Springboks run in nine tries against the Eagles

South Africa 64 United States 15

South Africa warmed up for their World Cup quarter-final with Fiji by running in nine tries against the United States in an end-to-end Pool A clash in Montpellier.

Deadly winger Bryan Habana and centre Jaque Fourie touched down twice, with Schalk Burger, Francois Steyn, CJ van der Linde, Fourie du Preez and Juan Smith also going over.

Percy Montgomery added six conversions and a penalty in a 15-point personal haul, while Butch James kicked two more conversions, as the slick Springboks rounded off their group campaign with a fourth straight win.

The Eagles, who return home winless and with the group’s wooden spoon to boot, managed tries through Takudzwa Ngwenya and Chris Wyles, with Mike Hercus booting a penalty and a conversion.

The Springboks were solid, if not spectacular, in a first half in which they scored just three tries to take a 24-10 lead into the break.

They broke out in the second half and played some scintillating stuff, while coach Jake White also managed to substitute some of his big names with Fiji in mind.

Burger, who played the full 80 minutes, was prominent early on in his first game back after a two-match suspension.

And he went over for the opener when he scooped up delightfully a James offload to burrow over in the right corner.

Montgomery exchanged penalties with Hercus before Todd Clever was sin-binned for the Americans for slowing the ball down in a ruck.

In the flanker’s time in the cooler, the Springboks scored just seven points, Steyn’s try – following a double side-step past a couple of bewildered defenders - converted by Montgomery.

Habana added a third when he ran onto a Montgomery pass to dive over, but the winger got a taste of his own medicine moments later.

Opposite winger Ngwenya received possession on the left wing after good work by Clever, and turned Habana inside out before outsprinting his opponent down the left flank.

The converted score received warm applause from the Stade de la Mosson crowd, but Habana got his revenge at the start of the second half when he dived over for a replica of his first try.

Van de Linde, who had come on for knee injury victim Brendon Botha in the first half, barged over for the next, but the Americans were not giving up and managed their second through Wyles in the left corner.

The final 25 minutes belonged to the Springboks though, Du Preez and Fourie - the latter finishing off a stunning backs move – going over either side of the hour mark.

Fourie, with his second, and Smith rounded off the try-scoring, with James adding the extras on both occasions in the absence of the substituted Montgomery.

Habana was forced off midway through the second half after a clash of heads with Ngwenya, but it did not look too serious and he should be okay for next weekend against Fiji.