Bryan Habana laughs off Jonah Lomu comparisons as he matches RWC try record in Springboks mauling of US

South Africa winger Bryan Habana scythed through the US defence on Wednesday for a hat-trick of tries that took him level with a player he feels is beyond comparison at the top of the Rugby World Cup try-scoring list.

Habana’s treble in South Africa’s 64-0 victory lifted him to 15 tries in his third World Cup, the same number former New Zealand giant Jonah Lomu managed in two tournaments.

The 32-year-old Springbok described Lomu as the greatest finisher the game has ever seen.

"I said in 2007 that I don’t think I can ever be compared to Jonah, the way he changed the game, he was a class act. He did it in two tournaments, it’s taken me three," Habana said.

"He became the first global superstar the game produced and I’ve got an unbelievable amount of respect for him.

"For me records are nice to achieve and personal milestones are fantastic, but the most important thing is making contributions to my side.

"I have been very fortunate to have worn that Springbok jersey 114 times and to have been able to make a contribution for the team has been a lot more worthwhile to me than the tries I have scored."