matches, secured a bonus point inside half an hour when they scored their fourth try.
There was controversy about the Bulls' third try when most players from both sides came to a stop after what seemed an obvious knock-on by full-back Zane Kirchner.
Left wing Bjorn Basson, chasing a kick ahead, slowed down but then gathered the ball and trotted through for a try when he realised New Zealand referee Chris Pollock had not blown his whistle.
The defending champions led 40-3 at half-time after scoring six tries, but the Rebels gave a much-improved performance in an evenly contested second half, scoring a try of their own through replacement wing Cooper Vuna, and conceding only one more.
Olivier notched a hat-trick of tries, Kirchner scored twice and the others came from Basson and scrum-half Fourie du Preez.
Steyn added six conversions.
Regular Bulls captain and Springbok lock Victor Matfield was on the bench and not called on to play, while several key players were substituted in the second half as the Bulls lost their intensity.
Bulls captain Du Preez, one of the players substituted in the second half, hailed "an unbelievable first half" while Olivier gave credit to the forwards for his try-scoring feat.
"The forwards gave us a good platform," he said.
Bulls: 47 (W Olivier 3, Z Kirchner 2, B Basson, F du Preez tries; M Steyn 6 conversions
Rebels: C Vuna try; J Huxley conversion, penalty
-AFP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, vic, melbourne-3000, south-africa
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