In a gritty display of resilience, a 14-man South Africa side powered past Italy 32-14 at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday, securing a third straight win on their European end-of-year tour. The world champions outscored the Azzurri four tries to one in a match defined by controversy, early disruption, and a commanding second-half surge.
Disaster struck for the Springboks just 12 minutes in when lock Franco Mostert was shown a straight red card for a high tackle on Italy fly-half Paolo Garbisi. Referee James Doleman, after consulting the television match official, ruled the second tackler’s shoulder-to-head contact—without arms wrapped—warranted a permanent dismissal under World Rugby’s strict head-contact protocols. It marked the second consecutive week a Springbok lock was sent off, following Lood de Jager’s ejection against France last weekend.
The sending-off sparked heated debate, with former players and pundits questioning the call’s severity. “Looked like Mostert hit the chest, not the head,” tweeted broadcaster Rupert Cox, while Irish journalist Rúaidhrí O’Connor quipped on social media: “The Springbok head hunters at it again.” Mostert, a veteran of 75 Tests, now faces a likely disciplinary hearing that could sideline him for the upcoming Ireland clash.
Coach Rassie Erasmus, known for his bold selections, had already rung in 11 changes to the starting XV, handing debuts or near-debuts to eight players with fewer than 10 caps. The bench descended into chaos as adjustments piled up: tighthead Zach Porthen lasted just one scrum before yielding to Wilco Le Roux, while prop Gerhard Steenekamp briefly exited for a head injury assessment triggered by his mouthguard.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, South Africa adapted ruthlessly. Handré Pollard opened the scoring with a 34th-minute penalty—moments after a drop-goal attempt was scrubbed for obstruction—to edge 3-0 ahead. Italy’s Garbisi leveled it at 3-3 with three minutes left in the half, but in a frantic finale, flanker Marco van Staden crashed over from a penalty tap for the game’s first try. Pollard’s conversion sent the Boks into the break leading 10-3.
The second half ignited with Italy’s response: a Garbisi penalty narrowing the gap to 10-6, followed by another three points after van Staden was yellow-carded for a maul infringement, briefly giving the hosts a two-man edge. Pollard steadied the ship with an offside penalty, making it 13-9.
From there, South Africa’s backline ignited. Scrum-half Morne van den Berg sniped over from a five-meter scrum to extend the lead to 20-9, only for Italy fullback Ange Capuozzo to hit back with a slick backline move, slicing through for a converted try that trimmed it to 20-14.
With nerves jangling, the Springboks unleashed their firepower in the final 10 minutes. Winger Canan Moodie linked with replacement Grant Williams for a sweeping counter-attack score, before fly-half Manie Libbok’s pinpoint chip found Ethan Hooker in the corner for the bonus-point try. Pollard added the extras, sealing a hard-fought 32-14 triumph.
“It was herculean from the boys—pure Bok spirit,” Erasmus said post-match, praising the rookies’ composure. “We turned adversity into opportunity, but those calls… we’ll review them.” Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada rued missed chances: “We matched their physicality early, but execution let us down in the wet.”
The win caps a flawless start to the tour for South Africa, following victories over Scotland and France, and keeps them atop the world rankings. Next up is a blockbuster rematch with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on November 22—a potential decider to last July’s drawn series.
For the Azzurri, now 10th in the rankings, it’s another valiant effort but no cigar against the champions. Their high-risk style shone through Capuozzo’s try and strong scrummaging, but wayward kicking from Garbisi—missing several penalties—proved costly.
As the Autumn Nations Series heats up, all eyes turn to the Boks’ depth in the Emerald Isle. With locks thin on the ground, Erasmus’ gamble on youth could define the tour’s legacy.
Reporting from Turin; additional sources: BBC Sport, The Independent, RugbyPass
