Boks bully 14-man Canada
MATCH REPORT: The Springboks booked their spot in the quarterfinals with a comprehensive 66-7 win over Canada on Tuesday.
The Springboks outscored Canada 10 tries to one.
Champagne and then flat beer. For 28 minutes, the Springboks were playing at speed, running the Canadians off their feet. The South Africans had over 90 percent possession and were playing quickly and with confidence in Kobe’s stadium with the roof closed.
At the end of those 28 minutes, the Springboks were winning 40-0 from six brilliant tries of speed and skill.
Then Canada lost Josh Larsen to a red card and the Springboks lost impetus. Maybe it was the certainty of victory, maybe is was increasing humidity in the airless stadium, but whatever it was the next 52 minutes became decidedly ordinary. 40 points in 28 minutes, 26 points in 52 minutes.
It took the Springboks two minutes to get on the scoreboard as RG Snyman got close and then Damian de Allende swept over for the opening try.
Three minutes later Sibu Nkosi scored after a rapid eight phases. He did well to get over in the left corner.
Then came a remarkable hat-trick of tries by scrumhalf Cobus Reinach who was very much a catalyst in the Springbok impetus in that first half. He played so quickly and passed so accurately that there was no hesitation of break in the Springbok attack. At one stage Canada had made 31 tackles and missed 19 while the Springboks had to tackle but twice.
The first of Reinach’s tries was the best. From a scrum just outside the Springbok 22, he broke and chipped ahead. On the Canadian 22 he gathered his bouncing kick and scored.
Then Snyman charged through a gap on a swerving run that took him just short of the goal-line where Reinach dummied and dived to score.
His next try was from Canada’s kick off. Elton Jantjies kicked a perfect pass to Warrick Gelant on the right wing. He raced ahead and gave inside to De Allende who popped a pass to Reinach, who completed his hat-trick, and it was 33-0 after 20 minutes.
The Springboks opted for a scrum from a penalty and simple handling of high quality got the ball to Gelant who scored, with difficulty, in the left corner. Elton Jantjies converted from touch and it was 40-0.
The Canadians were on the Springbok line when Larsen came charging in at the head of Thomas du Toit and was sent off. Larsen was a replacement in the Canadian squad and had come onto the field in this match after an injury to Kyle Baillie.
On half-time the Springboks scored a bizarre try.
Canada had a scrum five metres from their line. The Springboks were freekicked before the ball was put in. Phil Mack, Canada’s veteran scrumhalf, tapped, ran and passed, but Frans Steyn intercepted the pass and scored.
It was 47-0 at half-time.
Canada, 14 men and all, fared much better in the second half. Three penalties and a free kick in five minutes was the prelude to their try as wing Jeff Hassler came off his wing and charged at the line. He was stopped just short, but flank Matt Heaton was on hand to score a try which flyhalf Peter Nelson converted.
The rest of the half was pedestrian. True, the Springboks scored three tries in that time. At close quarters Schalk Brits did some dancing through six defenders to score and broaden his smile even more and then there were first Test tries for fullback Damian Willemse and substitute prop Frans Malherbe. Willemse could not hide his delight, while Malherbe showed no emotion at all.
Man of the Match: Cobus Reinach is certainly a candidate for more than just his three tries and then there is our choice RG Snyman.
Moment of the Match: Cobus Reinach’s first try – 70 metres of speed, skill and determination
Villain of the Match: Josh Larsen. When will they ever learn?
As it happened: Canada v South Africa
The scorers:
For South Africa:
Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach 3, Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse, Malherbe
Cons: E.Jantjies 8
For Canada:
Try: Heaton
Con: Nelson
Red card: Josh Larsen (Canada, 36 – Shoulder charge)
Teams
Canada: 15 Andrew Coe, 14 Jeff Hassler, 13 Conor Trainor, 12 Ciaran Hearn, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 10 Peter Nelson, 9 Phil Mack, 8 Tyler Ardron (captain), 7 Matt Heaton, 6 Lucas Rumball, 5 Kyle Baillie, 4 Evan Olmstead, 3 Jake Ilnicki, 2 Andrew Quattrin, 1 Hubert Buydens.
Replacements: 16 Benoît Piffero, 17 Djustice Sears-Duru, 18 Matthew Tierney, 19 Josh Larsen, 20 Mike Sheppard, 21 Jamie Mackenzie, 22 Shane O’Leary, 23 Guiseppe du Toit.
South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Warrick Gelant, 13 Damian de Allende, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Francois Louw, 7 Albertus Smith, 6 Siyamthanda Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Rudolph Snyman, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Thomas du Toit.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Handré Pollard, 23 Willie le Roux.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Andrew Brace (Ireland)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
