606: DEBATE Your thoughts on South Africa v USA

To get involved, text us on 81111 (UK users only) or contribute to 606

By Julian Shea

FULL TIME SOUTH AFRICA 64-15 USA:

And so the curtain comes down on the group stages of the tournament, with a hugely entertaining match and possibly the try of the tournament by American winger Takudzwa Ngwenya.

"That Zimbabwean USA bloke is fantastic. How fast is he? Would have been nice to have him and Habana on the same team!" CapeVelvet, via 606

77 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 64-15 USA:
Is there anyone left who wants a try who hasn't got one yet? Juan Smith gets his name on the scoresheet, touching down to round off an irresistible South African attack, with Butch James making it two kicks out of two.

74 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 57-15 USA:
Jaque Fourie lands his second try of the night, rounding off a length-of-the-field, multi-pass move which began when America's Chad Erskine dropped the ball out the back of a scrum.

In the absence of the substituted Percy Montgomery, Butch James adds the afters.

The USA make sure all their replacements get a taste of the action with a mass substitution that makes a bit of history.

At 19 years and two days, Thretton Palamo becomes the youngest player in World Cup history. Trust me, he's a bit bigger than your average 19-year-old.

68 mins: There's a real end-of-term atmosphere to this game, as if the USA feel obliged to put on a show on behalf of all the teams who have bowed out at the first round stage.

67 mins: Changes for South Africa - Percy Montgomery and Butch James off, Andre Pretorius and Ruan Pienaar on.

"I can't believe we are watching SA do this sort of thing again - why oh why !!! Just play the basics and crush the defence, we do it so well when we feel like it. Fiji must be smiling at present - maybe SA are trying to lull them into a false sense of security. I hope so!!!" doinker2, via 606

61 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 50-15 USA:
A delightful try to rack up the half-century for South Africa.

JP Pietersen is central to the action in a swift-handed passing move by the backs, which finishes when Francois Steyn rounds off the move with the scoring pass to fellow centre Jaque Fourie to score.

Percy Montgomery runs up to kick - and you can guess the rest.

58 mins: A kickable penalty for the USA, and what do they do? Kick for touch and go for the line-out. That's the spirit. 28 points behind? A minor detail.

"I can't see the game here in Turkey. What's going on with the SA defence? Three tries by Tonga and now two by the US?" whiteryno, via 606

They're just playing an extremely enthusiastic team with nothing to lose who are enjoying themselves, and having been a bit picky early on, the referee has entered into the sprit of things, that's what.

"Say what you will against the US but that's 2 tries and 15 points more than England could muster against South Africa." anonymous, via text

54 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 43-15 USA:
There's barely time to catch your breath here.

Fourie du Preez goes over for another try, with Percy Montgomery's kick inching South Africa towards the 50-point mark.

52 mins: OUCH!! This could be potentially be a significant moment for the tournament. Bryan Habana and Takudzwa Ngwenya suffer a nasty - totally accidental - clash of heads, and the South African walks off looking somewhat the worse for wear, with blood on his face.

JP Pietersen replaces him, but that is a nasty-looking injury and may possibly have a say in Habana's future involvement in the tournament.

50 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 36-15 USA:
Mike Hercus passes to Northampton's Chris Wyles, who spins over in the left-hand corner for his first try for his country.

Unfortunately for Hercus, the angle is just too tight for him to add the conversion.

47 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 36-10 USA:
Replacement prop CJ van der Linde bags his fourth international try when Juan Smith's slick reverse pass finds him, and he charges through several would-be challenges to touch down.

Percy Montgomerie restores normal service with the boot.

46 mins: To the disdain of the locals, South Africa decide to give Francois Steyn some kicking practice with a long-range penalty - like they need the points. It drifts wide, and the scornful locals seem satisfied with that.

"Truly gutsy stuff by the unsung USA. Lose they may, but they have been in the fight every match. I was just down at the Mosson before the game - tremendous atmosphere, and action on the pitch is justifying the amazing attendance. If the 'minnows', like the USA, Fiji, Tonga and Co. can entertain at this level, then their presence in the World Cup is fully justified. Go USA, take it to the Boks. At least they'll know they were in a rugby match." Dromio94, via 606

41 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 29-10 USA:
Hell hath no fury like a South African winger scorned.

Maybe stung to life by being outrun by Ngwenya, Bryan Habana flies over in the left-hand corner for his second try, within a minute of the restart.

For once, Percy Montgomery is not up to the challenge and misses the conversion.

