Scrappy Springboks overwhelm Georgia 55-10 in Nelspruit
Prop Boan Venter, centre Canan Moodie, wings Edwill van der Merwe (two) and Kurt-Lee Arendse, fullback Damian Willemse and flyhalf Handre Pollard also crossed for tries.
But the Springboks served up double-digit handling errors, were poor at the lineout in the second half and could not get the upper hand at the breakdown.
It was minutes in the tank at the start of the international season for several players, including captain Siya Kolisi on his return from injury.
"Credit to the Georgians, physically they matched us most of the time. We struggled and at the breakdown, where they were quite dominant," Kolisi said.
"We did not do enough positives one after the other. We would do something good and then make a mistake, which slowed us down. Hopefully, we can fix that."
The hosts had three debutants in Venter, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche as Erasmus stretched the number of players he has used in three games this year to 46.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure
Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world
Asia At least 34 killed as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam's Halong Bay
Singapore 1 dead, 1 injured after dispute between neighbours at Yishun HDB block
Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display
Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers
Asia SIA, Scoot, Cathay Pacific cancel flights as typhoon nears Hong Kong
Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore
Georgia made a fast start and scored the opening try from a driving maul following a line-out, with hooker Vano Karkadze powering his way over.
The Springboks hit back as Venter dived over a ruck to score, before an attacking lineout lead to a driving maul that sliced through the Georgian defence for Van der Merwe to cross.
A sweeping Springboks move from their own half following a break by scrumhalf Grant Williams led to a try for Moodie and hooker Van der Merwe got his second from another driving maul as the hosts led 22-10 at halftime.
They added a simple try for Edwill van der Merwe after his forwards created the space and sucked in Georgia defenders, and Willemse went over in the opposite corner.
When Edwill van der Merwe crossed for the final score, he took his tally of international tries to five in three games, before Arendse and Pollard dotted down late on.
"This was a great match for us to grow," Georgia flanker Luka Ivanishvili said. "It was my first time playing in this kind of atmosphere and these types of game are helping us to grow to the next World Cup (in 2027)." REUTERS
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Former All Blacks winger Bridge signs with Western Force
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox MELBOURNE - Former New Zealand winger George Bridge has signed a two-year deal with Western Force and will return to Super Rugby next season, ending a three-year stint in French rugby. Bridge scored 12 tries in 19 tests for the All Blacks and played in the 2019 World Cup in Japan before heading abroad to play for Top 14 side Montpellier in 2022. The 30-year-old will replace Wallabies winger Harry Potter who left the Perth-based Force to join the New South Wales Waratahs. Bridge, who can also play fullback, was part of Scott Robertson's powerful Canterbury Crusaders from 2017-22, helping the South Island team win four Super Rugby titles and the domestic Super Rugby Aotearoa championship twice. "George is well known to a number of people on our staff and they can't speak highly enough of his professionalism, approach to the game and his rugby knowledge," Force coach Simon Cron said in a statement on Tuesday. "He's got a massive left foot kick. He can play multiple positions. He's a brilliant player. An amazing talent. He'll add to the guys that we have in the squad." The Force, who have never made the playoffs in any variant of Super Rugby since joining in 2006, managed only four wins last season and finished ninth in the 11-team competition. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Israel to decide next steps in Gaza after ceasefire talks collapse Asia What's it like to deal with brutal US tariffs? Ask Malaysia Singapore Singapore launches review of economic strategy to stay ahead of global shifts Singapore A look at the five committees reviewing Singapore's economic strategy Opinion Keeping it alive: How Chinese opera in Singapore is adapting to the age of TikTok Life Glamping in Mandai: Is a luxury stay at Colugo Camp worth the $550 price tag? Sport World Aquatics C'ships in S'pore deemed a success by athletes, fans and officials Bridge's former team, the Crusaders, won a record-extending 15th Super Rugby title. REUTERS


CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Former All Blacks winger Bridge signs with Western Force
MELBOURNE :Former New Zealand winger George Bridge has signed a two-year deal with Western Force and will return to Super Rugby next season, ending a three-year stint in French rugby. Bridge scored 12 tries in 19 tests for the All Blacks and played in the 2019 World Cup in Japan before heading abroad to play for Top 14 side Montpellier in 2022. The 30-year-old will replace Wallabies winger Harry Potter who left the Perth-based Force to join the New South Wales Waratahs. Bridge, who can also play fullback, was part of Scott Robertson's powerful Canterbury Crusaders from 2017-22, helping the South Island team win four Super Rugby titles and the domestic Super Rugby Aotearoa championship twice. "George is well known to a number of people on our staff and they can't speak highly enough of his professionalism, approach to the game and his rugby knowledge," Force coach Simon Cron said in a statement on Tuesday. "He's got a massive left foot kick. He can play multiple positions. He's a brilliant player. An amazing talent. He'll add to the guys that we have in the squad." The Force, who have never made the playoffs in any variant of Super Rugby since joining in 2006, managed only four wins last season and finished ninth in the 11-team competition. Bridge's former team, the Crusaders, won a record-extending 15th Super Rugby title.


Straits Times
19 hours ago
- Straits Times
ST Full-time Report: World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro on shortlist for Lions coaching job
Welcome to the latest edition of ST Full-time Report, where the best sports content from The Straits Times is delivered to your inbox every Monday evening. Subscribe here for the weekly updates. Dear ST reader, The list of candidates for Singapore's national football coach has been whittled down to about 15 names, which include Fabio Cannavaro, captain of Italy's World Cup-winning team in 2006, Australian Harry Kewell and ex-Thailand coach Mano Polking. Meanwhile, national swimming coach Gary Tan has issued a 'wake-up call' to Singapore's swimmers after a lacklustre performance at the World Aquatics Championships in home waters. Only Gan Ching Hwee managed to qualify for a final race. Finally, Singaporean golfer Shannon Tan is in an upbeat mood after making the cut at the Women's British Open for the second consecutive year. She had also made it to the weekend action at July's Evian Championship. For the latest news on Singapore sports, check out ST Sport.