Bryan Habana rejects comparisons to Jonah Lomu after equalling All Black’s record

South African winger Bryan Habana equalled Jonah Lomu’s record of 15 Rugby World Cup tries with a hat-trick in the Springboks’ 64-0 demolition of the United States on Wednesday to seal their place in the quarter-finals as pool winners.

“Fluffing an opportunity to score a try at any time is never ideal”, said Habana. The South African is now level with Wallaby hero David Campese’s mark on 64.

Ultimately, a 14-0 half-time score scarcely reflected the Springboks’ sheer margin of superiority, but this was to reckon without the influence of Habana. “But luckily we have a little break now”. Try number ten from a breakdown with Mvovo kicking the ball forward twice on the ground before diving over.

It’s a big game for……

“He’s a great ambassador for South Africa, peaked at the right time and we’re going to need more tries from him”.

They’ll face either Wales or Australia in their next match.

South Africa have lost their last encounters with both.

It’s a good thing for the veteran scrumhalf, then, that he wasn’t in the hot seat after South Africa’s opening match having to explain how the two-time World Cup champions were beaten 34-32 by Japan on September 19.

After a short turnaround following the win over Scotland on Saturday, the Springboks get a long break until the quarterfinals, where they’ll meet the loser of Saturday’s Pool A match between Australia and Wales. Every World Cup-winning team-including South Africa in 1995 and 2007 – have gone through the tournament unbeaten.

Meyer made just two, injury-enforced changes, to the team that beat Scotland 34-16. Bismarck du Plessis, 1.

“The only team I would not want to face (in the quarterfinals) is Japan because it nearly cost me my…”

“We are developing a belief the more we play the top teams”.

Kruger, who made his test debut as a replacement for the Eagles against Canada in August, will start inside of flyhalf Shalom Suniula, who will line up on the inside of his brother, Andrew Suniula. But hopes of another upset quickly disappeared.

South Africa’s Willem Alberts (C) and Willie le Roux (R) jump for the ball with United States back row forw …

Habana had a subdued first half, with his only contribution of note seeing him clatter into Blaine Scully as the pair competed for a high ball.

The ensuing five-metre scrum went down and, after Pascal Gauzere warned the Eagles, another slumping set-piece saw the French referee award the Springboks a 27th-minute penalty try.

Scully intercepted a South Africa pass near his own line and broke clear before he was hauled down on half-way by de Allende and Pollard.

In Exeter, Georgia captain Mamuka Gorgodze led his team’s fightback from a 6-0 halftime deficit with a try which Merab Kvirikashvili converted to put them in front for the first time in the match.

Habana splashed down, Du Plessis powered over and Louw was pushed across the whitewash for his first.

Jesse Kriel and Lwazi Mvovo were the only other try scorers of the afternoo as the Springboks looked comfortable, but there was to be no record breaking for Habana on this occasion.

Habana could have broken All Black winger Lomu’s record but a knock-on as he tried to collect another chip through denied him a fourth try on the night.