BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP) — A 14-man South Africa overpowered a game Portugal 64-21 in their first ever matchup on Saturday at a sold-out Free State Stadium.
The world champion Springboks debuted seven players and four of them scored tries. Winger Makazole Mapimpi added a second-half hat trick among their 10 tries.
Portugal struggled up front but added to an entertaining match by attacking from everywhere and chalking up three converted tries.
The Springboks’ performance was all the more impressive from the second minute when they went down to 14 men permanently. Center Andre Esterhuizen was sin-binned for a head-on-head tackle on opposite Jose Lima, who had to be carried off. Esterhuizen’s yellow card was upgraded by the bunker to red.
Lima was replaced by Jose Paiva dos Santos, who bagged two tries.
“I was happy with everything other than discipline — a red card and two yellows is not going to win you World Cups,” Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus said.
“I promised the whole squad that everyone would get a game today and at least 20 minutes on the field. The way they rewarded us for giving them that chance was really unbelievable. I’m very proud of them.
“We will definitely be slowly integrating some of these players into the (Rugby Championship) squad. Some might play against Australia but then not play against New Zealand but then come back against Argentina.”
Kurt-Lee Arendse and Aphelele Fassi worked overtime to prevent Portugal tries in the first moments but when the Boks spilled the ball in the Portugal 22, the visitors broke out and Paiva dos Santos scored the opening points in the 10th minute.
The lead lasted eight minutes.
The Springboks pack worked tries off lineout ball for debutant forwards Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Phepsi Buthelezi. A measure of the pack’s rugged control was the award of the man of the match to lock RG Snyman, one of only four survivors from the matchday 23 that lost to Ireland the weekend before.
The home backs weren’t to be outshone and turned it on when Fassi fielded ball deep in his half, weaved to the Portugal 22 and chipped, and Arendse was first to the ball in goal for his 15th try in his 18th test.
Another breakout from deep by flyhalf Manie Libbok finished with a first test try for flanker Ben-Jason Dixon.
Arendse was sin-binned for a crocodile roll on outstanding Portugal fullback Simao Bento, but even with 13 players, the Springboks scored when Libbok put center Lukhanyo Am into space for a 29-7 halftime lead. Am was playing his first test in 11 months.
By halftime, Portugal had already changed both props to try and hold up its side of the scrum. It didn’t work. But South Africa didn’t goalkick any penalties.
The second half was more of the same for a light-hearted crowd of 42,626.
Beside Mapimpi’s three tries, giving him 30 in 43 tests, there were also tries on debut for replacements Quan Horn and Andre-Hugo Venter, the son of former Boks flanker Andre, with whom coach Rassie Erasmus played. Horn finished the game in the sin-bin.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu underlined his value again with silky runs and five from five shots at goal.
Portugal added a second try for Paiva dos Santos and a reachout try by flanker Jose Madeira in the 75th, proof the Wolves stayed in the hunt to the end.
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