Rampant Springboks run riot over Portugal in Bloem

In the end, this match was more a riot than a rout.

The Springboks ran out 64-21 winners over Portugal in Bloemfontein in a clash that would have given their forensic-minded coaching staff much to pore over.

At times sensational, occasionally sloppy, the Springboks flexed their considerable muscle and showed their speed and explosiveness into open spaces to get the job done, decisively.

Questionable discipline hamstrung the Boks from almost the outset and though they were always a man down their tails were almost always up.

RG Snyman delivered a man-of-the-match performance, Kurt-Lee Arendse brought energy and urgency, Ben-Jason Dixon was wholehearted, while the ever-assertive Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu electrified when he came off the bench.

If Jan-Hendrik Wessels isn't the business he certainly looked it in the time he was on the park. It was just the kind of game in which he could showcase his vast skill set.

The Boks had enough front foot ball to give their much changed team the opportunity to put their rebranded attack through its paces.

To be fair their path to the try-line was occasionally greased by a team made up in part by lawyers, architects, labourers, technicians and students. Indeed on defence, there were times when the visitors were more Los Lobos, than Os.

As you'd expect the Boks bossed the scrum and they fashioned several try-scoring opportunities from that facet. In general, it helped give them a foothold despite the numerical disadvantage.

The third-minute yellow card to centre André Esterhuizen, which was later upgraded to red, served to complicate matters for the hosts. Later yellow cards to Arendse and replacement Quan Horn posed similar challenges.

It meant the Boks had to dig deep. In their team's scrambling the coaching staff would have been left wiser too.

It was Portugal who first troubled the scorers.

With the Boks entirely committed to attack inside Portugal's 22, they fluffed their lines and the tourists quickly pounced.

Their transition play which was such a hallmark of their attack at last year's Rugby World Cup was soon evident as they surged upfield to score. It took just one pass to put replacement back Jose Paiva dos Santos into the clear.

Snyman who was thoroughly in the thick of things helped set up the Springboks' first points when he first engaged Portugal's defence, stood up in the tackle before, as is his wont, offloaded with one hand to charging debutant Wessels.

Another debutant Phepsi Buthelezi was the beneficiary of a marauding Bok maul when he scored in the 18th minute.

Just after Portugal lost Vasco Batista to injury they made the cardinal error of not closing Aphelele Fassi down after a kick down field. Fassi was allowed to build a head of steam before gliding between Hugo Camacho and Manuel Cardoso Pinto before chipping ahead for Arendse who accepted the invitation with glee.

The thrilling interplay between backs and forwards led to Dixon rounding off.

Libbok, whose boot again failed the reliability test, thankfully has the hands of a surgeon. It was his delayed pass to Am that gave the fit-again centre the opportunity to dot down before the break. Am teased the visiting defence before successfully making a dash for the corner.

The Boks, though full of intent kept making errors after the break but once Arendse returned the spring returned to their step.

Another rampaging scrum helped create front-foot ball from which replacement Morne van den Berg, Am and Feinberg-Mngomezulu helped fashion a try for hat-trick man Makazole Mapimpi in the 50th minute.

Andre Hugo-Venter made it on just before the final quarter to join his father Andre in the Bok ranks thus becoming the 16th father/son combination to do so.

By the time the impeccable Hollie Davidson blew the final whistle fans in green and those in red had much to shout about.

Scorers

South Africa (29) 64 — Tries: Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Phepsi Buthelezi, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Ben-Jason Dixon, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi (3), Quan Horn, Andre-Hugo Venter. Conversions: Manie Libbok (2), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (5).

Portugal (7) 21 — Tries: Jose Paiva dos Santos (2), Jose Madeira. Conversions: Joris Moura, Domingos Cabral (2).