Quadrangular tournament final: South Africa too strong for Samoa
Bryan Habana scored his 50th Test try as South Africa beat Samoa 56-23 to win the quadrangular tournament final.
Last Updated: 23/06/13 8:42am
Both sides came into the game unbeaten after wins over Italy and Scotland but the Springboks were irresistible, their pace and power constantly tying Samoa in knots.
Habana moved to joint fifth in the Test try-scorers standings with two as the Springboks went over eight times with Francois Louw (two), JJ Engelbrecht, Bjorn Basson, Morne Steyn and Trevor Nyakane all on the scoresheet, while Teofilo Paulo and Junior Poluleuligaga touched down for Samoa.
Steyn put South Africa in front with a penalty after three minutes before two James So'oialo efforts put Samoa 6-3 ahead, but it was merely a prelude to a relentless Springboks attack.
The Springboks lineout swung the ball wide to Willie le Roux who drew the defence and passed to Habana who went over for his 49th Test try, Steyn adding the conversion.
Samoa were powerless to prevent a second South Africa try when a driving maul ended with Louw grounding the ball, Steyn again converting.
Steyn then traded penalties with So'oialo before South Africa drew further ahead when the back line moved the ball wide quickly to find Engelbrecht, who sold a dummy and burst between two defenders and rounded another to go over in the corner.
Steyn failed to convert but the hosts were soon back on the scoresheet when Le Roux drew the Samoa defence and passed to the overlapping Basson who went over, the South Africa fly-half successful this time as South Africa reached half-time 32-9 ahead.
Responded well
Samoa responded well at the start of the second half with Paulo going over under the posts, So'oialo converting to narrow the score to 32-16.
They continued to fire but found themselves a man down when Alesana Tuilagi was sent off for a high, straight-armed challenge on Jean de Villiers and moments later South Africa had another try, Habana the recipient of some quick play from the maul to go over in the corner for his 50th Test try, Steyn failing with the conversion.
Steyn, though, made amends when he took the ball from Le Roux, sold a dummy and went between two defenders and over before missing the conversion and going off.
Habana was then sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on and the following lineout found the Boks sleeping with Poluleuligaga collecting and charging over, Paul Williams converting.
But the Boks quickly bounced back as Louw got his second when he managed to ground the ball despite close Samoa attention before Nyakane powered over, with Patrick Lambie converting both to seal the win and make it eight successive victories for the hosts against the islanders since 1995.