A much-changed Springbok lineup authored one of the standout away wins of the northern season, beating Italy 32–14 in Turin despite playing with 14 men for almost 70 minutes. The visitors produced four tries to one, survived a long period down to 13, and finished with a late flourish that underlined squad resilience and tactical clarity. After a bruising fortnight that already featured a famous Paris triumph with 14 men, this result extended momentum on the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour and framed a compelling lead-in to Dublin.

The Early Shock and the Shape of Adversity

The game’s axis tilted inside the opening quarter. Franco Mostert, operating at No 5, became the second Springbok lock in as many weeks to depart early, this time for a head-contact red card on Paolo Garbisi in the 12th minute as the second tackler. The dismissal forced an experimental match-day group, already featuring new combinations, into emergency mode against an Italy side buoyed by a landmark win over Australia seven days earlier.

With numbers reduced and the scrum creaking, territory and pressure belonged to the hosts. South Africa spent most of the first half-hour in their own half, defending repeat sets and conceding scrum penalties that fed Italian field position. The scoreboard, however, did not mirror the weight of possession: Italy’s goal-kicking malfunctioned early, while the Boks found just enough exit accuracy to keep the contest tight.

Bench Carousel: Solving the Puzzle on the Fly

The sending-off turned the Springbok bench into a tactical engine room.

In rapid succession:

• 12’ Ben-Jason Dixon made way for Ruan Nortje to restore a specialist lock.

• 19’ Wilco Louw replaced Zachary Porthen at tighthead to stabilise the set-piece.

• 23’ Gerhard Steenekamp came on for Boan Venter on the other side of the scrum.

• 27’ Andre Esterhuizen entered to execute a hybrid flanker/centre role; Kurt-Lee Arendse was sacrificed to rebalance the pack-back split.

The objective was clear: rebuild scrum integrity, preserve a maul threat, and keep one power carrier on the short side of rucks to manage Italy’s narrow surges.

Threading the Needle Before the Break

Despite extended defending, South Africa struck first. A territory flip via contestable kicking yielded a central penalty that Handré Pollard nudged over after an earlier drop-goal was chalked off for obstruction. Italy levelled through a scrum penalty in front, but the halftime swing belonged to the visitors. A free-kick platform near the line set the tone for a sequence of tight carries; Marco van Staden was driven over beside the left upright and Pollard converted for a 10–3 interval lead, an improbable advantage given the preceding 30 minutes.

The Narrowing Squeeze and 13-Man Pressure

Italy began the second half by squeezing the scoreboard. Garbisi reduced the deficit with penalties on 43 and 52 minutes, the latter coinciding with van Staden’s yellow card for cynical play, leaving South Africa 10–9 ahead and down to 13 men. Possession tilted further towards the Azzurri, and the set-piece required perfect sequencing to avoid a momentum flip.

The response was ice-cold. Pollard reclaimed three points on 56 minutes after Lorenzo Cannone saw yellow for head contact on Kwagga Smith. That strike mattered: it reset scoreboard pressure, stemmed Italian enthusiasm, and bought time for the reconfigured pack to find rhythm.

The Game-Breaking Burst: Three Tries in the Final Half Hour

1) Morne van den Berg (58’) – 17–9

From a wheeling attacking scrum on the goal line, Morne van den Berg sniped low, absorbed the tackle on the stripe, and grounded with control. The try arrived while the Boks were still a man down in the pack, flipping narrative and energy.

2) Grant Williams (72’) – 24–9

Italy finally engineered a clean incision through the brilliant Ange Capuozzo on 65 minutes, slicing inside off a short ball to make it 17–14 after the missed conversion. South Africa’s reply was devastating. Damian Willemse, outstanding in broken play and later named Player of the Match, fielded a kick in his half, launched the counter to the left, and Canan Moodie drew and delivered inside for Grant Williams to finish under the posts. It restored a two-score cushion and deflated the crowd.

3) Ethan Hooker (80’+) – 32–14

With Italy chasing, Manie Libbok executed a cross-field kick towards the right touchline where Ethan Hooker timed his leap and grounding to claim his first Test try. The conversion window expired as the clock hit red, ending a closing stanza that showcased calm decision-making and clinical edge.

