In a match that was supposed to be a steamrolling Springbok statement, the world champions looked more like a rusted scrum machine trying to change gears without a clutch. Though the scoreboard read a 42-24 win for South Africa over a raw and ravaged Italy, the real tale unfolded in the shadows of the rucks and the missed connections at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
This was less a clinical dissection by the top-ranked team in world rugby, and more a clumsy opening act full of fumbles, stumbles, and a whole lot of grit from a makeshift Italian side that had no business staying in the ring — and yet did, throwing haymakers until the final bell.
A Half of Halves
The Boks sprinted into halftime with a seemingly commanding 28-3 lead, like a sprinter bolting off the blocks with arrogance only to trip on their own shoelaces down the final stretch. The early dominance came from the usual suspects: Jesse Kriel latched onto a slick grubber from Damian de Allende to open the account, and with Italy’s Lorenzo Cannone cooling off in the sin bin for hands in the ruck, scrumhalf debutant Morne van den Berg pounced off a powerful scrum to score his first Test try.
Kurt-Lee Arendse sliced through the blue wall like a hot knife through gorgonzola, while Van den Berg dotted down again to bag his brace. The green and gold looked poised to crush the Azzurri beneath the Loftus altitude.
But then the air grew heavy.
Italy’s Iron-Willed Riposte
Fielding what was essentially a patched-together platoon — missing seven seasoned campaigners through injury — Italy showed the guts of gladiators. In the second stanza, they refused to play dead. Instead, they rose with fire in their bellies and began to dismantle the Bok momentum one ruck at a time.
The breakdowns, in particular, became an Italian stronghold. They scavenged like wolves, turning over ball and snuffing out Bok rhythm with a ferocity that made the famed “Bomb Squad” look more like a damp sparkler.
As Faf de Klerk admitted post-match:
There will be disappointment in tonight’s performance. Italy really made it hard for us at the breakdown, their forwards were phenomenal. We must look at it in the week and fix it for the next game.
Italy’s flanker Manuel Zuliani got the fightback rolling, burrowing over with the determination of a man shoveling through concrete. Then came the moment that would have sent shudders through Rassie Erasmus’s coaching booth — a 25-metre driving maul that ended with debutant Pablo Dimcheff crashing over. The Springbok pack, usually a fortress, was blown off its hinges.
When captain Niccolo Cannone added a third try with ten minutes to go, the once distant possibility of an upset loomed like a thundercloud over Loftus.
We are a strong group, even with some injuries, and we showed that. I am very happy with the performance. We have to improve some details for next week, but we are very proud.
The Scoreline Lies
Despite six tries — from Kriel, Van den Berg (2), Arendse, Vincent Koch and Marco van Staden — and a flawless kicking performance from Handre Pollard (6/6 conversions), the Boks will know this was a paper victory. The performance was frayed at the seams: scrappy lineouts, lazy cleanouts, and a tempo that never quite found its beat.
What was meant to be a triumphant waltz into the international season turned into a cautionary stumble. The second-half Italian surge exposed a Springbok side still searching for cohesion, fluency, and, critically, their trademark physical dominance.
The fact that the world champions — playing at home in front of 42,622 expectant fans — were genuinely rattled by a 10th-ranked side without its spine speaks volumes.
Even the usually fearsome Bomb Squad came on with a whisper instead of a bang, adding little impact when the engine room needed a reboot. The crowd came for a showcase; they got a lesson in humility instead.
Much to Mull Before Gqeberha
With the second Test looming in Gqeberha, Rassie Erasmus and his brains trust have a cauldron of questions bubbling over. Can the Bok forwards rediscover their mongrel at the breakdown? Will the lineout find its lift-off? Can they stop conceding soft points against a side that played like they had nothing to lose?
For now, the Springboks have won the battle but looked anything but invincible.
And in rugby, as in war, it’s not always the scoreboard that tells the full story — it’s the bruises, the missed tackles, and the warning signs scribbled in sweat on the coach’s notepad.
If the Springboks don’t switch gears fast, next week in Gqeberha might not be a simple Test—it could be a trial by fire.
Scorers:
South Africa 42 (28)
Tries: Jesse Kriel, Morne van den Berg (2), Kurt-Lee Arendse, Vincent Koch, Marco van Staden.
Conversions: Handre Pollard (6/6)
Italy 24 (3)
Tries: Manuel Zuliani, Pablo Dimcheff, Niccolo Cannone.
Conversions: Giacomo De Re (3)
Penalty: De Re
