Sloppy Boks too good for lowly Azzurri
MATCH REPORT: South Africa started the formal part of their international season with a 42-24 win over an under-strength Italian team at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
However, the Pretoria performance was not as clinical as the Springboks would have liked.
South Africa showed their intent to employ an expansive game, but at times just lacked the accuracy required.
In a dominant first quarter, the home team had 90 percent possession and 80 percent territory, only for their sloppiness saving the visitors.
However, with their turnovers well into double digits, they were at times their own worst enemies.
The set pieces were also not as good in the second half as they were before the break, especially in the line-outs – where the Boks’ success rate dropped to about 25 percent.
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It was a scrappy start from the Springboks – knock-ons by Handre Pollard, Eben Etzebeth and Morné van den Berg.
However, the Bok scrum soon asserted its dominance and the forwards also started dominated the collisions.
Jesse Kriel scored the first try in the 11th minute, from a sublime grubber from midfield partner Damian de Allende. Pollard added the conversion – 7-0.
Just past the quarter mark, the Azzurri were reduced to 14 players. No.8 Lorenzo Cannone was yellow-carded for a cynical foul at the tackle.
From that penalty, a scrum was called and the Boks marched the visitors back in a show of power, allowing scrumhalf Morné van den Berg to flop over for the second try. Pollard made it 14-0 with the conversion.
An offside penalty in the 27th minute allowed flyhalf Giacomo De Re to put the Azzurri’s first points on the board, 3-14.
However, the Boks responded with a sublime Kurt-Lee Arendse try – Malcolm Marx coming round the back of a line-out and giving the pass that put the wing into a gap. Pollard’s conversion made it 21-3 on the half-hour mark.
In the 37th minute the scrumhalf, Van den Berg, sniped over from another powerful scrum for the fourth try. Pollard again added the conversion – making it 28-3 at the half-time break
The second half started with a Damian Willemse break that set up Vincent Tshituka for a potential try. However, the TMO ruled that prop Ox Nche had committed an obstruction.
From a subsequent line-out, the Italian forwards worked the ball through the phases until flank Manual Zuliani barged over from close range. De Re added the conversion to narrow the gap to 18 points – 10-28.
In the 47th minute the bomb squad took to the field – Bongi Mbonambi, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman and Franco Mostert – all in one go.
The Boks now looked a disjointed unit and the Azzurri had more possession and opportunities to play with the ball in hand.
However, the Boks eventually found their rhythm and replacement prop Vincent Koch finished off a series of forward charges. Pollard slotted another conversion – 35-10 after 58 minutes.
On the hour mark wing Kurt-Lee Arendse produced a sublime try-saving tackle to show he is not just about pace and try-scoring.
The Azzurri responded with a try by replacement hooker and debutant Pablo Dimcheff from a powerful maul. De Re added the conversion – 17-35.
That was followed by a third try, captain Niccolo Cannone rolling over the line as the forwards showed up the sloppy Boks again. De Re’s conversion made it an 11-point game – 24-35.
The Boks’ response was a power play, with flank Marco van Staden barging over and Italian flank Alessandro Izekor ywlloqw-carded for repeated infringements in the red zone.
It ended with a 42-24 win for a sloppy Bok team.
Man of the match: The tight forwards – Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche- did plenty of damage in the set pieces. RG Snyman and Kwagga Smith were the most productive of the replacement forwards. Flank Vincent Tshituka cemented his spot in the matchday squad with an accomplished debut, whioch highluighted his value as an additional line-out jumper. Morné van den Berg (with two tries) and Handre Pollard were very effective as a halfback combination. My award goes to wing Kurt-Lee Arendse – who scored one of the Boks’ six tries, his nine carries producing 60-odd metres. Howeveer, it was on defence where he was most impressive.
Moment of the match: In a match of nine great tries, it was the Kurt-Lee Arendse try-saving tackle in the 60th minute gets our award.
Villain: No real villains in a game played with physicality, but no nasty menace.
The scorers
For South Africa
Tries: Kriel, Van den Berg 2, Arendse, Koch, Van Staden
Cons: Pollard 6
For Italy’
Tries: Zuliani, Dimcheff, Cannone
Cons: De Re 3
Pen: De Re
Yellow cards: Lorenzo Cannone (Italy, 23 – cynical foul, playing the ball on the ground), Alessandro Izekor (Irtaly, 75 – repeated uinfringement, offside)
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Franco Mostert, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Faf de Klerk, 23 Willie le Roux.
Italy: 15 Jacopo Trulla, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giacomo De Re, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manual Zuliani, 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolo Cannone (captain), 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements: 16 Pablo Dimcheff, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Matteo Canali. 20 Ross Vintcent, 21 David Odiase, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Giulio Bertaccini.
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (England), Andrew Brace (England)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (England)
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