80 min: Samoa win a penalty inside their own half and Ray Lee-lo taps and goes. A pitch invader in a Springboks jersey runs on to the field and is summarily “dealt with” by a couple of Samoans, who may well have done him a well-earned mischief if Wayne Barnes hadn\’t intervened. Barnes urges them not to be silly, waits for the interloper to be escorted from the field and restarts play even though time is up, saying that “This is no way to finish the game”. Samoa get possession.

76 min: South Africa are laying siege to the Samoa line, currently in their 16th phase against the obdurate Pacific Islanders. They eventually win a penalty when George Pisi is penalised for offside while trying to put a stop to Bryan Habana’s gallop. Par Lambie kicks for the corner.

73 min: With the win and bonus point guaranteed, South Africa\’s fans are in considerably better spirits than they they found themselves this time last week. The camera cuts to a supporter gadding about doing bull impressions, using beer bottles for horns. It almost as if he’s forgotten his team were humbled by Japan last week.

68 min: South Africa continue to press in search of their bonus point try, but come undone when a woeful long pass from Pollard forces Pietersen to grab the ball around his shoelaces while the winger was flatfooted and at a standstill.

67 min: Willie Le Roux is sent sprawling into touch after running on to a Habana chip towards the corner. He knew the jig was up and looked inside to see if anyone waqs up in support for an offload, but was all on his ownsome. Schalk Burger makes way for Sita Kolisi.

65 min: George Pisi replaces Alesana Tuilagi for Samoa, making history as he joins his brother Tusi and Ken on the field. It’s the first time three brothers have ever played in the same team at a Rugby World Cup.

64 min: South Africa play it through hands out to touchline and back inside again, making ground up to the Samoa 22 with Jessie Kriel going to ground. In search of their bonus point try, they go through the phases until Samoa win a penalty after Lood de Jager goes off his feet.

61 min: Gah! A brilliant try is disallowed after the ref spots a forward pass from Tim Nanai-Williams had chased up his own brilliant chip, regathered the ball and passed to Kah Fotuali’i, who offloaded to Tusi Pisi to score. That’s good refereeing from Wayne Barnes, even if he is a big spoilsport.

61 min: Samoa score the try of the match, if not the tournament thus far. It’s sent upstairs to the TV official, with the referee looking for a forward pass, but I think it’s OK.

60 min: There’s a pause in polay as Jean De Villiers is treated for a knee injury after a collision. A man with six knee operations behijnd him, he looks OK - I don’t think he twisted it. Just one of those nasty knocks in the sweet spot.

55 min: As is often the case in the second half of these games, there’s lots of faff as the new front row forwards become accustomed to each other’s work. A promising Samoa running move is ruined by Alesana Tuilagi’s selfishness and he drops a ball he should have passed outside upon being tackled by Jessie Kriel.

54 min: Victor Matfield makes way for Lood De Jager and gets a great reception from the South Africans in Villa Park, who get a thumbs up for their trouble. Other subs: Frans Malherbe on for Jannie Du Plessis in the South Africa front row, Al Perensie on for Census Johnston in the Samoa front row.

53 min: It’s all going wrong for Samoa. Despite being straight in front of the posts, Stanley sends his kick well wide. It could be his last action of the game as he’s replaced by Tusi Pisi, one of three Pisi brothers in the Samoa squad.

51 min: More attritional stuff on the halfway line, until Victor Matfield is penalised for failing to roll away from the ball. Penalty for Samoa just inside the South Africa half.

50 min: After Duane Vermuelen gives away a penalty at the restart, Mike Stanley stands over the tee for Samoa. He sends his effort well wide of the right upright.

49 min: South Africa replace inside centre Damian de Allende with Jessie Kriel.

44 min: As a rousing rendition of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is belted out from the stands of Villa Park, Samoa drive the South Africans towards the halfway line in a rolling maul. Schalk Burger emerges with the ball and, pumping his legs like pistons, he charges forward. An infringement by Moto Matu’u gives South Africa a kick for the corner. Reserve flanker Faifili Levave replaces Iosefa “Joe” Tekori in the Samoa pack.

