A supposed second string South Africa scored seven tries, picked up a bonus point and gave the coaching staff plenty to think about in a 46-19 win over Georgia at Aussie Stadium in Sydney.
The win took South Africa to 10 points and a share of the lead of Pool C with Samoa. The Samoans take on third placed England in Melbourne on Sunday 26 October.
South African fly half Derick Hougaard scored 15 points and gave coach Rudolf Straeuli the most to think about with his controlled kicking performance and clear thinking with ball in hand.
Flanker Danie Rossouw scored twice and was part of a dynamic running combination with fellow try scorers, number 8 Joe van Nierkerk and lock Bakkies Botha.
All three did their chances of selection in the final Pool game against Samoa on 1 November at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane no harm with their powerhouse ball running.
The Africans started slowly, the scores were level at 3-3 after 13 minutes, but found some rhythm for a ten minute period to be scoring at a point a minute at 24-3 by 24 minutes.
The score was 24-6 at half time as the Georgians managed to upset that South African rythm with some trademark enthusiastic tackling.
Rossouw scored first for South Africa, cutting through on 15 minutes from 15 metres after Georgia knocked on from a drop kick restart. Hougaard converted and South Africa were ahead 10-3.
It was Rossouw who got the second half scoring underway with his second five pointer within two minutes of the restart to take the score to 29-6.
At this point it looked for all the world like South Africa had refound the script and would run away with the the match as expected, but someone forgot to tell the Georgians there was a set plan for the night.
South Africa and Georgia have never played each other in Test rugby, the Africans entering the match on five points from a 72-6 opening win and a bonus point and a 25-6 loss to England.
Hooker David Dadunashvilli got the first RWC 2003 try for Georgia when he swept an attacking lineout on the five metre line to crash over near the left upright.
Georgia lost their first match of RWC 2003 84-6 to England and their second 46-9 to Samoa without scoring a try.
Referee Stuart Dickinson gave two yellow cards, South African flanker Hendo Scholtz and Merab Kvirikashvilli, the youngest player in the Tournament for a high tackle in the 73rd minute.
Scorers:
South Africa 46
Tries: Danie Rossouw 2, Joe van Niekerk, Jaque Fourie, Bakkies Botha, Schalk Burger and Derick Hougaard
Conversions: Hougaard 4
Penalties: Hougaard 1
Georgia 19
Tries: David Dadunashvilli
Conversions: Paliko Jimsheladze 1
Penalties: Jimsheladze 3 and Merab Kvirikashvilli 1