South Africa turn on power against Fiji

Defending champions South Africa played Fiji-style attacking rugby to post a 49-3 win in their Pool D match and send a clear statement of intent to the rest of the competition.

With front rowers scoring two of their six tries, their try-scoring man-of-the-match second row slipping a no-look pass to his wing and a flanker chip-kicking to a centre for a try, the Springboks could have been mistaken for the usually free-running islanders.

The performance had Fiji captain Deacon Manu tipping big things for the Springboks at this competition.

"They're going to be one of the teams to beat, if not the team to beat this year," he said.

"It was a fantastic Springbok side. In my opinion it's a better side than four years ago."
Springbok captain John Smit was pleased with his team's defensive effort especially, but said it was only another step forward in a long campaign.

Too early to tell

"It's too early to tell who is setting the mark; you don't decide in week two who is going to win the World Cup," he said.

Fly half Morné Steyn scored 21 of South Africa's points with a try, five conversions and two penalties, while man of the match Danie Rossouw scored a try in a powerful performance of strong running that Fiji struggled to contain.

"It was what we needed and I'm happy to keep a team like Fiji off our try-line," said Smit, who equalled Victor Matfield's record of 108 Tests for South Africa.

The win laid to rest the ghosts of Marseille for South Africa, who had been wary of Fiji ahead of the match after their close call in the French port city at the last Rugby World Cup.

Fiji were seldom able to breach South Africa's defensive line and Springbok coach Peter de Villiers said: "One of the targets before the game was we wanted to defend our line and we did that with honours tonight."

In attack, South Africa quickly realised space was available out wide and took advantage of it with crisp passing. Flanker Heinrich Brüssow even utilised a chip kick to find centre Frans Steyn, who stepped around two defenders to score.

Stunning penalty

A stunning 57m penalty goal from long-range specialist Frans Steyn got South Africa on the scoreboard.

Having repelled Fiji's ensuing attack with strong defence, they worked the ball back downfield with a series of runs until loosehead prop Gurthrö Steenkamp powered over out wide.

His second-half replacement Tendai Mtawarira later grabbed South Africa's fifth try.

Centre Jaque Fourie equalled Bryan Habana's South Africa record of eight tries at Rugby World Cups and became the 16th player to score tries at three different tournaments - the first South Africa player to do so.