Nations Championship: Italy 7 South Africa 66
South Africa secured a commanding victory over Italy in Turin, winning 66-7 in the Nations Championship. Outhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu led the Springboks, scoring the opening try and finishing the match with 21 points from his kicking.
The Springboks dominated the match from the start, scoring six tries in the first half. Malcolm Marx contributed two tries, with additional scores from Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Morne van den Berg, captain Siya Kolisi, and Damian Willemse. Feinberg-Mngomezulu successfully converted all six attempts, leading South Africa to a 45-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, Wilco Louw added another try, but Italy responded with a score from Federico Ruzza, converted by Tommaso Allan. South Africa maintained their momentum with tries from Paul de Villiers and Ethan Hooker, concluding the match at 66-7.
The Springboks are at the top of the southern hemisphere group in the Nations Championship, having earned maximum points from their three matches in July. They hold the lead over New Zealand on points difference.
Italy, missing several key players including captain Michele Lamaro and two starting centers, struggled to match South Africa’s performance. The team ended the southern series Tests without any victories.
The match began with Italy conceding an early penalty, allowing Feinberg-Mngomezulu to kick the first points. Following that, he scored a try at nine minutes, breaking through the Italian defense from 40 meters out. Driving lineout efforts from Van den Berg and Marx soon followed, further extending South Africa’s lead.
The final minutes of the first half saw Italy reduced to 14 players after Muhamed Hasa received a yellow card, and Marx capitalized by scoring his second try. While Italy struggled with the significant deficit, Ruzza’s try in the corner provided a moment of celebration for the home fans.
Looking ahead, South Africa will face France in Paris on Friday before taking on Ireland in Dublin. Italy’s remaining matches include clashes against Argentina and Fiji in the northern series.
