South Africa set up date with Wales

In Tokyo in a World Cup quarter-final he had to settle for two tries, but it was enough to fire the Springboks to a 26-3 victory in Tokyo.

South Africa will now meet Wales in Tokyo next Sunday, but they did not have it all their own way in an enthralling game.

Japan enjoyed nearly 70 percent of possession and territory in the first half, but the Springboks went in 5-3 to the good thanks to Mapimpi’s third-minute try.

The Brave Blossoms responded and dominated the opening 40 minutes but had just one Yu Tamura penalty to show for it.

In the second half, South Africa were able to slow the game down and play the game in Japan’s half, and that pressure eventually told with Faf de Klerk crossing 15 minutes from time before Mapimpi sealed the win soon after.

The signs had been ominous for Japan early on, throwing an early forward pass to give South Africa possession, then being shoved backwards off the scrum, and finally Mapimpi going straight through Tamura’s attempted tackle.

That proved to be a poor indication of what would follow in the first half as Japan monopolised the ball and played with the tempo we have become accustomed to seeing from them.

The South African defence held firm though, conceding just three points when Beast Mtawarira was in the sin-bin for a tip tackle.

They could have had a couple more tries of their own, Lukhanyo Am blowing a two-on-one when Mapimpi was on his shoulder, before Damian de Allende had a score chalked off for a double movement on the stroke of half-time.

The game was very much in the balance at that point, but South Africa came out in the second half and strangled the life out of their hosts.

Handre Pollard kicked two penalties, and then in a clear show of strength, a monster maul from halfway ended with Malcolm Marx peeling away and offloading for De Klerk to score.

Pollard then broke from his own half before finding Willie le Roux and Mapimpi, who sprinted home for his second, and the game was up for Japan.

Instead it is the Springboks who keep on rolling and return to the last four of the World Cup and a rematch with Wales, who they edged past in the quarter-finals four years ago.