Rugby Union: Pumas tamed

South Africa. .46

Argentina. . . 26

SOUTH AFRICA got the expected pre-British Isles tour boost yesterday when they completed their second victory in the two-Test series against Argentina at Ellis Park, in Johannesburg. The Springboks ran in seven tries in their 46-26 win, two of them from Chris Badenhorst, the debut winger, and one of them coming from Joel Stransky, the recalled Western Province fly-half.

It was the second successive week that Stransky has taken centre stage in this Test series. Last week he kicked a record- breaking 22 points, yesterday he totalled 16, adding four conversions and a penalty to his one try. However, it was a little- known Puma stand-off who stole the limelight. Jose Cilley was making his first Test appearance three hours after arriving off a plane from Buenos Aires and then scoring a try and succeeding with all his six kicks.

Cilley's 21 points kept the Pumas in touch, although they never looked like winning despite dominating the opening 15 minutes and once the Springboks machine had moved into gear it proved unstoppable.

While Stransky was the main influence behind the South African success, six Springboks breached the Puma tryline. Rudolf Straeuli completed what must be one of the quickest tries from a restart when he took all of 11 seconds to cross the line after Stransky had kicked off for the second half. The Lock Mark Andrews, winger Chester Williams and scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen also scored tries to complete the South Africans' comprehensive victory.