Discipline sees Boks past spiteful Samoa

South Africa were relieved to have scraped past a brutal and spiteful Samoa, to keep their World Cup defence alive with a 13-5 Pool D victory at the North Harbour Stadium on Friday.

The defending champion Springbok remained unbeaten after four games and came through the so-called 'Pool of Death', qualifying for next weekend's quarterfinals with 18 points - scoring 166 points and conceding just 24 in the process.

South Africa may face Tri-Nations champions Australia in the quarterfinals.

Springbok line-out general and match captain Victor Matfield praised his team's discipline in the face of the volatile Samoans.

The Samoans played a man down for the last 10 minutes, after fullback Paul Williams was sent off for striking Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow in the face.

There were other flash points, with Welsh referee Nigel Owens hard pressed to keep a lid on it.

"We want to focus on the ball in games and show we are disciplined," Matfield told a media gathering after the game.

"I'm proud of the boys not to get too involved in all that crap.

"They had nothing to lose and we knew we wanted to go on, so I was very happy with our discipline that we didn't get involved.

"We stayed out of it and that's the positive we can take out of it.

"We are very hard on our discipline and I'm proud that the boys kept their heads."

SA coach Peter de Villiers said his team was prepared for the Samoan challenge given their circumstance coming into the deciding pool game.

"We knew that would be up for it, two months ago they beat Australia, the Tri-Nations champions, and they gave Wales a good game here [at the World Cup]," De Villiers said.

"We always knew they would be physical and confrontational so for us this game as been brilliant. The boys made the right decisions on the field."

"The mood in the changeroom is good, guys knew that they had to put their bodies on the line for our country.

"I know that our medical staff will work around the clock again."

Wing Bryan Habana, who scored his 40th Test try, came off early in the second half with what appeared an injured quad muscle, while Danie Rossouw and replacement Francois Hougaard went to the blood bin.

"With the amount of injuries we have, it was a tough game. But we are going into the play-offs and that is the most important thing," starting hooker Bismarck du Plessis said.

"We are always scared playing against Samoa.

"They are a great side. Playing a match like this though is definitely the sort of game we want before we go through to the quarterfinals."

AFP