Tough win for Boks over Samoa
Brad Morgan
11 June 2007
The Springboks, showing 13 changes from the team that dumped England 55-22 at Loftus Versfeld, scored a 35-8 victory over Samoa at Ellis Park on Saturday to record the team's third win in succession, but it was a tough outing for the South Africans.
However, after having struggled somewhat against England in the set pieces, the Boks dominated first phase ball, especially in the scrums where, despite surprisingly being outweighed, they simply overpowered the Samoans.
In fact, the Samoans had so many problems, especially loosehead prop Justin Va'a, that he was sin-binned just before halftime after the referee, Malcolm Changleng, lost patience with too many collapsed scrums and illegal binding on Va'a's part.
The Springboks showed a stronger cutting edge than the Samoans in the backline, but they spent too much time pinned deep in their own half to be able to launch consistent waves of attack. Apart from a quick two-try strike in the second
half, the game was played almost entirely in South Africa's half, with Samoa enjoying more possession.
Standout players
A number of players stood out for South Africa:
Wayne Julies, although not a first-choice selection at centre for the Bulls, put on a good show, exhibiting good defence and excellent distribution skills.
Bob Skinstad, at eighthman, was superb at the back of the lineout and an effective link between backs and forwards; he also displayed good leadership qualities, but spoiled his performance near the end of the contest when he was sin-binned for a professional foul as Samoa pressured for a try.
The front row combination of Os du Randt, John Smit, and BJ Botha was too much for the Samoans to handle as the SA pack drove the islanders back in the set pieces.
Early running
When the game kicked off, it was Samoa who made the early running. They forced a turnover and moved the ball
wide. Right wing Lome Fa'atau tried to get past JP Pietersen on the outside, but Pietersen was up to the task and took the Samoan into touch.
Two minutes later, Pietersen's solid defence was again needed as he stopped another powerful Samoan surge for the line with a good tackle.
An ambitious drop goal attempt by Francois Steyn, from close to his own 10-metre line, came up short, but shortly afterwards flyhalf Derick Hougaard gave the Boks the lead, knocking over a long penalty for a 3-0 advantage to the home side.
Samoa were back on level terms within two minutes as Luke Watson was penalised for using his hands at a ruck and Gavin Williams kicked the penalty.
The islanders' problems at scrum time cost them just before the quarter-hour mark when Va'a was blown up for going to ground. Hougaard responded by slotting the kick at goal to edge the Springboks in front again.
First try
Samoa then conceded another penalty in the
scrum and Hougaard drove them deep into their 22-metre area. From the lineout, South Africa tried to drive the ball up to the tryline. The Samoans held SA up, but did so illegally by entering the maul from the side. Again, South Africa opted for a lineout.
The throw-in went deep to Skinstad. Samoa, once more, looked to stop the Bok drive for the line, but Skinstad, cleverly, flipped the ball inside to a charging John Smit who crashed through three desperate tackles and ground the ball on the line to score the first try of the match after 20 minutes.
Hougaard added the conversion to lift South Africa 10 points clear at 13-3.
Second try
Four minutes later, scrumhalf Ricky Januarie intercepted a pass from a scrum and offloaded to Watson. He, in turn, found Danie Rossouw. After the flanker was stopped the ball was moved wide from the ruck. Julies then threw a cut-out pass to Pietersen who ran in for the Boks' second try.
Hougaard's
conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving SA 18-3 to the good.
With 10 minutes of the half left, Samoan scrumhalf Steven So'oialo was shown a yellow card after he infringed at a breakdown; it was the result of numerous infringements by Samoa who had earlier been given a team warning for their negative tactics.
Pulling clear
With So'oialo in the sin-bin, South Africa scored their third try when, after Skinstad had won a turnover, the ball was moved down the backline smartly. Julies threw a skip pass to Francois Steyn, he dummied and raced through a gap before diving over for his third try in the green and gold.
Hougaard was wide with his conversion attempt.
Just before the break, referee Changleng gave Va'a his marching orders for the umpteenth collapsed scrum.
Shortly afterwards the halftime whistle sounded with South Africa in a comfortable 23-3 lead and clearly in control of proceedings.
Injury
After the restart Januarie made a nice break but, with Du Randt ranging up on his inside, just five metres from the tryline, he opted to go it alone and was stopped. The scrumhalf picked up a knock in the tackle and was substituted by Ruan Pienaar.
Luke Watson's Springbok debut came to an end after 50 minutes when, after taking a shoulder in the ribs, he was substituted by Pedrie Wannenburg.
Fifteen minutes into the half, Samoa came desperately close to scoring. Only after the television match official had reviewed the action was a try denied, thanks to a great covering tackle from Waylon Murray, who took Fa'atau into touch with his solid effort.
Percy Montgomery won his eighty-third test cap when he was brought on in place of Julies who had taken a big blow in a tackle, the accidental victim of Skinstad's arm coming around and hitting the centre in the face as the two combined to stop a Samoan attack.
Another
five-pointer
With an hour played the Boks scored their fourth try. Pietersen made the running, sniffing out a gap and accelerating through it before turning back infield, which opened up space on the outside for Wannenberg.
Taking Pietersen's pass, the burly flanker caught the last defender off balance and shoved him ungracefully to the ground. He then continued on before crashing over for a five-pointer.
Hougaard, curiously off song with his goal kicking all day, missed the conversion, which meant South Africa led 28-3.
700 points
Montgomery then became the first Springbok to score 700 points in test rugby when he spun his way over the line after the Boks had moved the ball swiftly to the right. With space running out, he sold a dummy which caught the defenders over-pursuing and opened a gap for Montgomery to force his way over in the corner.
He converted his own try to extend South Africa's lead to 32 points at
35-3.
Samoa, though, refused to lie down and dominated the closing stages of the contest, pinning the Springboks deep in their own half.
Maintaining possession through numerous phases, the Samoans laid siege to the Bok tryline. In desperation, Skinstad prevented the islanders from gaining fast ball from a ruck and referee Changleng had no hesitation in bringing an end to the eighthman's day by showing him a yellow card.
Samoa rewarded
With four minutes to play, Samoa was finally rewarded for the pressure the team had put South Africa under. After driving the ball up time after time, it was finally moved wide where centre Anitelela Tuilagi found some space on the outside. He dived across the SA tryline in the righthand corner to earn his side a deserved reward for their hard work and sustained pressure.
Williams was wide with his conversion attempt.
Three minutes later the siren sounded, followed shortly afterwards by the
final whistle, with South Africa victors by 35 points to 8.
It was hardly the second half performance that coach Jake White would have hoped for from his charges but, considering that the side showed 13 changes from the second test against England, it was mission accomplished for the Bok coach; in three matches he had given plenty of players an opportunity to run out for their country, as well as giving himself an opportunity to assess the depth of talent available in different positions.
World Cup selection
White and his fellow selectors' World Cup selection ideas will likely be revealed when they choose the team for South Africa's next test, a Tri-Nations contest against Australia this coming Saturday, 16 June, at Newlands.
After two outings against an under-strength England and one against Samoa, a second tier side, the stakes will be raised against the Wallabies as preparations for the 2007 World Cup continue.
A win for the
Boks would likely move them above the Australians, who are ranked fractionally ahead of South Africa, in third, in the latest International Rugby Board standings.
In two weeks' time, the challenge will be provided by World Cup favourites, New Zealand.
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