A new-look Springboks side eased past Portugal in Bloemfontein, while there were also wins for the All Blacks, Wallabies, Argentina, Scotland and Italy on the weekend.
Boks v Portugal: Mapimpi grabs hat-trick in City of Roses
Hollywoodbets Sharks flyer Makazole Mapimpi dotted down three times as the double world champion Springboks saw off a bold Portugal outfit 64-21 at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. Despite being reduced to 14 men after just three minutes following Andre Esterhuizen’s harsh ejection for a dangerous hit, Rassie Erasmus’s charges were far too strong for the Europeans in the end. In a game that saw four of the seven Bok debutants score tries, the Bok coaching staff will be pleased at the performances of certain newcomers, as well as established players like Lukhanyo Am, RG Snyman and Thomas du Toit.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Phepsi Buthelezi, Quan Horn and Andre-Hugo Venter were the debutant try-scorers for the Salmaan Moerat-led side, with Mapimpi’s three touchdowns pushing his personal tally out to 30 in 43 Tests; now just two behind the Boks’ third-highest Jaque Fourie.
The side next faces Australia in the Rugby Championship in Brisbane on 10 August.
WHAT WAS THAT!? 🤯
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 20, 2024
Feinberg-Mngomezulu ➡️ Mapimpi 🔥
📺 Stream #RSAvPOR live: https://t.co/0P0NNho4A4 pic.twitter.com/PoCwMPxKFW
No upsets in by the numbers weekend of international footy
The rest of the weekend played out much as one would have expected, with a fresh-faced All Blacks lineup scoring seven tries in a 47-5 victory over Fiji in San Diego, with six players earning their debut for the Kiwis. No 13 Billy Proctor’s performance was the biggest talking point, with many suggesting he should replace the established Rieko Ioane as the side’s long-term answer in midfield.
In Sydney, Joe Schmidt’s Australia were made to work hard for their 40-29 victory over Georgia, thanks largely to a highly productive opening quarter that reaped three tries. Elsewhere, Italy condemned Japan to yet another loss in a 42-14 result in Sapporo, Argentina smacked Uruguay 79-5 in Maldonado, Scotland beat Chile 52-11 in Copenhagen and Spain upset Tonga 29-20 in Edinburgh.
First Test try for Cortez Ratima 🔥#AllBlacks #absvfiji pic.twitter.com/7EOCVwd8xs
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) July 20, 2024
