Kolisi's return triumphant as powerful and enterprising Springboks put 50 past Wales

If - and the if here is a substantial one - there was any cynicism about Siya Kolisi's much-publicised return to the Springbok team perhaps being a tad overhyped even before he made it onto the field again, it evaporated within 40 minutes.

AS IT HAPPENED | Wales 16-52 Springboks

South Africa's influential skipper wasted absolutely no time showing every on-looker that he's primed for the Rugby World Cup title defence, summoning an excellent and sizeable body of work in his first slice of competitive action for almost five months.

More importantly, Kolisi's exertions laid the foundation for a try-filled first half that eventually saw the Boks comfortably hammer an admittedly youthful Wales outfit 52-16 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.  

He was in the thick of things as early as the third minute when, with the visitors showing the type of patient phase play and enterprise that would be the hallmark of their attack on the day, he feasted on a snappy Willie le Roux pass, slithered through a half-gap with a low-body position and found Malcolm Marx with a sublime off-load.

Yet those customary sublime touches weren't the most impressive aspect of his performance.

Instead, Kolisi impressed with the fearlessness he approached contact with, never once suggesting that he was gradually reintroducing his body - pertinently the previously troublesome knee - to the rigours of the international game.

He made 28 metres from four meaty carries, cleaned with vigour and completed five tackles in a half where South Africa weren't required to defend onerously.

In all honesty, it was as a good a showing as his coaches would've asked of him.

The bigger picture was encouraging too - how can it not be when you've scored eight tries in