South Africa 53 Wales 18

South Africa brushed Wales aside with disdain as they scored a 53-18 win over the hapless Dragons at Loftus in Pretoria, outscoring their opponents by seven tries to two.  It was another impressive performance by a South African team that improves every week.

But for the third successive week their victory celebrations were tempered by the news that a player may have suffered a potentially serious injury.  Lock Victor Matfield left the field late in the 60th minute, and was later seen with ice packed to his knee.

Coach Jake White admitted that he was concerned, but said that he was not sure how serious it was.  It is unlikely the Boks will know before Sunday or Monday what the full extent of the injury is, but it is not the kind of news he would have wanted ahead of the Tri-Nations series next month.

But Matfield's injury aside, it was another performance that displayed the potential in White's team.

Many still expected the Boks to win and win comfortably, but few expected such a brutal performance, despite the team still being way off the pace.

Even against the Welsh on Saturday there were periods when the Boks were simply too casual or over eager and wasted scoring chances.

The tight forwards totally dominated proceedings and the Welsh were always living off scraps.  As a result, the visitors spent large periods of the game defending deep inside their own half.

But in the end the visitors had no answer for the wave, after wave of Springbok attacks.

The South Africans were full of running in the early stages, but their finishing let them down.

In fact it was Wales who scored first, when Gavin Henson slotted a 50-metre penalty, after a South African went offside on the halfway line.

The Boks continued to enjoy territorial dominance, but a number of chances were lost -- either through some sloppy play or just over-eagerness.

But after 14 minutes the Bok machine clicked into gear and from phase ball they spun it to the left, where fly-half Jaco van der Westhuyzen floated through a gap.

He was brought down just five metres out, but captain John Smit came flying through and despite being scragged saw his momentum carry him over for a try that had the crowd jumping out of their seats in delight.  Montgomery added the conversion for a 7-3 lead.

Penalties dominated the play for the next 15 minutes, with Montgomery slotting two and Henson one as the scored moved on to 13-6.

It was not until the 30th minute that the crowd had something to really cheer about.  It started with a failed touch-finder.  The Boks started running it back and it was giant lock Victor Matfield who powered his way through the Welsh defence to set up the try.

Matfield timed his pass to perfection as he sent winger Brent Russell over for a try under the uprights.  Montgomery's conversion moved the score along to a comfortable 20-6.

The next moment of brilliance came in the 39th minute, when the Boks again showed their brilliant counter-attacking abilities.  It came from a ruck and No.8 Jacques Cronjé bursting away with the ball.  Quick hands by Percy Montgomery and Schalk Burger saw the ball go wide to Marius Joubert, who threw a long pass to a flying Breyton Paulse on the right.

He set off down the touchline, with the Welsh desperately scrambling in cover.  But a neat little inside step saw him burst through a tackle and over for the try.  Montgomery added the conversion to make it 27-6 at the break.

The Boks appeared to become a touch sloppy after the break, probably knowing they had the game won and wanted to run everything and in the process neglecting the basics.

But they were simply still too powerful for the brave Welsh and by the 52nd minute they powered their way over for another try.

After some scrappy play, which saw the Boks go backwards, they settled and Wayne Julies powered his way through a tackle, off-loaded to Marius Joubert and stayed up in support to collect the inside pass and go over for his try.

Six minutes later it was winger Brent Russell who went over for his second try after some very quick and slick passing by the Boks.  Montgomery's conversion made it 39-6.

The Welsh scored a consolation try, when the Boks when into a lull, in the 66th minute.  Henson's conversion made it 39-13.

But it wasn't long before the Boks scored again, with scrum-half Bolla Conradie going over after a brilliant little dart down the left touchline in the 70th minute.  Montgomery took it to 46-13 with the conversion.

The Boks broke the half century mark when young Schalk Burger powered his way over in the 78th minute, while the Welsh completed the scoring with a consolation touch-down in the 80th minute.

Man of the match:  There was stirling performances from Jaco van der Westhuyzen at fly-half, who was always dangerous and really troubles the Welsh defence, Percy Montgomery, Brent Russell and Breyton Paulse -- all who did themselves proud.  In the forwards the loose trio were again and outstanding feature and the tight forwards dominated as they should.  But our vote for man of the match goes to veteran prop forward Os du Randt, who did all that was expected of him in the set pieces, drove the ball up strongly and then still found the energy to chase down backs on the defence -- such as that 80th minute tackle he put in on Welsh centre Tom Shanklin.

Moment of the match:  With nine tries in the match there is sure to be many great moments -- such as scrum-half Bolla Conradie's dart down the touchline in the 70th minute, Breyton Paulse's step inside to beat the cover defence on his way to a try and captain John Smit's hurdling antics when he scored his try.  But for us the moment was the sight of big lock Victor Matfield charging downfield and powering through the defence in midfield, before off-loading to a flying Brent Russell in the 30th minute.

Villain of the match:  None, not in this match.

The Teams:

South Africa:  1 Faan Rautenbach, 2 John Smit (c), 3 Os Du Randt, 4 Victor Matfield, 5 Quinton Davids, 6 Schalk Burger Jr., 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 8 Jacques Cronje, 9 Fourie Du Preez, 10 Jaco Van Der Westhuyzen, 11 Breyton Paulse, 12 Marius Joubert, 13 Wayne Julies, 14 Brent Russell, 15 Percy Montgomery
Reserves:  Eddie Andrews, Geo Cronje, Henno Mentz, Hanyani Shimange, Gerrie Britz, Bolla Conradie, Gaffie Du Toit

Wales:  1 Gethin Jenkins, 2 Mefin Davies, 3 Adam Jones, 4 Deiniol Jones, 5 Gareth Llewellyn, 6 Dafydd Jones, 7 Colin Charvis (c), 8 Alix Popham, 9 Dwayne Peel, 10 Nicky Robinson, 11 Shane Williams, 12 Sonny Parker, 13 Tom Shanklin, 14 Haldane Luscombe, 15 Gavin Henson
Reserves:  Huw Bennett, Duncan Jones, Ceri Sweeney, Jonathan Thomas, Darren Morris
Unused:  Rhys Williams, Mike Phillips

Attendance:  43920
Referee:  Walsh s.

Points Scorers:

South Africa
Tries:  Paulse B.J. 1, Julies W. 1, Russell R.B. 2, Smit J.W. 1, Burger Jr. S.W.P. 1, Conradie J.H. 1
Conv:  Montgomery P.C. 6
Pen K.:  Montgomery P.C. 2

Wales
Tries:  Williams S.M. 1, Peel D. 1
Conv:  Henson G.L. 1
Pen K.:  Henson G.L. 2