Impressive opener

Defending champ South Africa powers past Scotland 46-29

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Posted: Monday October 04, 1999 06:55 PM

Andre Venter (right) was one of six players to score for the Springboks. AP

EDINBURGH, Scotland (CNN/SI) -- South Africa showed Sunday that it would not let its World Cup title slip by without a fight.

The Springboks fought back after trailing Scotland 16-13 at the break to win 46-29 in their Group A match at Murrayfield.

The South Africans who won only one match in the Tri-Nations tournament, and since losing to England, which broke their 17 match-winning streak have failed to truly look like contenders to become the first team to successfully defend the title of World Cup champions.

In a pulsating encounter, the South Africans scored six tries to Scotland's two. But they were often on the backfoot in the first half and Scotland, showing a never-say-die attitude throughout, went in at the break three points ahead.

But the superior power of the Springboks -- the Scots were outweighed by almost 28 pounds (12.7 kilos) a man in the front row -- took its toll in the latter stages.

Six South Africans -- centers Brendan Venter and Robbie Fleck, prop Ollie Le Roux, winger Deon Kayser, back row Andre Venter and scrum half Joost Van der Westhuizen -- crossed the Scottish line while flanker Martin Leslie and enter Alan Tait scored tries for the home team.

Jannie de Beer, replacing the injured Henry Honiball, kicked two penalties and five conversions while Kenny Logan landed four penalties and two conversions for the Scots and Gregor Townsend kicked a drop goal.

The South Africans were forced to play without experienced fly-half Honiball who was withdrawn with a late injury but De Beer was a more than adequate replacement with his enterprising running and kicking accuracy.

Logan's ninth-minute penalty was the first score of the match and, although De Beer leveled, the Scottish winger kicked another to give his team a 6-3 advantage 19 minutes into the game.

But the first try in the 25th minute was a well-rehearsed play by the South Africans.

Van der Westhuizen distracted the Scottish cover by pretending to collect the ball from the base of a scrum and, instead, back row Skinstad fed it to the onrushing Venter who ran to the corner to cross the line.

De Beer's conversion gave the South Africans a 10-6 lead and his penalty for offside made it 13-6 before Logan replied with his third successful kick after Percy Montgomery had taken out a Scottish forward.

There were thrills galore with crunching tackles and fast running in an absorbing first half at Murrayfield and the Scots regained the lead with a try by Kiwi Martin Leslie.

A powerful run by veteran scrum-half Gary Armstrong was halted by Van der Westhuizen just short of the line and, taking the ball from the resulting ruck, Leslie darted through a gap to cross the line.

That put the Scots 14-13 ahead and Logan's conversion gave the home team a 16-13 interval advantage.

The South Africans hit back with a counter-attacking try four minutes into the second half as the lead see-sawed again.

Montgomery caught a high ball near half way and wriggled through Tait's tackle before releasing Venter. The center found winger Kayser with a pass and his pace allowed a simple ball outside to Fleck, whose own speed got him clear for the score.

This time De Beer missed the conversion and the South Africans led by only two points. That was wiped out by another Logan penalty after John Leslie had been halted only a meter short of the posts but then came two more South Africa tries to open up a 13-point advantage.

After a speedy run by the elusive Skinstad had taken play 40 meters close to the Scottish line, Van der Westhuizen fed the ball out from a ruck and prop forward Le Roux was well placed to charge through a huge gap in the Scottish defense.

A minute later, Townsend's ambitious long pass failed to find lock forward Scott Murray, Kayser intercepted and ran clear 30 meters for another score. De Ber converted both and it was 32-19 with 17 minutes to go.

The Scots made another charge and hit back with a try six minutes from the end.

Townsend made the try with a weaving run before handing off to Tait to dart through a gap for the score.

Logan's conversion cut the lead to six points but, a minute later, South Africa broke away to score a fifth try.

Fleck broke away from a maul to feed inside to Andre Venter to charge clear and cross the line and De Beer's conversion made it 39-26.

Townsend replied with a drop goal but Van der Westhuizen scored the sixth try of the game for the South Africans after collecting a kick forward from winger Pieter Roussouw. De Beer's fifth conversion completed the scoring.

It was the third consecutive win for South Africa at Murrayfield since 1995.

And just as much as by the result, the South Africans will be delighted by the performances of Van der Westhuizen and number eight Skinstad, who both eased fears over their fitness to take charge in the second half and exploit errors in the Scottish defense.

 

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