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Morne Steyn's late penalty prevented Edinburgh becoming the first European team to win away to the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship.

Mike Blair's visitors trailed for most of the match despite a Charlie Savala try and Darcy Graham hat-trick.

Johan Grobbelaar, Elrigh Louw, Cornal Hendricks and Stravino Jacobs tries kept the South Africans in front.

Damian Hoyland's converted score put Edinburgh in the lead for the first time, but Steyn struck the killer blow.

There was still time for the visitors to deny Bulls a second win in a row, but Henry Immelman's long-range penalty drifted wide in overtime to deny Edinburgh a second win in a row after their opening defeat of Dragons.

The visitors were forced into a late change, with Blair Kinghorn missing out with a stomach bug and replaced at fly-half with Jaco van der Walt.

But they started on the front foot, with Henry Pyrgos striking the underside of the crossbar with one drop-goal attempt and Immelman firing wide with an immediate second.

However, Chris Smith opened the scoring with a massive thump after Edinburgh collapsed a scrum close to the halfway line.

And, while that settled the Bulls, Edinburgh were left reeling when Van der Walt took a nasty blow to the head and Savala, promoted to the bench after Kinghorn's late withdrawal, suddenly found himself on the field of play.

The visitors' headache worsened from the restart as Grobbelaar crashed over from close range, with Smith converting.

As Edinburgh's discipline began to fray, Grant Gilchrist was sent to the sin bin and Bulls took full advantage as Louw touched down after a rolling maul.

Suddenly, though, Edinburgh burst into life, with James Lang breaking through the home line and Savala diving over in the corner, with Mark Bennett adding two points from touchline.

Graham was next with a weaving run from the right wing to score under the posts to give Bennett an easy conversion.

Ruan Nortje was held up superbly on the line, but it was swept out wide for Hendricks to touch down in the corner.

Bennett's long-range penalty struck the far upright and Graham reacted first to kick ahead and score.

A Smith penalty nudged the scoreboard back towards the Bulls, but Graham touched down again in the corner for his fifth try in two matches.

Bulls' Jacobs stretched over the line, but Hoyland finished off a superb handling move in reply, with Bennett's conversion putting Edinburgh ahead for the first time.

It looked like a famous win was on the cards until Steyn fired over superbly under pressure from the touchline.

When Immelman was handed a similar task moments later, after Jacobs' high tackle rocked Bennett's back teeth, the South African was unable to apply the winning touch in his homeland.

Bulls: Goosen, Hendricks, Mapoe, Kriel, Jacobs, C Smith, Z Burger, Steenekamp, J Grobbelaar, M Smith, W Steenkamp, Nortje, Coetzee, Vermaak, Louw.

Replacements: Wessels, Matanzima, Klopper, Swanepoel, Van Staden, Papier, Steyn, Gans.

Edinburgh: Immelman, Graham, Bennett, Lang, Hoyland, Kinghorn, Pyrgos, Schoeman, Cherry, Nel, Skinner, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Crosbie, Mata.

Replacements: McInally, Venter, De Bruin, Sykes, Watson, Vellacott, Van Der Walt, Dean, Savala.

Referee: Adam Jones (WRU)