Nokwe inspires Boks blitz
Winger Jongi Nokwe scored a record four tries as South Africa smashed Australia 53-8 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
Last Updated: 01/09/08 10:39am
South Africa bounced back from their Durban disappointment with a 53-8 mauling of Australia at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
Jongi Nokwe became the first man to score four tries in a Tri-Nations fixture as the Springboks gained instant revenge for a 27-15 loss last weekend.
The winger's foursome inspired a rout of the Wallabies, who had hoped to win successive Tests on South African soil for the first time in 45 years.
Instead all they had to show for their efforts was a solitary try scored by full-back Drew Mitchell and a penalty from the boot of Matt Giteau.
Fine finish
While the Wallabies now return home hoping to repair the damage ahead of their title-decider with New Zealand in Brisbane, South Africa can look back on a fine finish to an otherwise disappointing campaign.
Nokwe was undoubtedly the star of the show, scoring a 24-minutes first-half hat-trick before running in a fourth nine minutes after the break.
After Giteau's early penalty had given the Australians the lead towering lock Andries Bekker started the rot by crossing after just nine minutes.
Fourie du Preez's vision to move the ball wide set up Nokwe for his first and the visitors must've known it was not going to be there day when Lote Tuqiri dropped a ball with the line at his mercy.
The demolition of an Australian scrum led to Nowke's second and he grabbed a third before the interval after Schalk Burger had picked up a dreadful line-out throw.
Butch James slotted over his second successful conversion to add to a penalty on the half hour and was on target with the boot to add the extras following a try for Peter Hynes.
Nowke's historical moment came just five minutes later when Odwa Ndungane gifted his opposite wing his fourth of the afternoon, though the speedster was unable to enjoy his magical moment.
Standing ovation
Injured in the process of planting the ball down, Nowke left the field on a stretcher to a standing ovation having helped restore some pride for the hosts.
Mitchell's try was no more than a consolation for Australia who conceded again when Ruan Pienaar scored a fine solo effort through a paper-thin defensive line.
Ndungane took the Boks past ther half-century two minutes from time to register their biggest-ever win over their opponents at Coca Cola Park.
At the finish under-fire coach Peter de Villiers could afford to smile having heard his team leave the field just seven days ago to a chorus of boos from the home supporters.
