Turin (Italy) (AFP) – South Africa had no mercy on Gonzalo Quesada's Italy, whom it defeated 66-7 this Saturday in Turin in a match on the fourth day of the Rugby Nations Championship.
First modification: 07/11/2026 - 15:09
The current two-time world champion thus maintains the top of the Southern Hemisphere classification, with four victories and as many positive bonuses, to add 20 points, five more than New Zealand, which will visit Scotland this Saturday.
Since his arrival in Europe, coach Rassie Erasmus and his Springboks repeated again and again that the Nazionale, despite having lost their matches at the start of this new tournament and the numerous casualties (Menoncello, Brex, Lamaro), were a rival not to be trusted.
The message was perfectly assimilated by the players, who overwhelmed and suffocated the Italians, whom they surpassed in all sectors of the game and whom they punished with nine tries.
The South African hurricane, impressive in its strength and dominance, took the Nazionale ahead in just twenty-five minutes with five tries (38-0), with Sacha Feinberg Mngomezulu in stellar form, author of the first try and without errors in kicking.
The 24-year-old flyhalf, the new sensation of South African rugby, scored 26 points (100% accuracy), although he suffered a small scare when he had to leave at the hour mark to follow the concussion protocol, before returning for the last ten minutes.
The Italians, who went into the break with a 45-point deficit, were proud at the beginning of the second period, also helped by the numerous changes introduced by Erasmus (Kolisi, Wiese, Toit, Nche and Marx, author of two tries) shortly after the restart.
The Azzurri saved honor with a try by Federico Ruzza, converted by Tommaso Allan (52-7, 62'), to avoid being goalless for the first time since July 2025, in a test lost 45-0, also against South Africa.
South Africa will close the first phase of the tournament against France and Ireland.
© 2026 AFP
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