South Africa beat Italy 66-7 in Round 4 of the Nations Championship on Saturday, running in nine tries and converting all nine.
The contest was finished inside 32 minutes. That is how long the Springboks needed to put 45 unanswered points on the board, and Italy had not scored at all by the break.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked an early penalty and scored the first try in the eighth minute. By the 25th minute it was 38-0.
How South Africa Beat Italy In 32 Minutes
Six first-half tries, every one of them converted by Feinberg-Mngomezulu:
- Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 8 minutes
- Morné van den Berg, 16 minutes
- Malcolm Marx, 20 minutes
- Siya Kolisi, 23 minutes
- Damian Willemse, 25 minutes
- Malcolm Marx, 32 minutes
Kolisi’s try was the fourth, and it brought the try bonus point that goes to any side scoring four in a match. It arrived in the 23rd minute.
“We just want to win.” – Siya Kolisi
The captain said that before the match, when he was asked about chasing the bonus point, and he added that the lead had to come first. The lead and the bonus point turned up together inside 23 minutes.
“The Springboks are absolutely clinical. This is a masterclass. Italy looks shell-shocked.” – 🎙️Jay
Italy were a man short for the last of the first-half tries. Muhamed Hasa, their loosehead prop, went to the sin bin in the 30th minute for a deliberate knock-down, and Marx scored his second two minutes later.
Half-time: Italy 0, South Africa 45.
The Scrum That Italy Could Not Hold
Marx’s second came off a scrum and maul that walked Italy backwards over their own line, and it was not the only try the set piece produced.
Ox Nche, Marx and Thomas du Toit started the front row. Wilco Louw came off the bench and scored in the 50th minute, which tells you the shove did not weaken when the replacements arrived.
“Springboks scrum with two pushover tries looks untouchable.” – 🎙️Jay
Italy’s Only Reply
The intensity dropped after the break and the scoring slowed on both sides. The second half finished 21-7 to South Africa.
Italy’s points came through lock Federico Ruzza, converted by Tommaso Allan, for a side that had gone into the round without a win in three Nations Championship matches under Gonzalo Quesada.
“You have to take the game as it comes and respect every team.” – Siya Kolisi
That was the line in the build-up, with Kolisi pointing to how hard Italy had made it in Turin twelve months ago. South Africa won that one 32-14 while playing most of the match with 14 men. This time the margin was 59 points.
Paul de Villiers added a try for South Africa in the closing quarter, and Ethan Hooker scored the ninth, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting again to take the Springboks to 66.
Van den Berg worked the base behind a pack that gave him front-foot ball all afternoon, and he took his own try in the 16th minute. The box kick was his main weapon after the break.
“Morné van den Berg looks like a little general behind the pack. He’s playing fantastic.” – 🎙️Jay
The Springbok starting XV at the Allianz Stadium, with Eoghan Cross of Ireland refereeing:
- 15 Damian Willemse
- 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse
- 13 Jesse Kriel
- 12 Damian de Allende
- 11 Ethan Hooker
- 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
- 9 Morné van den Berg
- 8 Jasper Wiese
- 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit
- 6 Siya Kolisi (c)
- 5 Ruan Nortje
- 4 Salmaan Moerat
- 3 Thomas du Toit
- 2 Malcolm Marx
- 1 Ox Nche
South Africa’s Nations Championship Run Now Goes To France And Ireland
Kolisi, winning his 108th Test cap, led a side that lost nothing in accuracy once the result was safe, and Rassie Erasmus got through the match without the discipline problems that marked the last two trips to Italy.
South Africa went into the round level on 15 points with New Zealand at the top of the southern hemisphere standings, with the All Blacks playing Scotland later the same day.
The hard part of the tour starts now. South Africa play France at the Stade de France on Friday 13 November, then Ireland in Dublin on 21 November, with the Nations Championship final at Twickenham on 29 November.
