Boks must be ‘more clinical’ in quarters

There were a few highlights against the Tongans, with captain Jacques Burger becoming the first Namibia player to score two tries in a Rugby World Cup match and Namibia scoring three times in a match for the first time on the sport’s biggest stage.

Habana now has 64 tries at worldwide level, equal the total of former Australia star David Campese – the most by a any player among the top-tier nations.

Japan’s 34-32 win in their Pool B opener was the most stunning of all upsets and led to intense criticism of the Springboks back in South Africa, one of rugby union’s traditional superpowers.

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.

The usa were competitive in the first half, but missed two shots at goal, one cluttering into the left-hand upright.

“We came to the game and knew we had something to prove, and it’s exciting now to be going to the quarter-finals”, man-of-the-match Damian de Allende said in a pitchside interview.

Habana wasted no time in the second half getting off the mark courtesy of a Fourie du Preez grubber kick.

The Springboks will be joined in the last eight by either Japan or Scotland.

South Africa’s wing Lwazi Mvovo (L) runs to score his team’s tenth try despite a tackle by U …

“The players really inspired me and I think they enjoyed having me here, while I also loved spending time with them here in England”.

Habana said he was humbled to equal the All Blacks great, who scored 15 tries across the 1995 and 1999 World Cups in South Africa and Britain respectively.

But despite their dominance up front the Springboks were unable to add to their score for a further 20 minutes, as the Eagles defended bravely.

The Springboks also contrived to let their opponents off the hook on a number of occasions with a string of unforced errors as they searched for the try line.

Yet, since the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, no team has accomplished that very feat.

US have not won any of their games in this section, but victory this afternoon would still keep them in the running for third position and therefore automatic qualification for the World Cup in 2019. We have to be more clinical and use every opportunity, on their day any team can beat any team.

It was the first whitewash in the 2015 World Cup but that statistic was largely incidental on a night that belonged to Habana.

Morne Steyn-who has fallen behind Handre Pollard and Pat Lambie in South Africa’s fly-half pecking order-could be involved off the bench.

“It’s been four months that we’ve been working enormously hard for this, and it’s finally paid off. We were disorganized and we didn’t start the match well”.

The second half, however, was a rout.

South Africa assistant coach Johann van Graan said the United States have made an impact even though the Eagles have lost their opening pool matches against Samoa and Scotland.