FOR proud South African Benni McCarthy, weekends don't come better than this.

The Bafana Bafana striker was back to his predatory best in a Rovers shirt, delivering two killer goals in Saturday's comfortable stroll over Reading.

And while McCarthy would surely have been in a party mood anyway following his Ewood Park double, his nation's rugby boys guaranteed it a day to celebrate just a few hours later in Paris.

The Springboks confirmed their status as rugby union's number one outfit with their World Cup final triumph over England.

Percy Montgomery slammed over the penalties for South Africa en route to a nerve-jangling 15-6 victory over Phil Vickery's men.

But on a day when Montgomery's boots did all the talking at the Stade de France, McCarthy also confirmed his own penalty-taking deadliness.

It was his spot-kick that sealed an emphatic and hugely deserved Rovers win, with Mark Hughes' men effectively killing off the match just after the half-hour mark.

McCarthy was on the money to send Rovers on their way, finishing a sumptuous move delivered straight from the book of aesthetics.

Roque Santa Cruz, in the starting line-up despite fears over his knees, carried on his rich vein of goalscoring form with a neat second.

And then Tugay stole the show, rolling back the years with a trademark howitzer from fully 35 yards. By then, it was all over.

Rovers were bright, inventive, ruthless and a whole lot more in a one-sided first-half.

Poor Reading were shell-shocked, their fans presumably worried that they were on the verge of shipping seven goals for a second successive away outing.

The Royals rolled up their sleeves, however, and fought back with two late headers from Kevin Doyle. But, by then, the damage was done.

Few sides would have stopped Rovers in this form, with Robbie Savage ranking the opening half as one of the best 45-minute spells during his time at Ewood.

"The first-half was exceptional, with the formation we play and our angled passing," said Blackburn's midfield enforcer.

"Our passing and movement in the final third of the field was exceptional.

"To go in at half-time 3-0, it could have been more.

"But we let them back into the game.

"It sounds silly, but it felt like a loss after the game because we were that disappointed with our second-half performance."

Tugay provided the game's standout moment with a phenomenal strike that carried too much velocity, swerve and dip for Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.

Down the years, the veteran Turk has left Rovers fans salivating with goals lashed from ridiculous distances.

Savage added: "Tugay's a maestro, that's what we call him.

"He's 37, but he's got so much ability on the ball and his awareness is fantastic.

"He's a credit to his profession. He just keeps going and going and going. Most importantly, he's a fantastic guy.

"The squad we've got here now allows the gaffer to rotate players, but it's a credit to Tugay that in the last five games we've won, he's been in the team.

"Every goal he scores is a world-beater. The one against Tottenham last year was a great goal.

"To be fair to the goalkeeper (Hahnemann), it moved several times. I was right behind it. It was a fantastic strike from a fantastic player."

It was Tugay's first Rovers goal for almost 12 months, and it provided a nice cushion over a Reading side that struggled to match Blackburn's quality.

Rovers were in complete control, zipping the ball around at pace and with crispness.

The movement in attack was excellent, and it seemed only a matter of time that one of the front two - McCarthy and Santa Cruz - would hit the net.

The fact both strikers scored in the same game for the first time this season was a real bonus, and the two combined superbly all afternoon.

After Santa Cruz's summer move from Bayern Munich, it was believed the pair would communicate in Spanish.

It was therefore a case of gracias' and muy bien' from one to the other as McCarthy opened the scoring with a goal straight from the club's Brockhall training ground.

Brett Emerton marauded down the right before delivering a Bentley-esque cross, arced inch-perfect for Santa Cruz.

The Paraguayan peeled away from Ibrahima Sonko at the back post and could have gone for glory himself.

But he showed superb vision to head back across goal for McCarthy, who volleyed in from three yards.

If only Rovers could score picture-postcard goals like this in every match.

They didn't have to wait too much longer to punish Reading again.

The visitors were chasing shadows as Rovers pinged the ball around in a fast-flowing move.

Given ample time and space, David Dunn slotted Santa Cruz clear. One-on-one with Hahnemann, the striker threaded the ball through the big American's legs.

It was nothing more than Rovers deserved for a flourishing first-half. But the icing on the cake was still to arrive.

Everything Blackburn touched turned to gold, and Tugay's wonder-strike came laden with 18-carat quality.

The Turk may not have got his chance had McCarthy or Dunn fired home inside the Royals box.

But from the clearance, the ball fell nicely for Tugay, who yanked his trusted right leg back before lashing an absolute screamer past Hahnemann.

The big American goalie perhaps could have done better, but the sheer ferocity of Tugay's bullet was enough to beat his flaying hand.

The maestro' took full delight, running and celebrating back into his own half before bowing to Rovers fans and getting a big lift into the air from Chris Samba. It was one of those special moments.

Reading were being swept aside, although they missed a glorious chance to reduce the arrears when Andre Bikey thumped his close range header straight at Brad Friedel.

Steve Coppell changed his side in the second-half, introducing Leroy Lita and Doyle, and they carried more purpose.

Friedel superbly palmed away Lita's stinging low shot, and the England Under-21 international later headed against the bar.

The visitors hit back through Doyle, who reacted quickest to head home Nicky Shorey's corner.

But Rovers immediately opened up a three-goal gap again after sub Matt Derbyshire was tripped by Sonko inside the box, with McCarthy firing the spot-kick low to Hahnemann's right hand.

In stoppage time, Doyle grabbed his second of the afternoon, once again converting from Shorey's cross.