
South Africa might have left the Olympic Stadium believing they had emerged from a crisis but they could yet find themselves at the centre of a biting scandal.

While the match commissioner will want to examine video evidence in an effort to assess an incident that occurred in the first half of this Pool B encounter, Sportsmail’s photograph, taken by Kevin Quigley, appears to show Springboks prop Frans Malherbe sinking his teeth into the shoulder of American lock Matt Trouville.

When shown the photograph, Trouville told team USA officials he could not recall the incident, although he was wearing padding across his shoulders. A spokesman for the South Africa team, who was also presented with the picture, said: ‘We were not aware of that but if the judicial guys make something of it that is up to them.’

In this photograph, South Africa prop Frans Malherbe (right) appears to bite USA lock Matt Trouville

The Springboks prop sinks his teeth into the American lock as South Africa secure a 64-0 victory at the Olympic Stadium

The 24-year-old could face a lengthy ban if the 'citing officials' feel the bite was deliberate

Trouville told the USA officials that he did not recall the incident happening as he was wearing padding

The official match press officer said it would be a situation for ‘citing officials’ to review if the alleged incident was missed by referee Pascal Gauzere. He certainly seemed to make no issue of it at the time.

Biting is regarded as one of the most serious offences in rugby, with Malherbe possibly facing expulsion from this Rugby World Cup if the authorities conclude that he has a case to answer.

When South African prop Johan Le Roux bit New Zealand hooker Sean Fitzpatrick’s ear in a scrum during a Test in 1994, he received an 18-month ban. Former England player Kevin Yates was banned for six months for a similar incident in 1998.

Malherbe has hold of Trouville in the ruck at the time when the prop appeared to bite the American player

Kevin Yates received a six-month ban in 1998 for biting London Scottish's Simon Fenn

In every other respect this was an impressive performance from South Africa, who have now become now very much the team to avoid in this group.

They emerge as winners despite that opening defeat to Japan, the manner in which they have improved in each game since something that is sure to register with Australia and Wales as they prepare for their encounter at Twickenham this weekend.

Here at the Olympic Stadium, they were superb, running in 10 tries to leave the Americans reflecting on their heaviest World Cup defeat and the first whitewash of this tournament.

Bryan Habana was in mesmerising form to score a 19-minute hat-trick at the Olympic Stadium

That Bryan Habana ran in three second half tries to draw level with Jonah Lomu’s World Cup record of 15 only added to the sense of misery for the now eliminated Eagles.

For the Welsh and the Australians the road ahead is now clear. They must win their final game to dodge the Springboks in the last eight, and a probable semi-final against New Zealand, with Scotland the more likely quarter-final opponent for the winner of England’s group.

Heyneke Meyer, such a chastened individual in Brighton on that first Saturday, is clearly growing in confidence.

The winger is now level with Jonah Lomu's World Cup record of 15 tries following his record-levelling treble

The New Zealand legend was is one of the best wingers the game of rugby has ever seen

He joked that he would want to avoid Japan - ‘because they nearly cost me…,’ he said – but insisted he had no preference as to which opponents his side might meet next. ‘You have to beat every team and they are both quality sides,’ he said of Wales and Australia.

‘We just need to focus on what we have to do. But without sounding arrogant, if we play as well as we can we are good enough to beat any team.’

Meyer paid tribute to Habana. ‘This is more about the team than the individual but Bryan has always played well for me,’ he said.