Bruising Boks send out a powerful message

By DAVID LEGGAT

SOUTH AFRICA 60 SAMOA 10

BRISBANE - The game was up for Samoa inside the first two minutes of their all-or-nothing World Cup battle with South Africa at Suncorp Stadium.

That's all it took for South Africa to flex their monstrous forward superiority, score the first of their eight tries on their way to a handsome win, and make it clear how they would go about ensuring their place in the huge quarter-final against the All Blacks in Melbourne on Saturday.

In the first scrum of the game, the plucky but outmatched Samoan pack crumbled under the Springbok muscle. In the second, South Africa swivelled hard to their right to open up the blindside and halfback Joost van der Westhuizen bolted down the touchline to set up Joe van Niekerk for the try.

The writing was on the wall. That's not to say Samoa did not have their moments, and never gave up the contest. Indeed, they battled away for much of the first half to good effect and had a purple period of about 10 minutes in the early stages of the second when they frequently had the crowd of 48,000 on their feet.

But by then they were 20 points adrift, and if the Springboks running in four tries and 26 points in the last 13 minutes might have slightly bloated their superiority on the board, they were well worth their convincing win.

"The England match did take a lot out of the boys. We were flat mentally and physically," Samoa's coach, John Boe, said.

"This is a bit of a reality check for us. We're not used to this intensity all the time and it showed," he added of their inability to regain the heights they reached against the English seven days earlier.

Samoa did not help their chances early on.

They appeared troubled by nerves and for the first 20 minutes could not have caught a cold. In a game where their chances were always going to be at a premium, those butterfingers were costly.

It took them the first quarter of the game to trust in their instincts. Their best chance was always going to be working off the cuff, doing what they do best.

South Africa's forwards love a good maul and with the country's two strongest scrummagers, Faan Rautenbach and Christo Bezuidenhout, lock Victor Matfield and loose forwards van Niekerk and Jaun Smith leading the way, they always had Samoa's measure in the tight and at set-pieces.

Behind them, the Springboks unveiled their big hope for the future, first five-eighth Derick Hougaard, who scarcely put a foot wrong in an exciting performance.

When Samoa did attack through the backs they were able to eke out some holes, but apart from lock Opeta Palepoi's outstretched arm in the left-hand corner, were unable to cross the South African line.

They did have other chances. Tireless flanker Maurie Fa'asavalu sprinted 50 metres before being pulled down; winger Loma Fa'atau could not hold a high but very holdable pass with the line beckoning; and when enterprising fullback Tanner Vili winkled his way through a gap he went left instead of right where he had two unmarked team-mates 25 metres out. But all these chances were after the outcome had been decided.

"They definitely controlled the set-pieces and near the end showed real pace and skill," Samoa's assistant coach Michael Jones said.

Those four late tries by the backs came in large part as the Samoan defence tired, but also resulted from some spirited, aggressive running by the Springboks.

So, they are certainly getting their game in order, but have they done enough to take down the All Blacks? Boe and Jones have their doubts.

"A fresh All Black team could expose those areas where they might have had more liberty against us," Jones said.

Boe wore his (other) colours on his sleeve - and couldn't resist getting in a dig on what has become his cause celebre, saying: "I'm a New Zealander. It won't be easy, but New Zealand have got a lot of Samoan players, a lot of flair and speed."

Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli, confident his team have moved up a couple of gears from the test at Dunedin in July when they gave the All Blacks a fierce tussle, barely gave Saturday night's game a thought, saying: "This game is past. Now we're looking towards New Zealand.

"We came close in Dunedin, but we didn't manage to win. I feel the team are improving. Obviously our pack is world class. There is a nice challenge next weekend."

Now there's an understatement if ever you heard one.