South Africa defy early red card to beat Italy / Photo: Stefano RELLANDINI - AFP
South Africa defy early red card to beat Italy
South Africa beat spirited Italy 32-14 on Saturday, coming out on top despite having to play a huge chunk of the match a man down just as they did in last weekend's win over France.
Marco van Staden, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams and Ethan Hooker scored the tries with Handre Pollard kicking the rest of South Africa's points at a soaking Allianz Stadium on a wet, grey day in northern Italy.
There were swathes of empty seats in the stands, with the big ticket in town being tennis stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz trying to set up a blockbuster final at rhe ATP Finals.
Nonetheless those present got fully involved in a surprisingly tight match in which South Africa were a man down for nearly 70 minutes due to Franco Mostert being sent off for a dangerous tackle on Paolo Garbisi.
It was the second time in as many matches that Rassie Erasmus' team made their lives harder with poor discipline but in the end it didn't cost a team which started with 11 changes to the XV which beat France in Paris last week.
The Springboks next take on Ireland in Dublin, another mouth-watering clash in their tour of the northern hemisphere.
Italy, who made things interesting thanks to Paolo Garbisi's boot and an Ange Capuozzo try, finish their run of Autumn internationals against Chile in Genoa next weekend.
A win over Australia and Saturday's dogged, if clumsy display offer more encouraging signs for Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada ahead the next Six Nations.
F.G.Fischer--VZ
