DEFENDING champions South Africa showed that they will again be the team to beat with a 79-8 thrashing of Tonga in the opening game of the Southern Hemisphere Alliance Tournament at North Harbour Stadium on Wednesday. South Africa led 31-8 at half time and maintained the scoring momentum in the second half, amassing 13 tries in total. Tonga breached the South African line once. The South African forwards dominated the Tongans, providing plenty of ball for the well organised backs. The forward domination was such that eight of the South African tries came from the pack. Prop Eduard Coetzee and hooker James van der Walt each bagged two tries, with lock Wayne van Heerden, flankers Hendro Scholtz and Wikus van Heerden and number eight Johan van Niekerk each scoring a try. Amongst the backs, fullback Conrad Jantjes, wings Wylie Human and Friedrich Lombard, centre Marius Joubert and flyhalf Gareth Wright crossed the Tongan line. Scrumhalf Noel Oelschig kicked six conversions and centre Butch James converted once.