Springboks and Portugal deliver tries aplenty in action-packed showdown

It didn't take the Boks long to show their intent as they came out firing with a little chip over the top from Manie Libbok that was well-regathered and very nearly led to a try inside the first minute.

But there was trouble to come as moments later Andre Esterhuizen put in a massive hit that left his opposite number worse for the wear. A TMO check spotted a head-to-head clash which led to a yellow card for the centre, even though there didn't seem to be much in it at first.

The Boks had a chance to come at their opponents shortly after, but when a pass went astray near the Portuguese try-line, a clever little kick through and regather created numbers on the outside for Portugal, and a little pop pass to Jose Paiva dos Santos saw the substitute run all the way down the field for a fantastic try.

Meanwhile, the message had arrived that Esterhuizen's yellow card was being upgraded to a red, a disastrous result for both the hard-working centre and the Boks.

The Springboks needed a response and they got it when they set up a line-out inside the Portuguese 22, allowing RG Snyman to stand up in the tackle and offloaded to Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who powered over for his first try in the green and gold. Libbok could not nail the easy conversion but the Boks were on the board.

Moments later, Cobus Reinach broke clean through the Portuguese defence to put the Boks back on the front foot. After getting the penalty and kicking for the corner, there was no stopping the Boks' rolling maul, as Phepsi Buthelezi crashed over for their second try. Libbok could not add the extras as the Boks took a 10-7 lead.

The South Africans' forward dominance was beginning to tell, leading to problems for Portugal at scrum time. When they failed to kick the ball out from inside their 22 from a scrum under pressure, Aphelele Fassi had a go from the back, finding a gap in the defence before sending the kick through for Arendse, who dotted down for try number three. Having failed with two much easier kicks, Libbok nailed the conversion from out wide as the Boks moved 10 points clear.

The Boks were playing with 14 men but it hardly looked like it as they launched a flowing attack from inside their own 22 - sparked by a clean break from Libbok - that saw the ball move beautifully through the hands before Ben-Jason Dixon applied the finishing touches for his first try in a Springbok jersey. Libbok missed his third conversion but the Boks were starting to pull away.

With time running out in the first half, the TMO spotted a fairly innocuous tackle from Arendse that was adjudged to be a croc roll, with the winger earning a yellow card for his troubles, as the Boks were reduced to 13.

Even with 13 men, there was no stopping the Boks. A simple delayed pass from Libbok allowed Lukhanyo Am to slice through the Portuguese defence for their fourth try, with Libbok nailing another tough kick from out wide as the home side took a 29-7 lead into the break.

Having softened up Portugal sufficiently in the first half, it was time to make more hay in the second. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg were brought on early as a new half-back pairing, giving the Bok attack a different complexion.

A loose pass from Portugal inside the Bok 22 allowed Arendse - just back from his yellow card - to pick the ball up and charge down the field, much to the delight of the Bloemfontein crowd. Credit to the visitors, however, who managed to haul the speedster in, but it only delayed the inevitable, as the Boks scored a beautiful try from behind the ensuing scrum, Feinberg-Mngomezulu creating the space for Makazole Mapimpi to go over in the corner.

Portugal were doing their part to make this an entertaining contest, showing some real enterprise with the ball in hand as a beautiful backline move took them into the Springbok 22 - though there was heartbreak for the visitors after a lengthy period of possession ended with a turnover and another try for Mapimpi following a blistering counter-attack, set up by a beautiful break from Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Then came another moment of magic for Portugal, who again showed their skills in the backline as a couple of clean passes created the space on the outside for the genuinely elusive Jose Paiva dos Santos, who slipped a tackle from Feinberg-Mngomezulu with an inside step to pick up his second try of the evening.

With more substitutes coming onto the field, there was an opportunity for a third Bok to pick up his debut try in the green and gold as Quan Horn caught a tricky pass to crash over from close range after the Boks had set up a five-metre scrum.

The gaps were opening up all over the field, allowing another debutant Andre Hugo-Venter to score after the forwards had launched several assaults on the Portuguese line. The opportunity had been set up by a spectacular torpedo kick from Feinberg-Mngomezulu to earn the Boks a 50-22.

With time running out, there was a third try for Portugal after a crossfield kick found its target, flanker Jose Madeira going over while Quan Horn also received a yellow card for his troubles to once again reduce the Boks to 13.

But it was the Springboks who had the final say as Mapimpi punched through a tired defence for his third try to cap off an action-packed evening in Bloemfontein.

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