World champions South Africa beat off-colour Six Nations winners Wales 43-17 in the first test in Bloemfontein to hand Springboks coach Peter de Villiers a winning start.

Despite starting with just five members of the side that won the World Cup last year in Paris, the Springboks overwhelmed Wales with four tries to two and fed off numerous mistakes as flyhalf Butch James kicked five penalties and four conversions in a faultless kicking display.

The Springboks used up-and-unders to keep the Welsh under pressure and induce errors, before opening up in the second half and using the perfect conditions for running rugby.

The South African forwards regularly crossed the gain line with ball in hand, allowing fullback Conrad Jantjes, centre Jean de Villiers, number eight Pierre Spies and replacement centre Percy Montgomery the space to score tries.

Wales replied with tries by fullback Jamie Roberts and a fine individual effort by wing Shane Williams, with flyhalf Stephen Jones kicking a penalty and a conversion and his replacement, James Hook, also succeeding with a conversion.

Four penalties from James in the first quarter saw the home team surge to a 12-3 lead.

The home team scored the first try with nine minutes remaining in the first half after lock Andries Bekker pinched the ball from a Wales lineout.

Flank Luke Watson and hooker John Smit provided quickly recycled ball and momentum, allowing Jantjes and centre Adrian Jacobs to exchange passes with the fullback scoring under the posts. James converted to give the home team a 19-3 lead.

But Wales clawed their way back into the match seven minutes later when they scored a try thanks to a fine display of handling skills and the strong running of centre Sonny Parker, who shrugged off three tacklers before offloading to Roberts.

Jones converted, but a fifth penalty by James saw the home team go into the break with a comfortable 22-10 lead.

Jean de Villiers broke the line seven minutes into the third quarter, sliced between two defenders, stepped out of a tackle and outpaced the cover defence, to score.

The Springboks stretched the lead to 36-10 nine minutes later when Watson offloaded in contact, finding scrumhalf Bolla Conradie who raced upfield, wrong-footing the Wales fullback before finding Spies in close support.

The visitors put their strong scrum to good use with 13 minutes remaining when the ball was moved wide to Williams who streaked upfield, stepped past wing Bryan Habana to score under the posts. Replacement flyhalf James Hook converted the visitors' try.

But the home team regained their 26-point lead four minutes later when Montgomery ran over for the home team's fourth try.

Van der Linde was yellow-carded after a scuffle in the final five minutes.

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