South Africa blow depleted Italy away in statement showing ahead of France clash
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South Africa ran in nine tries as they extended their perfect start in the Nations Championship with a thumping 66-7 win over Italy in Turin.
South Africa ran in six tries in an utterly dominant opening half, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scoring the first while also adding another 21 points from a perfect kicking display throughout the game.
Hooker Malcolm Marx went over twice, adding to scores by Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Morne van den Berg, captain Siya Kolisi and Damian Willemse, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicking all six conversions having opened the scoring with a penalty.
Wilco Louw added another try after the break before Italy finally got off the mark with Federico Ruzza’s try converted by Tommaso Allan. Paul de Villiers and Ethan Hooker added to the Springboks’ try count.
South Africa had claimed maximum points from their three July fixtures to top the Southern Hemisphere group ahead of New Zealand on points difference and they added to that total against Italy ahead of the All Blacks facing Scotland at Murrayfield later on Saturday.
Italy, who lost all three July matches, were without a string of key players, including captain Michele Lamaro and centre pairing Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex, and had no answer to Rassie Erasmus’ almost full-strength side.
“They were missing a lot of players and we know very well that things will be different at next years World Cup,” Erasmus said. “They made the most of their opportunities and caused us problems in the scrum.”
It was one-way traffic from the off. Italy conceded an early penalty under their posts. South Africa, surprisingly, opted to take the three points, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu followed up with a ninth-minute try.
The fly-half split the Italian defence with a dummy before racing in from 40 metres and the Springboks quickly added two driving lineout tries from Van den Berg and Marx.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu sent a booming 50-22 which set up Kolisi’s try and in the 25th minute Willemse walked in after Jasper Wiese’s pass.
Italy spent the final 10 minutes of the half down to 14 men after Muhamed Hasa picked up a yellow card and Marx scored his second try from a maul.
South Africa had inflicted Italy’s record defeat with a 101-0 win in 1999 and, at 45-0 down at halftime, the hosts may have feared even worse was in store.
The Italians, however, improved somewhat after the break and the Springboks took their foot off the gas a little, although Louw powered over five minutes into the second half for another South African try.
Italy lock Ruzza gave the home crowd something to cheer about, going over in the corner but De Villiers went over after another unstoppable maul and Hooker ran in the final score on the stroke of full-time as South Africa earned their biggest win on Italian soil.
South Africa are in Paris on Friday to take on France and face Ireland in Dublin eight days later. Italy host Argentina in Genoa next Saturday and Fiji in Udine one week later.
Reuters
