ROB DAVIES, Johannesburg | Saturday 8.00pm.
THE South African rugby team on Saturday broke free from a mediocre first-half performance to beat a spirited Scottish side 35-10 at a windy Murrayfield.
At first it seemed like a bad nightmare when the Boks were overrun in the first couple of minutes, but then they started to regroup and played far more positively.
Percy Montgomery got the Boks on the board in the tenth minute when he slotted a penalty, but the Scots then lashed back through a try by flyhalf Duncan Hodge in the 25th. Hodge converted his try to take the score to 7-3.
Montgomery then pulled back three points five minutes later, and in the 34th minute right wing Stefan Terblanche crashed over for a try to take matters to 11-7 at half-time.
The Boks defended superbly in the first half, but seemed unable to take the ball into attack. The second half was a completely different ball game, with the South Africans scoring four tries.
Joost van der Westhuizen, the South African scrumhalf, scored a brilliant individual try shortly after the break after picking up a loose ball after Scottish winger Allan Tait was tackled by his opposite number Pieter Roussouw. Van der Westhuizen gathered the ball and then streaked in after a strong touchline run.
Centre Andre Snyman then scored after receiving excellent ball from flyhalf Henry Honiball, the strong centre pulled his ears back and outstripped the Scottish cover defence to score. Montgomery converted the try to take the score to 23-7.
Hodge then kicked a penalty to add three points to his side’s score, the only scoring opportunity the Scots took advantage of in the second half.
Pieter Roussouw scored in the 32nd minute when Honiball charged down a kick by Hodge, the rangy winger gathered and strolled over.
The Boks then scored their final try in the 40th minute when flanker Bobby Skinstad was fed by replacement lock Andre Venter and showed excellent pace to crash in under the post. The try was a deserved one, as Skinstad had earlier fluffed a chance to score when he broke through the Scottish defence, but took the wrong option in unloading to Venter rather than to Terblanche on his outside.
Montgomery converted the try to make it 35-10.
The Boks will be well pleased with the performance but work still needs to be done on discipline and handling. Montgomery’s temperament under the high ball must also be looked at, but these are not serious faults, and can be ironed out fairly quickly.
THEY SAID IT
“I’m so happy I don’t know what to say.
I couldn’t sleep last night. I think my wife will go mad. To win here was never in my mind and I just aimed to play my own game. But if it’s your day, it’s your day.”
— South African golfer Solly Sepeng on winning the R450000 Vodacom Senior Classic at Dainfern on Sunday, the biggest win of his 26-year career. Sepeng left big names like Lee Trevino and Gary Player trailing as he bagged the title.