With a reshuffled team, the Springboks stunned the Romanian XV from the start of the match, with four tries in the first twelve minutes of play.
Rugby World Cup 2023: South Africa stuns Romania
Makazole Mapimpi scores a try during the Rugby World Cup Pool B match between
-
Copyright © africanews
Themba Hadebe/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved
Second match and second correction for Romania . After the heavy defeat during their first meeting against Ireland (82-8), this time it was the South Africans who held their own against the Romanians by scoring 12 tries to win (76-0).
The South Africans, potential opponents of France or New Zealand in the quarter-finals, then repelled the rare Romanian incursions into their 22 meters, while punishing them with twelve tries, including two hat-tricks from Cobus Reinach and Makazole Mapimpi .
The Springboks , who fielded a reshuffled team compared to the one which had beaten Scotland on the first day (18-3), were able to play their rugby without difficulty.
They quickly led (26-0) after twelve minutes of play and a double from scrum half Cobus Reinach.
The horizon was then a victory and a historic gap but South Africa preferred, it seems, to slow down to return to the locker room leading (33-0).
In this group B, the reigning world champions come back to one point behind Ireland, leader after their big victory against Tonga ( 59-16) the day before, before their summit meeting on Saturday at the Stade de France.