41 min: Samoa get a line-out near the halfway line, but South Africa win possession. Picking up an offload from inside, Willie Le Roux chips the ball in behind the Samoa back-line and there’s a chase to the line. Le Roux dives on the ball, but comes up short of the line having failed to control it and is penalised for a knock-on.

It’s been an entertaining first half. South Africa had to rely on an interception try from a wayward Mike Stanley pass to put some daylight between themselves and a predictably game and physical Samoa side. It’s difficult to see beyond a South Africa win as things stand, but who knows?

40 min: South Africa look to finish the first half on the front foot, but are lucky to end it with 15 men when JP Pietersen appears to stick out his arm to clothesline Alesana Tuilagi. Having had a look at the replay, Wayne Barnes decides that Tuilagi made a meal of the challenge and awards them the penalty, but doesn’t show Pietersen a yellow. I’d say the South Africa winger is a lucky boy.

34 min: Penalty for Samoa after South African hooker Adriaan Strauss goes off his feet in a ruck. In a heat map of this match, the middle third of the field would be smoking hot.

32 min: A couple of Samoans get ticked off by referee Wayne Barnes as he explains that perhaps they’re a little two fired up. He awards a penalty against Alesana Tuilagi for going over the top. While administering his bollocking, he repeatedly shoos away various South Africans who feel compelled to butt in John Terry style and offer him unwanted advice. “I don’t need you! I don’t need you! I don’t need you!” he insists.

31 min: There’s a pause in play as Samoa full-back Tim Nanai-Williams gets treatment. The referee asks the physio if he’s OK. “He’s just winded,” says the man with the magic sponge.

30 min: South Africa are starting to turn the screw here, but their pressure is failing to translate into points on the scoreboard. Remind you of any recent rugby matches involving the Springboks? Willie Le Roux scrambles the ball into touch just inside his own half and Samoa have the offer of a scrum or line-out.

28 min: Willie Le Roux offloads to Jean De Villiers who dives over the Samoa try-line to ground the ball. It’s no try - Le Roux had his foot in touch before he passed the ball and his request that the match officials sende it upstairs to the TV match official is denied. Replays show they were correct to back their own judgement. That was a fine passage of play from South Africa and despite Le Roux being in touch as he passed the ball, his offload was sublime.

26 min: Samoa embark on another sortie down the centre, but South Africa turn the ball over as Eben Etzebeth batters Ken Pisi. The sides exchange kicks, before Samoa full-back Tim Nani-Williams kicks for touch.

21 min: Samoa win the ball on the halfway line courtesy of a decent clean-out by TJ Ioane. There’s a break in play as Jannie Du Plessis receives treatment on an injured knee. He looks in considerable distress, as well he might be considering the sheer brutality of these Samoans.

20 min: A Samoan whose name I didn’t get is penalised for “swimming down the side” of a ruck. Translation: he was binding on one side of it, decided he’d rather be elsewhere and illegally attempted to extricate himself from his position.

13 min: Good play from Samoa full-back Tim Nanai-Williams, who plucks the ball from the sky and sprints down the centre to make ground for his team.

10 min: Penalty for Samoa, for some South African indiscretion in the front row. Mike Stanley decdies to try his luck from 50 metres, straight in front of the posts.

9 min: Samoan scrum right on the Villa Park centre-spot, after Handre Pollard sends his kick-out straight into touch. There’s a pause in play as referee Wayne Barnes explains the principles of scrummaging to both front rows.

5 min: Samoa attempt to clear their lines, plucking the ball from a ruck on their own 22. THere have been some massive hits going in here early doors, the pick of them from Samoa No6 TJ Ioane on South Africa hooker Adriaan Strauss.

3 min: Another massive drive from South Africa, who win another penalty and boot the ball into touch in the Samoa 22. Samoa finally get to alleviate the early pressure, winning the scrum for a knock-on.

Samoa perform the Manu Siva Tau , their pre-match ceremonial challenge to South Africa. Here’s one they made earlier, in more tragic circumstances.

Next up is Samoa’s national anthem. Their players place their hands on their chests and sing along heartily as it’s belted out.

Pre-match niceties: The teams emerge from the tunnel, with South Africa’s players all wearing tracksuit bottoms. The Severn Trent choir assist as they sing their national anthem.