The Springboks delivered a commanding 61-7 victory against Japan at Wembley Stadium in London, marking a record win in their fourth encounter. Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu shone with two tries and 16 points, setting a strong tone ahead of tougher matches. The result comes 10 years after Japan's shock 2015 World Cup win over South Africa.
In wet conditions at Wembley, the Springboks started strongly, with Japan captain Michael Leitch knocking on the kick-off, leading to two penalties in the first two-and-a-half minutes. From the second penalty, captain Siya Kolisi scored the opening try via a rolling maul, easing pre-game nerves.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu then starred, chasing his own contestable kick to win it in the air and score his first try in the Japan 22m area. Five minutes later, he broke from 30m, handing off lock Jack Cornelsen and surging past cover for his second. Late in the first half, he made a crucial intercept from Leitch near his own goalline, saving a try. A penalty try followed just before halftime after Japan's pack illegally sacked a maul, earning tighthead prop Shuhei Takeuchi a yellow card. The score was 26-0 at the break.
The second half saw continued dominance. Wilco Louw scored his first Test try after interplay involving Cheslin Kolbe, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Kwagga Smith. Kurt-Lee Arendse added two tries, bringing his tally to 23 in 28 Tests, surpassing Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter Rossouw. André Esterhuizen scored from a rolling maul, and Arendse created space for Jesse Kriel's ninth try of the night.
Japan's lone score came from fullback Yoshitaka Yazaki's quick tap near the Boks' line. The Springboks won the breakdown battle through Jasper Wiese, Malcolm Marx, and Smith, while their set-piece and power game overwhelmed Japan, who conceded 13 penalties to South Africa's nine.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu contributed three conversions before Manie Libbok added four. However, injuries marred the win: loosehead prop Ox Nché suffered a lower leg issue after a hit by Warner Dearns, and wing Ethan Hooker failed a head injury assessment. Locks RG Snyman and Lood de Jager, along with midfielders Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel, delivered strong performances in the 61-7 rout, a perfect warm-up for the upcoming France clash.