Springboks seal Rugby WC quarter-final place

South Africa produced a dazzling first-half display as they confirmed their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a big win over 14-man Canada. The Springboks ran in seven tries in the first half, with scrumhalf Cobus Reinach notching the fastest hat-trick in World Cup history after 20 minutes.

Canada had Josh Larsen sent off for a charging into a ruck before half-time. The minnows scored first in the second half through Matt Heaton but South Africa ran in three more tries.

Schalk Brits, Damian Willemse and Frans Malherbe all went over following tries from Reinach, Damian de Allende, S'busiso Nkosi, Warrick Gelant and Frans Steyn in the opening 40 minutes. Rassie Erasmus's side go top of Pool B but defending champions New Zealand - who beat the Springboks earlier in the tournament - are expected to defeat Italy to win the group.

Canada, ranked 22nd in the world, will seek to end their World Cup with victory over Namibia. South Africa, fielding 13 changes from the side that beat Italy, got off to the perfect start with tries in the first six minutes from centre De Allende and wing Nkosi.

But it was Reinach who made the biggest impression with three tries in 10 minutes.

His first try was arguably the best of the match. The Northampton Saints scrum-half sliced through the defence, chipped the full-back and caught the ball on the bounce before accelerating away to score. He secured his team's bonus point after just 17 minutes, diving over the line after his forwards had smashed their way through.

Reinach's third arrived three minutes later, the scrumhalf running through after the Springboks once again cut the Canadian defence wide open.

Warrick Gelant scored in the corner as the one-way traffic continued and things got worse for Canada when replacement forward Larsen was sent off for for flying into a ruck with his shoulder.