How 14 (and 13) Men Won the Detail

Set-piece repair

The early scrum strain forced personnel changes, but the revised front row of Louw and Steenekamp, aided by Nortje’s set-piece smarts, steadied the base. Maul defence tightened after initial infringements, while attacking mauls were used selectively to drain Italian legs rather than as a blunt instrument.

Ruck discipline and fold speed

With a forward short, South Africa prioritised tackle-assist entries and post-tackle spacing over contest volume. The guard-pillar reload on the short side improved after halftime, reducing the soft-edge lanes Capuozzo loves. Italy were often shepherded into narrow channels where chop tackles and double-hits limited gainline.

Kicking strategy under load

Contestables and nudges beyond the back-three shoulders kept play out of the middle third and protected the undermanned pack. The sequence ahead of van Staden’s try and the territorial wins that preceded van den Berg’s strike both originated from kick pressure and chase cohesion.

Bench timing

The “Bomb Squad” blueprint adjusted on the fly: rather than a standard 50–60 minute detonation, changes arrived in clusters dictated by card context and scrum needs. The net effect was a freshened pack when Italy expected a fade.

Individuals Who Tilted the Field

• Damian Willemse – Line-breaking choices and aerial security anchored the back-field; his counter that launched the Williams try was the moment of separation.

• Handré Pollard – Scoreboard management in a low-possession first half and the vital penalty on 56 minutes were momentum markers.

• Marco van Staden – Try before halftime and high-volume defensive work either side of his sin-bin.

• Morne van den Berg & Grant Williams – Impact nines who converted pressure into points at critical junctures.

• Ethan Hooker – Poised finish for a maiden Test try; carried with intent in late sets.

• Ruan Nortje – Emergency lock cover who stabilised lineout calls and contributed to post-card scrum cohesion.

• Front-row reshuffle (Louw, Steenekamp) – Quietly decisive in turning a liability into parity.

Discipline, Decisions, and the Flow of the Game

Italy’s pathway back relied on scrum penalties and territory; South Africa’s counter rested on field-position management and tackle accuracy. The hosts’ best attacking moment, Capuozzo’s glide, arrived when the Bok fold was slow after repeated phases. Beyond that, the green-and-gold shape held. The final exchanges illustrated contrasting efficiency: Italy needed multi-phase perfection; South Africa required only a moment, Willemse’s counter or Libbok’s kick, to land decisive blows.

Selection Ripples and Resources

With Lood de Jager already suspended and Franco Mostert now facing a hearing, lock depth again becomes a planning axis. Ruan Nortje’s adaptability has softened the blow, but the match-day 23 design that powers the bench-dominated closing plan typically leans on two natural No 5 skillsets. In the front row, a thinning loosehead pool prompted the call-up of Ntuthuko Mchunu, while the tour group has also been reinforced at hooker by Bongi Mbonambi. Those moves anticipate both availability limits for fixtures outside the international window and the physical toll of a five-Test trek.

Context: Handling the Noise, Owning the Field

The road to Dublin customarily features external static. Ireland arrive buoyed by a comfortable win over Australia, and the narrative volume around rankings, discipline flashpoints, and historical needle tends to rise. Recent campaigns demonstrate a group increasingly adept at isolating the pitch from the periphery. On-field, the past fortnight has supplied a practical template: defend efficiently when shorthanded, control territory with the boot, and trust the bench to surge late.

What the Numbers Say

• Scoreline: Italy 14 (3) – Springboks 32 (10)

• Tries (SA): Van Staden, Van den Berg, Williams, Hooker

• Kicks (SA): Conversions – Pollard (2), Libbok (1); Penalties – Pollard (2)

• Tries (ITA): Capuozzo; Penalties: Garbisi (3)

The line underscores a game that was live at 52 minutes (10–9) and transformed by three clinical South African finishes against a tiring defence.

Final Whistle

Turin will file alongside Paris in a growing catalogue of performances defined by resilience. A team down a specialist lock for nearly an hour, then briefly reduced to 13, found patience, precision, and a decisive counterpunch. The finishing sequence, van den Berg’s sharp eye, Williams’s support lines, Hooker’s aerial timing, captured an evolved attack layered onto the traditional Springbok power frame.

Two weeks, two 14-man wins, and a tour still gathering speed. Dublin now beckons, with the platform firmly laid.

All image credits: Springboks and SuperSport

#TheGoToGuy #Springboks #BoksOnTour #TurinTriumph #RugbyResilience #SouthAfricaRugby

🏉🔥💪🌍