Whopping win for Boks
By Fergus Ryan
Pretoria - South Africa mounted an extraordinary try-scoring spree to completely overwhelm Samoa 60-18 at Loftus Versveld on Saturday.
Having led 27-5 in the first half, the Boks scored five tries in the second period to add to their three in the first to bury the Samoans who had shown glimpses of the exciting rugby they are capable of.
Against a Samoan team that was keen to run the ball from every conceivable part of the field, South Africa responded by playing the most expansive brand of rugby.
Of course not too much can be read into such a victory over a relative minnow, but the manner of the win bodes well ahead of the Tri-Nations.
More importantly, the stand out contributions by a number of players, not least of all flanker Joe van Niekerk, would have confirmed a few combinations that may have been troubling coach Rudolf Straeuli.
For once the Boks were not as slow out of the starting blocks as they have been in their other three outings this winter.
In spite of their early dominance, though, it took 13 minutes for Andre Pretorius to kick the first points.
The flyhalf had earlier declined a shot at goals and opted for a kick into the corner but, like all the other Bok forays up until then, it had come to naught.
Immediately thereafter Werner Greef was the recipient of a generous inside pass from Joe van Niekerk who let go of the pass when he was virtually over the line.
Perhaps it was fitting though that it was the fullback who dotted down as it was his kick that Van Niekerk had initially gathered.
Van Niekerk should have claimed his own try a few minutes later but was hauled down just short of the tryline.
Having finally managed to get their hands on the ball from that frantic tackle, the Samoans treated the miserably small Loftus crowd to some exhilarating island-style rugby. From behind their own tryline, they recycled the ball umpteen times, shrugging off tackles and bursting through gaps, the extraordinary movement eventually culminating in Fereti Tuilagi dotting down.
Pretorius then steered the Boks further ahead with a penalty right in front of the uprights before Victor Matfield, after the Boks had driven the ball up from a lineout, merely stuck his arm through a tangle of legs to claim the second try.
The third goal followed two minutes later when De Wet Barry rounded the defence with the Boks having just too many men out wide.
Samoan flyhalf Earl Va'a slotted a penalty after the break to close the gap slightly but then Breyton Paulse, who had replaced Greef five minutes into the second period at fullback, did enough down the left wing to give Dean Hall a gap.
It was more than enough for the powerful Lion to force his way over.
As if trailing 34-8 was not bad enough, Samoa lost their combative hooker Trevor Leota to the sin bin after his late shoulder charge on his opposite number Danie Coetzee. The challenge ended the young Bulls' Bok debut.
His replacement Delarey du Preez, also on debut, promptly scored a try with his second touch.
The try signalled a scoring frenzy. In the next seven minutes, 24 points were scored. Despite being a man down the Samoans swept upfield and skipper Semo Sititi took advantage of a huge overlap to drive over.
Two of the four Bok replacements, Paulse and Du Preez, were playing out of their skins, combining to allow Hall to once again burst over.
The Samoans had barely kicked off when Stefan Terblanche galloped through the midfield to send Barry over for his second try.
Appropriately it was Van Niekerk, who had enjoyed such a storming game and who perhaps epitomised the open play of the side, who dotted down for the Boks' final try.
South Africa: Werner Greef, Stefan Terblanche, Marius Joubert, De Wet Barry, Dean Hall, Andre Pretorius, Bolla Conradie, Bob Skinstad, Joe van Niekerk, Corne Krige (captain), Victor Matfield, Hottie Louw, Faan Rautenbach, Danie Coetzee, Lawrence Sephaka.
Substitutes: Delarey du Preez, Daan Human, Quinton Davids, Shaun Sowerby, Neil de Kock, Breyton Paulse, Adrian Jacobs.
Samoa: Silao Leaega, Lome Fa'atau, Elvis Sevealii, Fereti Tuilagi, Alesana Tuilagi, Earl Va'a, Steven So'oialo, Semo Sititi (captain), Maurie Fa'asavlu, Kitiona Viliamu, Leo Lafaialii, Opeta Palepoi, Jeremy Tomuli, Trevor Leota, Tamato Leupolu.
Substitutions: Jonathan Meredith, Kas Lealamanua, Potu Leavasu, Ponali Tapelu, Denning Tyrrell, Aleki Toleafoa, Carl Manu.
Scorers:
South Africa
Tries: Werner Greef, Victor Matfield, De Wet Barry 2, Dean Hall 2, Delarey du Preez, Joe van Niekerk
Conversions: Andre Pretorius 7
Penalties: Andre Pretorius 2
Samoa
Tries: Fereti Tuilagi, Semo Sititi, Kitiona Viliamu
Conversions:
Penalties: Earl Va'a 1. - Sapa