Four-try Springboks outmuscle Italy despite playing 70 minutes with 14 men

ANOTHER red card, and yet another tactical masterclass. The Springboks must have the rest of the world’s rugby teams worried after – for the second week in a row – the South Africans, under the inspired guidance of Rassie Erasmus, turned a grim situation into a statement victory in Turin.

The Boks smashed Italy 32-14 despite playing almost 70 minutes with 14 men. One of their forward “tanks” was removed early, but the aerial bombardment they unleashed on the Azzuri, and their fight and unexpected attacking precision that followed, eventually blew the hosts off the park.

Early chaos, bold reshuffle

Franco Mostert’s red card in the 12th minute for a tackle to the head of Paolo Garbisi forced the Springboks into emergency mode. A much-changed team, already testing new combinations, suddenly found themselves down a lock and pinned down in their own half.

The Bok coach responded with a flurry of rapid-fire substitutions to stabilise the pack: Ben-Jason Dixon made way for Ruan Nortje at lock, Wilco Louw and Gerhard Steenekamp joined the front row, and Andre Esterhuizen came on to fill a hybrid flanker-centre role with Kurt-Lee Arendse sacrificed.

The Italians sensed opportunity, and won a stream of scrum penalties through this chaotic period, yet somehow the Boks clung on. Handre Pollard nudged them ahead with a penalty after an earlier drop goal was ruled out. But Garbisi finally put Italy on the board after 36 minutes. However, the Boks struck just before half-time when Marco van Staden powered over after a close-range build-up. 

They went into the break leading 10-3, a scoreline that felt improbable given the imbalance.

Momentum swings, then a counterpunch

Italy edged back through Garbisi’s boot early in the second half, trimming the deficit to a single point by the 52nd minute. The stress levels of fans wearing green and gold must have soared when Van Staden was shown yellow for cynical play, leaving South Africa with only 13 men.

But instead of folding, the Boks produced the passage that would break the match open. Pollard added three points after Italy No.8 Lorenzo Cannone was sent to the bin, and with numbers temporarily more evened out, the visitors found rhythm.

Morne van den Berg darted over from a wheeling scrum near the posts, forcing the ball down as he stretched onto the tryline. Italy responded with a sharp individual effort from Ange Capuozzo, who sliced through from 25 metres, but the missed conversion kept South Africa comfortably ahead.

Sparked by brilliance

The Springboks’ next score came from a sweeping move that began with Player of the Match Damian Willemse collecting a kick deep in his own half. The ball shifted left, where Canan Moodie accelerated around the defence and sent Grant Williams racing to the posts.

Italy still had time, but the Boks looked increasingly dangerous. The finishing touch came when Manie Libbok sent a cross-kick to Ethan Hooker on the right touchline, the young wing grounding his first try for South Africa. Libbok’s conversion attempt was waved off as the clock wound down, ending a chaotic but emphatic victory.

A much-altered team, reduced in numbers and under relentless pressure, and still the Springboks produced four tries to one in a performance built on resilience, accuracy and a refusal to let adversity dictate the outcome, and allowing dejection to make the game slip away.

Scorers:

Italy 14 (3) – Try: Ange Capuozzo. Penalty goals: Paolo Garbisi (3).

Springboks 32 (10) – Tries: Marco van Staden, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams, Ethan Hooker. Conversions: Handre Pollard (2), Manie Libbok. Penalty goals: Pollard (2).