South Africa underlined Argentina’s alarming decline since claiming third place at the 2007 World Cup by inflicting a record nine-try defeat on them in Johannesburg yesterday in a match organised to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday.

South Africa are Argentina’s bogey team – the Pumas have not beaten them in 13 attempts – but this rout was good news not only for South Africa, who limbered up for next weekend’s Tri-Nations clash against New Zealand in Cape Town in impressive fashion, but also for England’s hopes of a top-four 2011 World Cup seeding.

The World Cup seedings will be decided on results between now and the end of the autumn internationals, and England, who are currently in fifth place – one below Argentina, and one above Wales – will be buoyed by the Pumas slump. Although neither England or Wales play the South Americans this autumn, on this evidence they will struggle to beat either of their November opponents, France and Ireland.

The Argentine players, the majority of whom play club rugby in Europe, were clearly in pre-season mode, but the way they were ripped apart after a solid first-half performance, which left them trailing only 14-9 at the interval, will have done nothing for team morale under Santiago Phelan, the new coach.

Although the Pumas took a 9-0 lead thanks to three penalties from Felipe Contepomi, the captain, after an unimpressive opening half-hour by the Springboks, the home side injected some urgency into the proceedings with a try by Adi Jacobs, the centre, just after the half hour. It came courtesy of a poor pass from a scrum by Ricky Januarie, which whistled over Butch James’s head, but it was turned from a sow's ear into a silk purse by Jean de Villiers, who took an inside line to beat the tackles of Nicolas Vergallo and Juan Leguizamon and cut up the middle before giving a scoring inside pass to Jacobs.

James converted to make it 9-7 and moments later South Africa took the lead with a try on debut for Jongi Nokwe, the winger whose elusive running saw him thread through the Pumas defence. James converted again to give South Africa their half-time advantage – and thereafter Argentina were lambs to the slaughter.

The butchery began when Pierre Spies scored two minutes into the second half, the No 8 collecting a chip over the top by JP Pietersen, but what followed was a poor advert for the international game, because in most other respects it degenerated into a no-contest as the South Africa ran in another six tries.

Argentina’s disorganisation was at its most glaring at the scrum, where they were under severe pressure due to their failure to ensure that they had a decent replacement available at tight-head prop. The Pumas lost their starting tight-head, Pedro Ledesma, after only seven minutes, but had only a loose-head specialist, Leicester’s Marcos Ayerza, to bring on. With Ayerza struggling to hold the powerful Tendai Mtawarira, Argentina were a neutered force, and it was hugely disappointing to see a rugby nation famous for its power scrummaging reduced to such a shambles.

As Argentina wilted under both the pressure and the altitude, the Springboks cut loose in a game which resembled Sevens rather than 15-a-side. Pietersen scored South Africa’s fourth try after spotting a mismatch when he saw Rimas Alverez, the Pumas lock, in the defensive line, and Fourie du Preez scored with his first touch in international rugby since the 2007 World Cup triumph when he came on as a replacement, taking the South African lead out to 35-9. His compatriot Jaque Fourie was less fortunate, the centre suffering a fractured cheekbone in a clash of heads with Jose Piossek, Pumas wing, the first time he contested the ball.

Joe Van Niekerk, the replacement No 8, scored two tries in quick succession on the hour as the Pumas crumbled, and South Africa’s tally was rounded off by tries from Bismarck du Plessis, the hooker, and Pietersen, who bagged a second try four minutes from time. James finished the job with a full house of conversions.

What is certain is that the going will be much tougher against the All Blacks as rugby reverts from a no-contest to full-on combat next weekend.

STAR MAN: Jean de Villiers