Cheswill Jooste showed some electric bursts of speed as the Bulls got their Champions Cup campaign off to a triumphant 56-20 start against Stade Francais at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The 20-year-old scored a hattrick of tries — the opening five-pointer came in the first minute of the game and then two inside the final 10 minutes of the contest — but he displayed his lightning feet on several other occasions as well.

Late in the first half he combined well with young fullback debutant Luan Giliomee to scythe through the French team’s defence and make plenty yards, and although that didn’t result in a try, they offered a glimpse into the future where this new combination could terrorise teams in years to come.

When Jooste went over at the start of the match — Handré Pollard, who slotted all eight conversions, kicked off, the Bulls won the ball back, sent it down the line, centre Harold Vorster grubbered through and Jooste streamed through to dot down — it looked like the Bulls were in for an easy day.

And while the final score suggests it was, the home side had to work hard against an unfancied outfit that tackled well and ran the ball into gaps.

The men in pink might have hit back soon after Jooste’s try, but prop Thomas Bue spilled the ball reaching for the line.

By the time the hosts got to halftime with a 21-6 lead, the Bulls had had three tries disallowed, and deservedly so.

Johan Ackermann’s men enjoyed more possession and had the territorial advantage, but it was only in the second half when they really made it count.

And some of their forwards showed some great finesse.

Flanker Jeandre Rudolph scored a peach of a try, a solo effort that any backline player — and even Lionel Messi — would have been proud of.

He chipped the ball over his opponent and then, with a defender bearing down on him, he fly-kicked the ball ahead, instead of gathering it, connecting it perfectly a foot or so above the ground and then he beat right wing Aisake Nawaqadrua to the ball and crashing over for the try.

A little later, after another great run by Jooste, hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels chased a cross-kick into the in-goal area, plucking it out the air and pushing it into the ground a few blades of grass inside the the deadball line.

This was a largely scrappy match, but it produced several memorable moments.

Scorers

Bulls 56 (21)

Tries: Cheswill Jooste (3), Cobus Wiese, Cameron Hanekom, Marco van Staden, Jeandre Rudolph, Jan-Hendrik Wessels.

Conversions: Handré Pollard (8).

Stade Francais 20 (6)

Tries: Jacques Botha, Petero Mailulu.

Conversions: Louis Foursans-Bourdette (2).

Penalties: Ihaia West, Foursans-Bourdette.