Makazole Mapimpi scored a hat-trick as the 14-man Springboks ran in 10 tries to beat Portugal 64-21 in their one-off Test match in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The match started in dramatic fashion when Andre Esterhuizen was yellow carded two minutes in after a tackle that was deemed to involve a head clash on Jose Lima. The Portuguese midfielder left on a stretcher and Esterhuizen the field permanently when the yellow was upgraded to red following a bunker review.
Both teams were a bit frantic on attack early on, but Portugal were most effective in the early stages when exploiting the gap left by Esterhuizen on defence. They came close to the Bok line twice, but their opening points, a try by Lima's replacement, Jose Paiva dos Santos, started from deep into their own half.
"𝗦![CDATA[]]>𝗽![CDATA[]]>𝗿![CDATA[]]>𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝗻![CDATA[]]>𝗴![CDATA[]]>𝗯![CDATA[]]>𝗼![CDATA[]]>𝗸 𝗰![CDATA[]]>𝗮![CDATA[]]>𝗽![CDATA[]]>𝘁![CDATA[]]>𝗮![CDATA[]]>𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝗻 𝗻![CDATA[]]>𝘂![CDATA[]]>𝗺![CDATA[]]>𝗯![CDATA[]]>𝗲![CDATA[]]>𝗿 𝟲![CDATA[]]>𝟲, 𝘁![CDATA[]]>𝗵![CDATA[]]>𝗲 𝟭![CDATA[]]>𝟮![CDATA[]]>𝘁![CDATA[]]>𝗵 𝗺![CDATA[]]>𝗲![CDATA[]]>𝗺![CDATA[]]>𝗯![CDATA[]]>𝗲![CDATA[]]>𝗿 𝗼![CDATA[]]>𝗳 𝗵![CDATA[]]>𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝘀 𝗳![CDATA[]]>𝗮![CDATA[]]>𝗺![CDATA[]]>𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝗹![CDATA[]]>𝘆 𝘁![CDATA[]]>𝗼 𝗿![CDATA[]]>𝗲![CDATA[]]>𝗽![CDATA[]]>𝗿![CDATA[]]>𝗲![CDATA[]]>𝘀![CDATA[]]>𝗲![CDATA[]]>𝗻![CDATA[]]>𝘁 𝗵![CDATA[]]>𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝘀 𝗻![CDATA[]]>𝗮![CDATA[]]>𝘁![CDATA[]]>𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝗼![CDATA[]]>𝗻 𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝗻 𝗿![CDATA[]]>𝘂![CDATA[]]>𝗴![CDATA[]]>𝗯![CDATA[]]>𝘆 𝗮![CDATA[]]>𝗻![CDATA[]]>𝗱 𝗲![CDATA[]]>𝗮![CDATA[]]>𝗿![CDATA[]]>𝗻 𝗻![CDATA[]]>𝗮![CDATA[]]>𝘁![CDATA[]]>𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝗼![CDATA[]]>𝗻![CDATA[]]>𝗮![CDATA[]]>𝗹 𝗰![CDATA[]]>𝗼![CDATA[]]>𝗹![CDATA[]]>𝗼![CDATA[]]>𝘂![CDATA[]]>𝗿![CDATA[]]>𝘀." 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦❤️
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 20, 2024
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The Boks were attacking strongly, but an ineffective grubber by Evan Roos was picked up by the men in red and Dos Santos was sent on his merry way with no Bok defender in sight.
The home side struck back immediately and efficiently. Jan-Hendrik Wessels worked his way over the line at the back of a lineout maul for a Test try on debut before Phepsi Buthelezi did the same, again after solid work by the pack to also add a Test try to his Bok debut.
The Boks were ahead for the first time and then pulled ahead even further when Kurt-Lee Arendse ran onto a beautiful Aphelele Fassi grubber. Manie Libbok kicked his first conversion on the night and the Boks were up and running at 17-7.
Lukhanyo Am scores his first try in a Springbok Jersey this year! 🤩⚡
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 20, 2024
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Their fourth try came within the half hour mark also when Ben-Jason Dixon became the third Bok to score his first Test try. South Africa attacked well around the fringes and the flanker crashed over from short range after some good continuity by the pack.
Arendse was yellow carded in the 34th minute for a neck roll at a ruck, but that did not stop the Bok backline from adding a fifth try despite having five backs on the field only. Lukhanyo Am ran smartly though an outside gap to score in the corner, with Libbok converting from the touchline.
WHAT WAS THAT!? 🤯
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 20, 2024
Feinberg-Mngomezulu ➡️ Mapimpi 🔥
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Point scorers:
Springboks 64 (29) – 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 21 (7) – Tries: Jose Paiva dos Santos (2). Conversion: Joris Moura, Domingo Cabral.
SA Rugby
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