South Africa kicked off their international season with a crushing 58-10 win over world champions England in Bloemfontein overnight.

The hosts, who ran in seven tries in the 80 minutes, led 30-3 at half-time.

England, minus up to 30 of their leading players who are either injured or were involved in last weekend’s European Cup final, were no match for the South Africans.

The visitors’ preparations were further hampered by a stomach virus which downed several of the team’s players in the days leading up to the game. Wing David Strettle was ruled out on Thursday and then before kick-off centre Andy Farrell and scrum half Pete Richards.

Prop Nick Wood could also not take the field after injuring his shoulder in the captain’s run on Friday.

The English lost several other players during the game, something which will further disrupt preparations for the second Test at Loftus Versfeld next weekend.

It was a slow and rather dull start to the international season for Jake White’s men, who battled to find any sort of rhythm in front of a quiet 30,000 fans.

Full-back Percy Montgomery gave the Boks a 6-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes with two penalties and from then on the visitors were asked to make tackle after tackle as the hosts ran rampant.

Winger Ashwin Willemse was first to cross the dotted line on 24 minutes and then two minutes later it was the turn of Bryan Habana, who ran all of 80 metres to score after picking up a loose pass by England flanker Chris Jones.

Jonny Wilkinson got his team on the board on the half hour with a penalty goal, but a further three points via Montgomery’s boot and a late try in the half by Jean de Villiers, who beat no fewer than four England defenders while on his run from deep inside the Boks’ half, ensured the home side a comfortable 30-3 lead at the break.

England, shut out in the opening 40 minutes, finally breached the home side’s defences in the second when replacement wing James Simpson-Daniel went over in the corner in the 63rd minute, but with the likes of Pierre Spies, Ruan Pienaar and Gurthro Steenkamp making a massive impact from the bench, the home side ran amok in the final quarter.

Schalk Burger, Frans Steyn, Habana and CJ van der Linde all crossed for tries in the final 10 minutes. Montgomery converted all seven tries the Boks scored to ensure the home side kicked off their season in emphatic style.

- AFP/Reuters

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