WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM:
THE South African Springbok side broke their 1995 record winning score of 60-8 against Samoa when they trounced Tonga 74-10 in their one-off Test at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday night.
South Africa ploughed through the Tongans right from the start, notching up 12 points in the first eight minutes, and finishing the first half leading 33-3. SA coach Carel du Plessis said before the match that the score would not matter in this game. The focus would be on precision and tactics, as a warm-up for the upcoming Test series against the British Lions.
The Springboks won with twelve tries to one — Andre Snyman scored three tries, while James Small, Ruben Kruger and Adrian Garvey scored two each. Fritz van Heerden, Joost van der Westhuizen and Naka Drotske added one more try each to make up the dozen. Tongan Ngaslutdu Taumalolo scored the only try, and Kusitafu Tonga converted it, and kicked a penalty shot.
Injury claimed three Springbok players — leaving room for worry as the first British Lions Test is less than two weeks away. Gary Teichmann and James Small were both replaced due to hamstring injuries, and Fritz van Heerden was taken off with a hip injury.