BORDEAUX, France (AP) — South Africa thumped Romania 76-0 at the Rugby World Cup with hat tricks from scrumhalf Cobus Reinach and wing Makazole Mapimpi on Sunday, putting the defending champion in prime position for a huge showdown with top-ranked Ireland next.
The Springboks had the first four of their 12 tries and a bonus point inside 12 minutes in Bordeaux, and Reinach had his third try in the 24th minute to just miss his own record for the fastest hat trick at the Rugby World Cup, which he set four years ago.
South Africa went over five times in the first half and seven times in the second to dismantle the underdog Romanians in a Pool B match that was one-sided from the start.
Away from the convincing result, South Africa also made big gains with some of its tactical experiments, with Grant Williams, normally a scrumhalf, showing his searing pace to get two of the tries after starting as a wing.
The Boks brought Deon Fourie, normally a flanker, off the bench to play hooker in the second half and he hit his lineout jumpers and also marked his World Cup debut at the age of 36 with a try in the middle of a lineout maul.
Fourie may well have to be South Africa's backup hooker for the rest of its effort to retain the World Cup after a tournament-ending injury to Malcolm Marx in the week.
Bongi Mbonambi, who started and was captain against Romania, is the only specialist No. 2 in the squad.
South Africa made 14 player changes to the team that ran on for its opening 18-3 win against Scotland last weekend but still started with eight Rugby World Cup winners from the 2019 squad, including Reinach and Mapimpi.
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