"SA just want to consolidate on attack and polish their set pieces in preparation for a Fijian onslaught. SA need a better performance in the 2nd half and really turn the screw on the Eagles." doinker2, via 606

"Ngwenya !!!!! Stood up and destroyed Habana on the out side. That was fantastic." Tony13th, via 606

HALF TIME SOUTH AFRICA 24-10 USA:
South Africa may be ahead on the scoreboard, but the way America finished the first half means they are the ones going in with smiles on their faces.

Remember the impact Jonah Lomu had in 1995 when he ran straight through England? Ngwenya's try was that exciting and that memorable - learn how to spell that name if you're a rugby fan, as it could be one you hear a lot more in the future.

38 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 24-10 USA:
Sensational! Scott Clever's interception on the American try-line launches the most optimistic of breaks, but surely nothing is going to come from that far back? You'd be wrong.

Clever thunders through the challenge of Butch James, offloads to Alec Parker, who finds Mike Hercus, and he offloads to Takudzwa Ngwenya.

Face to face with Bryan Habana, the right winger produces a series of sidesteps and leaves the South African for dead, going round behind the posts for one of the most unexpected and thrilling tries of the tournament so far, and the crowd are going wild.

Mike Hercus adds two points.

34 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 24-3 USA:
It was only a matter of time before the next try came along.

Inevitably it was Schalk Burger who set up the forward drive, and the ball is worked out wide to the left wing for Bryan Habana to fly over in the corner for his 27th try for his country.

That's a new record for a winger, one better than Breyton Paulse's previous mark. From a tight angle, Percy Montgomery keeps up his faultless kicking record so far tonight.

32 mins: Philip Eloff and hooker Owen Lentz launch an unlikely charge on the Springbok line. It is only a short-lived flourish, but at least it shows America are keen to make a game of it.

31 mins: America are on the attack as Todd Clever finally returns to the field from the sin-bin, but the initiative is lost as they get hauled up for a crooked line-out throw.

"Steyn, 20 years old and magic! Not the greatest rugby from SA as they try to play out wide all the time with little effect against the US defense." Caymanianblue, via 606

27 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 17-3 USA:
A neat turnover about 18 yards from the American goal line allows Francois Steyn to shimmy through the defence and over the line to touch down. Percy Montgomery adds an easy conversion.

26 mins: America's Zimbabwean-born Takudzwa Ngwenya threatens to break out of defence on the right wing but is smothered by Bryan Habana. Probably the two fastest men on the pitch are marking one another - that could be fun.

25 mins: No America/burger puns please, but Schalk Burger seems to be playing a hugely important role in most of South Africa's attacks at the moment. Maybe his enforced time on the sidelines has left the big blond backrow man feeling he has something to prove.

22 mins: How did they not score there? South Africa's pack drive the USA backwards and pile up the pressure on the line, but somehow fail to get the ball over in three separate attempts. America's Todd Clever is sin-binned in the aftermath, a decision which does not go down well with the locals.

19 MINS PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA 10-3 US:
To the delight of the locals, captain Mike Hercus kicks the USA onto the scoreboard.

15 MINS PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA 10-0 US:
Percy Montgomery adds another penalty for infringement in the ruck. Play is temporarily held up while USA second row Alec Parker receives treatment for a bang on the head. That could come back to haunt him later.

9 MINS TRY SOUTH AFRICA 7-0 USA:
Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

Schalk Burger marks his return to the team after suspension by scooping up a pass off his bootlaces to stumble over the line and touch down for the opening try. Percy Montgomery adds the afters.

We've got the text message facility again working tonight if you want to chip in with your opinion on what's going on.

At the moment the box seems to just contain post-mortem comments from the Ireland game, remarks about the Great North Run and Radio 1 requests.

5 mins: Nearly a dream start for the Americans! Their first venture near the South African line results in Percy Montgomery's attempted kick clear being charged down by Todd Clever, but unfortunately they don't have the speed of thought to follow it up convincingly.

3 mins: It's all South Africa so far, but the locals seem to be on the side of the American underdogs, and their resolute defending draws hearty applause.

Pre-match: The final match of the group stages is taking place in Montpellier, but just in case anyone thinks South Africa are slacking off before their quarter-final against Fiji, think again - it's a near-full strength side. Gulp. Beware America...

South Africa: Montgomery; Ndungane, Fourie, Steyn, Habana; James, Du Preez; Du Randt, Smit (capt), BJ Botha, Van den Berg, Matfield, Van Heerden, Smith, Burger. Replacements: Du Plessis, Van der Linde, Bakkies Botha, Skinstad, Pienaar, Pretorius, Pietersen, Olivier.