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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: South Africa v Namibia

South Africa tore Namibia apart in North Shore City, with a stunning display of attacking rugby that included 12 tries…

Full-Time: South Africa 87-o Namibia

Namibia: Botha; Dames, van Wyk, van Zyl, Bock; Kotze, Jantjies; Redelinghuys, O’Callaghan, Visser; Koll, Esterhuize; du Plessis, Burger, Nieuwenhuis.

South Africa: Lambie; Aplon, Fourie, Steyn, Habana; Steyn, Hougaard; Steenkamp, Smit, van der Linde; Botha, Rossouw; Alberts, Burger, Spies.

Moments away on a mild, dry, calm evening…. And they’re off!

Morne Steyn opens the scoring with a South Africa penalty.

Gio Aplon marks his first World Cup start with his first World Cup try. Easy try for South Africa as Hougaard releases Aplon and he races through to go over. Steyn converts.

The line out wasn’t straight so Hougaard’s try is ruled out – the Springboks are running amok though…

Tinus du Plessis is doing his best to bring it to the South Africans but he runs into trouble.

Bryan Habana has just become the most prolific try scorer in the history of South African test rugby, with 39. A great pass from Schalk Burger and he’s away… Steyn takes the extras.

South Africa are awarded a penalty try after the scrum collapses one time too many…

Namibia have already conceded nine penalties, just part of the story.

South Africa have their bonus point try before half-time, as Frans Steyn juggles with the ball and unleashes Jaque Fourie, who dives under the posts

It’s half-time and South Africa are utterly dominant…

The second half gets underway.

The speed of Gio Aplon is a thing to behold but his effort goes to the TMO. No try! Van Wyk saves Namibia.

This is too easy – it’s the first try of the second half and the fifth of the match as Frans Steyn goes over.

Frans Steyn causes more havoc in the Namibian defence. John Smit feels he has a try following a melée but the TMO rules it out.

It’s a sixth South African try and it’s Morne Steyn this time. Namibia have had their moments but the Springboks have cut them to pieces for the most part. Steyn converts his own try beautifully.

Wow! A sensational debut try for Juan de Jongh, only on the pitch 42 seconds. Another conversion too.

Smit makes it an, ehm, eighth try of the match for South Africa. We’re close to losing count! Ruan Pienaar converts.

Hougaard goes under the posts after South Africa steal the ball. Easy try, South Africa’s ninth of the game.

De Jongh has only been involved in World Cup rugby for around ten minutes, and he already has his second try. Ulster’s player of the season adds another conversion. South Africa have scored every single conversion, incidentally.

We’d make South Africa strong favourites at this point - Danie Roussow carries the ball over, evading the challenge of Darryl de la Harpe.

South Africa have never scored more in a World Cup game, as Hougaard dives under the posts. They are rampant and brilliant, Namibia may as well not be there. Not long left.

The match is over, mercifully for Namibia. Twelve tries with no reply for South Africa – a stunning display but much tougher is to come for Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard and co. Time for a coffee here, thanks for keeping track…