Springboks thrash Argentina

South Africa 63 Argentina 9

World champions South Africa overcame a slow start to steamroller Argentina in their Mandela Challenge game in Johannesburg today.

The Springboks ran in nine tries and flyhalf Butch James produced a faultless kicking display as they killed off any hopes the Pumas harboured of springing a surprise at the SANZAR household.

The game was a repeat of last year’s World Cup semi-final – and the hosts proved again why it was they who claimed the William Webb Ellis trophy.

The Boks will feel particularly satisfied they managed to hold up in the set pieces and demolish a tough defensive system ahead of their clashes with New Zealand and Australia in the next three weeks.

But they will know there is still work to be done before facing the All Blacks as their opening half-hour was littered with turnovers and wasted possession.

The Pumas took advantage of their opponents mistakes to move into a 9-0 lead after 30 minutes thanks to a hat-trick of penalties from Felipe Contepomi.

But then came a moment of inspiration from Jean de Villiers which sparked the listless Boks into life.

The midfielder broke from deep inside his own half, slipped a second tackle and sped towards the goal-line before unloading the perfect pass to Adrian Jacobs to go over untouched.

The sudden revival spurred the World champions on, and two minutes later they attacked from deep, giving Jongi Nokwe a decent run down the far touchline before losing the ball.

From the following lineout they went left again and Nokwe this time broke two tackles to run for a try, which James converted to give the home side a 14-9 half-time lead.

The Boks started the second period where they left off, an early break from a scrum giving JP Pietersen the opportunity to chip over the defence for Pierre Spies to scoop up the ball and score.

Pietersen added his name to the scoresheet in the 50th minute when from broken play he beat a defender on the outside and ran in untouched for the fourth try.

The Boks also made their substitutions count, with Fourie du Preez scoring with his first touch, but Argentina were unlucky not to score themselves minutes afterwards as Horacia Agulla was forced out in the corner.

The television official ruled he had touched the sideline shortly before dotting down.

Jacobs broke again through an Argentina defence that was looking increasingly shaky before providing the perfect pass for Joe van Niekerk to mark his 50th Test match for his country with a try.

Van Niekerk added a second barely 60 seconds later after Conrad Jantjes had plucked the ball out of the air and sent it wide in one movement.

Victor Matfield featured twice in the build-up to the score with two one-handed passes.

Bismarck du Plessis and Pietersen then went over to complete the rout, while Argentina’s misery was compounded when Juan Manuel Leguizamon went over three minutes from the end only for have the ball ripped from his hands in the process by Du Preez.

South Africa’s next challenge is a clash with the All Blacks in Newlands next weekend, a game which could go a long way to determining who will be the Tri Nations champions this year.