South Africa winger Bryan Habana moved to joint 5th on the all-time Test try scorers list with a brace in Pretoria
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News in Brief: South Africa hail Habana career milestone

Matches: South Africa 56 - 23 Samoa

External Links: Statsguru: Leading all-time Test try-scorers

South Africa crushed Samoa 56-23 in the final of the quadrangular tournament at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

Winger Bryan Habana scored twice to reach a half century of Test tries and move joint fifth in the all-time standings. The Springboks notched a total of eight tries with Francois Louw (two), JJ Engelbrecht, Bjorn Basson, Morne Steyn and Trevor Nyakane also getting on the scoresheet. Teofilo Paulo and Junior Poluleuligaga scored for Samoa but the hosts were irresistible, their pace and power constantly tying Samoa in knots.

Steyn put South Africa in front with a penalty after three minutes before two James So'oialo efforts put Samoa 6-3 ahead, but it was merely a prelude to a relentless Springboks attack.

The Springboks lineout swung the ball wide to Willie le Roux who drew the defence and passed to Habana who went over for his 49th Test try, Steyn adding the conversion.

Samoa were powerless to prevent a second South Africa try when a driving maul ended with Louw grounding the ball, Steyn again converting.

Steyn then traded penalties with So'oialo before South Africa drew further ahead when the back line moved the ball wide quickly to find Engelbrecht, who sold a dummy and burst between two defenders and rounded another to go over in the corner.

Steyn failed to convert but the hosts drew further ahead when Le Roux drew the Samoa defence and passed to the overlapping Basson who went over, the South Africa fly-half successful this time as South Africa reached half-time 32-9 ahead.

Samoa responded well at the start of the second half with Paulo going over under the posts, So'oialo converting to narrow the score to 32-16.

They continued to fire but found themselves a man down when Alesana Tuilagi was sent off for a high, straight-armed challenge on Jean de Villiers and moments later South Africa had another try, Habana the recipient of some quick play from the maul to go over in the corner for his 50th Test try, Steyn failing with the conversion.

Steyn, though, made amends when he took the ball from Le Roux, sold a dummy and went between two defenders and over before missing the conversion and going off.

Habana, though, was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on and the following lineout found the Boks sleeping with Poluleuligaga collecting and charging over, Paul Williams converting.

Louw got his second as he managed to ground the ball despite close Samoa attention before Nyakane powered over with Patrick Lambie converting both.

South Africa's Bjorn Basson closes in on the line © Getty Images

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