Rugby Union: South Africa return in style

SOUTH AFRICA celebrated their first game on Australian soil for 22 years with a 71-8 win over Western Australia in Perth yesterday.

South Africa ran in 11 tries, four of which were scored by the scrum-half, Joost van der Westhuizen, who opened the tourists' tally after only four minutes. They were ahead 45-3 at half- time after van der Westhuizen had completed a hat-trick, including an audacious chip and catch over the line.

Western Australia brought some comfort to the crowd at the WACA with their only try of the match midway through the second half. The centre David Hamilton latched on to a lucky bounce from a Tom Fearn kick and plunged over the line.

The South Africans' victory was embellished by four further tries and the team, who lost their recent Test series with France, travel to Adelaide for a match against the South Australian President's XV on Saturday.