An impeccable kicking performance by Morne Steyn carried the Bulls to a 26-14 victory over the Hurricanes in their Super Rugby match on Saturday.

With one try each, the game in Napier came down to the kickers and Steyn contributed 21 points from five penalties and two drop goals to give the defending champions the perfect start to their four-match Australasian tour.

The win put the Bulls into sixth place and five points behind the front-running Crusaders, while the Hurricanes play-off hopes look remote as they slipped to bottom of the New Zealand conference.

The Bulls played to a strict game plan with control and patience, content to kick their way into Steyn's shooting range and then wait for the opportunities to arise.

"We've got the best nine (Fourie du Preez) and 10 (Steyn) in world rugby kicking wise and we used them well tonight," Bulls captain Victor Matfield said.

"They got us in their half and we got the points and that put all the pressure on them."

It was a game plan which frustrated the Hurricanes who dominated possession but found their running game went unrewarded in the first half.

In the second spell they switched to the Bulls's tactic of kicking for territory and although favoured by the penalty count 13-10 they found starting flyhalf Daniel Kirkpatrick was woefully off form with the boot.

Steyn's sole miss was a conversion attempt late in the game while Kirkpatrick was astray with four from six shots at goal as the Hurricanes succumbed to their third consecutive defeat.

The accuracy of the kicking was a telling difference and Hurricanes captain Andrew Hore refused to accept his side had been outplayed.

"With an ounce of luck it could have gone the other way. We were pretty unfortunate not to come away with the win," he said.

Steyn landed three penalties and two drop goals to have the Bulls ahead 15-3 at half-time.

The Hurricanes engineered the only try-scoring opportunity in the first spell, creating an overlap in the backline, but winger Julian Savea dropped the final pass a few metres short of the line.

After the break, Serge Lilo drove over for a try and Kirkpatrick landed his second penalty for the Hurricanes to close the gap to 11-15.

Steyn and Hurricanes replacement flyhalf Aaron Cruden exchanged penalties for the Hurricanes to stay within bonus point range but their hopes were dashed when the Bulls closed with a try to Francois Hougaard and another Steyn penalty.

The result left the Hurricanes wondering about their choice of venue after electing to play in Napier for the first time in eight years.

The last time they left their usual Wellington base to play here was also against the Bulls in 2003 and they lost that game 34-46.

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