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A second red card, along with another display of tactical brilliance. The Springboks must have the rest of the world’s rugby teams on edge following – for the second week in a row – the South Africans, led by the brilliant Rassie Erasmus, transformed a difficult scenario into a decisive win in Turin.

The Boks defeated Italy 32-14 even though they played for nearly 70 minutes with only 14 players on the field. One of their powerful forwards was sent off early, yet the intense aerial attacks they carried out against the Azzuri, along with their tenacity and surprising attacking accuracy, ultimately overwhelmed the home team.

Early chaos, bold reshuffle

Franco Mostert received a red card in the 12th minute after a head-first challenge on Paolo Garbisi, putting the Springboks into a critical situation. A significantly altered lineup, already experimenting with different formations, now faced a shortage of a forward and were trapped in their own half.

The South African coach reacted with a series of quick substitutions to steady the team: Ben-Jason Dixon was replaced by Ruan Nortje at lock, while Wilco Louw and Gerhard Steenekamp entered the front row, and Andre Esterhuizen came on to take on a combined flanker-centre position, with Kurt-Lee Arendse being withdrawn.

The Italians recognized a chance and secured a series of scrum penalties during this turbulent phase, but the Boks managed to hold on. Handre Pollard gave them the lead with a penalty following an earlier missed drop goal. Nevertheless, Garbisi eventually scored for Italy in the 36th minute. However, the Boks responded just before halftime as Marco van Staden dove over following a short-range attack.

They entered the break with a 10-3 advantage, a result that seemed unlikely due to the lopsided nature of the game.

Shifts in momentum, followed by a retaliatory strike

Italy came back through Garbisi’s kick in the early stages of the second half, reducing the gap to just one point by the 52nd minute. The tension for fans clad in green and gold must have increased when Van Staden received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, leaving South Africa with only 13 players on the field.

However, rather than folding, the Boks created a sequence that would open up the game. Pollard added three points after Italy’s No.8 Lorenzo Cannone was sent to the sin-bin, and with numbers temporarily balanced, the visitors found their rhythm.

Morne van den Berg moved quickly from a moving scrum close to the goalposts, pushing the ball forward as he reached the try line. Italy answered with a quick individual move by Ange Capuozzo, who broke through from 25 meters, although the missed conversion left South Africa in a strong lead.

Sparked by brilliance

The next point scored by the Springboks resulted from a quick play that started when Matchday’s standout player, Damian Willemse, received a kick in his own territory. The ball was moved to the left, where Canan Moodie sped past the defenders and passed the ball to Grant Williams, who ran towards the goalposts.

Italy still had time left, but the Boks were becoming more and more threatening. The final moment arrived when Manie Libbok launched a cross-kick toward Ethan Hooker on the right sideline, with the young winger scoring his first try for South Africa. Libbok’s conversion attempt was denied as the clock ran out, concluding a wild but decisive win.

A significantly changed team, with fewer players and facing constant pressure, the Springboks still managed to score four tries against one. Their performance was characterized by determination, precision, and a refusal to let challenges determine the result, preventing despair from causing them to lose control of the game.

Scorers:

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

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