Springboks Survive Scare in Shaky Win Over Spirited Italy
Wow, what a game that was at Loftus Versfeld! The Springboks may have come out on top with a 42–24 win over Italy, but let’s be honest—this wasn’t the kind of polished performance you’d expect from the reigning world champions. South Africa scored six tries, but Italy, with a relatively inexperienced squad, gave them a serious run for their money—especially in that second half.
Morne van den Berg really stood out, bagging two tries and bringing much-needed energy from the base of the scrum. He was sharp, decisive, and capitalized on a dominant Springbok pack early in the game. Alongside him, Jesse Kriel, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Vincent Koch, and Marco van Staden also crossed the line, giving the scoreboard a bit of gloss, but don’t let that final margin fool you. This was far from a clinical Springbok outing.
Italy were trailing 28–3 at the break and looked like they were about to get steamrolled. But full credit to them—they came out fighting in the second half. Tries from Manuel Zuliani, debutant Pablo Dimcheff, and skipper Niccolò Cannone put the Boks under real pressure. At one point, it looked like this might turn into a thriller.
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South Africa were scrappy at the breakdown, losing multiple turnovers and struggling with line-out execution. Faf de Klerk admitted post-match that Italy “made it hard” and that there’s “disappointment” in the performance. He’s not wrong. The Bomb Squad, which is normally the Springboks’ secret weapon, failed to deliver the knockout blow. In fact, the second half dipped significantly when the bench came on.
Kurt-Lee Arendse deserves special mention—not just for his electric try, but for a game-saving tackle that prevented what could’ve been a critical Italian try. His pace and awareness were outstanding.
On the flip side, Italy walk away with a lot to be proud of. They were brave, organized, and refused to back down against a far more experienced and physically dominant side. Cannone summed it up perfectly, saying they’re proud but know they’ve got room to improve.
All in all, it’s a wake-up call for the Boks. Yes, a win’s a win, and kicking off the season with a victory is always good, but with the second test coming up in Gqeberha, South Africa will know they need to sharpen up—fast.
Italy, on the other hand, have sent a clear message: they may be rebuilding, but they’re not here to be pushed around. And that’s something everyone watching rugby this weekend can respect.
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