BOKS LOSE MAPIMPI BUT REGAIN POLLARD

Winger fractures cheekbone, fly-half boots 4 conversions to keep champs’ hopes alive

MARSEILLE - South Africa will send winger Makazole Mapimpi for scans on a fracture to his cheekbone, in the wake of Sunday's 49-18 victory over Tonga that took the defending champions to the brink of a Rugby World Cup quarter-final place.

The Springboks will not know if they have a last-eight spot until Scotland meet Ireland in Paris on Saturday, but it looks likely they will progress from Pool B.

Should they advance, it may be without the 2019 World Cup winner after he clashed heads with tackler Augustine Pulu in an incident that was reviewed by the television match official, but not sanctioned with a yellow card.

"Makazole has a fracture of his cheekbone, so he will go for specialist scans to determine the severity of it," Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber said after the seven-try win.

Better news for Nienaber was the return of fly-half Handre Pollard, who played 50 minutes in his first Test for 13 months. He had featured for only 30 minutes for his club Leicester Tigers since May after recovering from a calf problem.

Pollard, who kicked 22 points to guide the Springboks to victory over England in the 2019 final in Japan, booted four conversions from four attempts and slipped right back into the groove after his long absence.