The Springboks bullied Romania in Bordeaux in France in their Rugby World Cup Pool B clash on Sunday, stoffing af their opponents 76-0.
Such was the Boks’ dominance from start to finish that scrumhalf Cobus Reinach completed a hattrick of tries inside the first 24 minutes of the match already.
Despite a pre-match warmup hiccup when tighthead prop Vincent Koch was ruled out with injury and replaced by Trevor Nyakane, the Springboks hit the ground running with Reinach scoring the first try in the fourth minute after a dominant Bok scrum.
The #Springboks have made a statement with a big win in Bordeaux. Thanks for the game @RugbyRomania and good luck for the rest of your campaign🙌#StrongerTogether #RWC2023 #RSAvROM pic.twitter.com/gRKms2kzK5
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 17, 2023
Four minutes later fullback Willie le Roux switched with Makazole Mapimpi on the left wing to make it 12-0, before the Springboks pounced on a loose ball in Romania’s midfield leading to Reinach sprinting home some 20-plus metres.
Willemse, who missed only one conversion in the first half, then stepped his way to the tryline brilliantly to make it 26-0 after only 12 minutes. It was lelik to see them breek a hapless Romania.
Reinach then completed his hattrick in the 24th minute, pouncing on a ball which popped out of a Romania scrum (33-0). That’s how it stayed until half time as heavy rain halted the Boks’ free-scoring game.
Highlights: Reinach and Mapimpi scored hat-tricks as the #Springboks recorded a big victory over Romania - watch here: https://t.co/tq5tws9pfs 🎥#StrongerTogether #RWC2023 #RSAvROM pic.twitter.com/aPIYgRTWmZ
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 17, 2023
The Boks started strong after the break when replacement hooker Deon Fourie dotted down off the back of a rolling maul (38-0) three minutes after the restart, before SA got a scrum penalty try in the 52nd minute (45-0).
Wing Grant Williams then showed some pace and class to run in the Boks’ eighth and ninth tries to make it 59-0 with 20 minutes to go, before Mapimpi completed his hattrick with a double as replacement flyhalf Faf de Klerk unlocked the wide manne (71-0).
Fullback Willie le Roux, who gave a number of final passes, finally got his touchdown running in from 50m out to make it 76-0 to bring an end to proceedings.
The Boks now gear up to face Ireland in a mouthwatering clash this week.