Springboks hold off Italy fightback by 42-24 at Loftus

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) – The blowout expected from world champion South Africa didn’t eventuate as it scratched out a 42-24 win over Italy at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Springboks led 28-3 at halftime, dominating every facet. But even the ‘bomb squad,’ which entered to a roar of acclaim, could not press home the advantage into a scoreline their fans are used to against the Azzurri.

The depleted Italians stunned with a comeback that unleashed three converted tries with two more tries ruled out. They got within 11 points of South Africa until Marco van Staden crashed over with seven minutes to go.

Even that didn’t temper Italy’s fire, with the visitor attacking in South Africa’s 22 at fulltime.

The six-tries victory was “disappointing” for Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus, who added it will make him reconsider the pre-planned team for the second Italy test in Gqberha next weekend.

“We’re frustrated,” Erasmus said. “I didn’t pick up in the week that this was the way we were going to perform but it’s all fixable.

“The makeup of the team may change to handle the physicality that Italy threw at us. You’d think a team that made 120 tackles in the first half would break in the second half.

“But it’s a team that’s fit and passionate and we have to make sure that the team that we put out next week is not just a team that can go 50 or 60 minutes, it must be a team that can go 80 minutes.”

The Springboks averaged 49 points in their last three matches against Italy and set themselves up for another rout. They largely retained the strong side which whipped the Barbarians 54-7 last weekend. The Boks reserves bench, alone, had more caps than Italy’s entire matchday 23.

Italy struggled to find 23 fit players. The warmup win over Namibia cost them two players, and a fifth player went home early during the past week when seven more frontline players were hurt in training.

Coach Gonzalo Quesada reluctantly picked a 6-2 forwards-heavy bench to combat the Springboks ‘bomb squad,’ gave international debuts to four players including both hookers, and named scrumhalf Alessandro Fusco as the flyhalf backup if Giacomo Da Re was injured.

It looked as if it was going to script as South Africa reached 28-3 at halftime on the back of forward power.

New captain Jesse Kriel was the first try-scorer after four minutes, though he appeared to be in front of the kicker, his midfield partner center Damian de Allende.

Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg scored twice off the back of the scrum, one a pushover try between the posts, and winger Kurt-Lee Arendse ran great lines to another try.

By halftime, Italy had made 123 exhausting tackles.

But then it made South Africa start really working.

Italy’s first try, to flanker Manuel Zuliani, prompted the ‘bomb squad’ introduction of all five tight forwards. One of them, Vincent Koch, scored next. And with Handre Pollard not missing off the tee, it was 35-10.

But South Africa then needed a try-saving tackle by wing Cheslin Kolbe to stop Simone Gesi, whereupon the Italian forwards used a rolling maul to get over Pablo Dimcheff, whose test debut was only a minute old.

Lock Niccolo Lorenzo, inspiring in his first test as captain, had seen his younger brother Lorenzo taken off on a stretcher. Niccolo got Italy’s third try by smashing Kolbe and squashing Pollard between the posts.

The late Van Staden try ensured South Africa’s win, but the margin was the smallest at home against Italy in 15 years.

“Luckily,” Erasmus said, “we don’t have any injuries, just a few bruised egos.”