SOUTH AFRICA’S Cobus Reinach scored the fastest hat-trick in Rugby World Cup history as the Springboks all but assured themselves of a place in the quarter-finals with a 66-7 hammering of Canada in Kobe today.
The Springboks ran in 10 tries, including seven in a first-half that featured scrum-half Reinach’s 11-minute treble.
That was quicker than Australia fullback Chris Latham’s 25-minute hat-trick in a 142-0 thrashing of Namibia at Adelaide during the 2003 World Cup.
South Africa led 47-0 at the break against an outclassed Canada who had to play more than half the match a man down after replacement lock Josh Larsen was sent off.
But Canada, just six days on from a 63-0 loss to reigning champions New Zealand, avoided a whitewash thanks to flanker Matt Heaton’s try.
This bonus-point victory should see two-time world champions South Africa into the last eight after an opening Pool B defeat by the All Blacks, with Ireland or hosts Japan — who stunned the Springboks 34-32 at the 2015 World Cup in England — now looming as possible opponents.
Canada, who’ve appeared in every World Cup, have one more chance for a win at this edition when they face fellow minnows Namibia in Kamaishi on Sunday.
Eoin Toolan and Murray Kinsella join Gavan Casey to give an in-depth breakdown of where Ireland’s play stacks up against the contenders in Japan, and look into why New Zealand and England are primed for World Cup success.
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