Last year this time the Boks would have been quite confident of a victory over the Italians, but we all know how that ended. Will this year be different?
The Boks will again be confident of getting a second victory on tour after sneaking in over the French last week. There hasn’t been much in the form of change with the backline being unchanged for this encounter and only two changes up front.
The Italians would have set their target on another victory over the Boks, seeing how they have struggled on this tour so far.
Italy: 15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Angelo Esposito, 13 Tommaso Boni, 12 Tommaso Castello, 11 Mattia Bellini, 10 Carlo Canna, 9 Marcello Violi, 8 Sergio Parisse (captain), 7 Abraham Steyn, 6 Giovanni Licata, 5 Dean Budd, 4 Marco Fuser, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Luca Bigi, 1 Andrea Lovotti.
Replacements: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Federico Zani, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Francesco Minto, 20 Renato Giammarioli, 21 Edoardo Gori, 22 Ian McKinley, 23 Matteo Minozzi.
South Africa: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Daniel du Preez, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Warrick Gelant.
Date: Saturday, 25 November 2017
Venue: Stadio Euganeo, Padua
Kick-off: 15.00 (16.00 SA time; 14.00 GMT)
Expected weather: Cold and wet. Rain, with a high of 10°C, dropping to 7°C
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: JP Doyle (England), Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
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Its no fairytale…Italy have been consistently bad since their peak last year when they beat the springboks. So, they won’t win, and my best guess is that the Saffas will win but look a little poorly doing it. It won’t change the results in Dublin, Albany, Durban and the last game against Italy (in Florence?); A paucity of Sharks in selection means that the team holds barely more than a breath of interest. The faster the springboks implode, the faster Allister will be gone…its uncomfortable to say, but not as uncomfortable as it ought to be.
Penalty Italy
Italy 3
Boks 0
10min
Try Francois Louw
Converted by Pollard
Boks 7
Italy 3
15min
Patient buildup from the Boks and eventually Louw scores the try.
200 points in 25 games for Pollard
Kickable penalty not taken by Italy. Going for the line out
@Mutley (Comment 7) : Italy build numerous phases and Italy get a penalty under the post after offside by Pollard
Penalty converted
Italy 6
Boks 7
20min
Scrum Penalty to the Boks. They play the advantage but does not ake use of it. Poite calls them back and brings them back. Pollard goes for the line out
@Mutley (Comment 10) : and Bongi Mbonambi scores a try from the maul
Boks gets a maul going for a change and Bongi scores
Pollard converts from the corner
Bokke 14
Italy 6
25min
Better kicking from Pollard so far
Beast replaced by Kitshoff. 28min
Line out stolen by Italy
Ross Cronje hits a half gap and offloads to Lood who loses the ball. Scrum to Italy 15m from the Italian goalline
Italy win the scrum and kicks upfield. Line out to the Boks on about the halfway
Francois Venter scores for the Boks. But TMO first to check
Boks playing the advantage after a high hit on du Toit. Cross Kick gathered by Venter and TMO confirms the try
@Mutley (Comment 19) : Why you talking to yourself??
😆 😆 😆 😆
3/3 for Pollard
Bokke 21
Italy 6
33min
Try is eventually awarded
@sharks_lover (Comment 21) : lol. Follow up on what I said
Can we please just teach the Boks to run onto the ball?
Anyone else noticed what an amazing game Romain Poite is having, usually shocking against SA sides, truly a fair contest today
@Bokhoring (Comment 25) : one lesson at a time. They just learned how to catch the ball
@jdolivier (Comment 26) : I think he must have had a knock to the head before the game – just not himself today
Francois Louw is having a great game at the breakdowns
@Bokhoring (Comment 28) : One idiot retired, the other a conversion in faith regarding the bokke, might have to buy a lotto ticket
Penalty to Italy after a high tackle by Etsebeth.
Italy go for goal but missed
Italy 6
Bokke 21
Halftime
@Mutley (Comment 29) : Italy really consists of Parisse and 14 other players who would struggle to make the Griquas team
In the mean time. Scotland lead the Ausies 10-0 after 18min
@Bokhoring (Comment 33) : You insult the onion people from the big hole good sir, parisse and 14 guys that like to be on tv
@Bokhoring (Comment 33) : Trust me this will extend the Bok coaches contract by another 10 years. lol
@Bokhoring (Comment 33) : that is true. Most of their players are not even italians. Other than Parissi they dont have any star quality players
@sharks_lover (Comment 36) : to beat Italy should be standard for any Bok team. The fact that we lost to Italy last year should have signalled the end of Allistar. The problem is the Boks dont have any game plan and rely on individual player brilliance to win the games. The team started the year well but the longer the players are with Allistar the worse they get
@Mutley (Comment 38) : I am worried a good win here will be enough for SA Rugby to continue with Toetie plodding along next year
Scotland still lead 10-0 after 28min
@Bokhoring (Comment 39) : The bad Allistar done overshadows the good. 1. First ever home loss against Ireland. 2. First ever away defeat against Argentina. 3. Biggest ever home loss to NZ in SA in 2016. 4. First loss to England in 10years. 5. First ever loss to Italy. 6. Biggest ever loss to NZ. 7. Biggest ever loss to Ireland
Italian crowd look a bit less enthusiastic now – obviously expected their team to dominate the plodding Boks
The second half is underway
Penalty to the Boks and Pollard sets up the line out
The Boks get penalty from the maul and Pollard sets up another line out
Try for the Boks and Kitshoff is credited with the score
Yellow card for repeated Italian infringements cannot be too far away, and the Boks score another one.
Pollard converts
Bokke 28
Italy 6
44min
Surely Toetie can start bringing some of his reserves on now – e.g. players he will need next week against Wales
Owen Nkumane does not think 28-6 is enough of a buffer for the Boks against the Italians 🙄
The Boks forwards are very physical today
@Bokhoring (Comment 49) : Allistar is not a big fan of using his bench. That was why we usually fade in the last 20minutes. He does not use his bench in the most effective way
@Mutley (Comment 52) : Since Thor and Louw will not be playing next week, we will start two under-cooked loosies against Wales next week
Ross replaced by Paige. 55min
Nowthe weather and both teams starting to drag each other down in terms of quality
This is a very poor italian team and apart from the score, its not a good performance from the boks. Were running sideways and kicking away turnover possesion on attack and unable to put pressure on itialy on defence
@Bokhoring (Comment 53) : Kolisi will be back next week. So it is between Cassiem and du Preez who will play 8
Penalty to Italy 5m from the line
@Mutley (Comment 57) : Forgotten about Kolisi
Duanne Vermeulen replaced by Dan du Preez. Nope just warming up
Chillyboy replaces Bongi now. 61min
Toetie now making a whole bunch of non-injury enforced changes – must be a record for him
@Mutley (Comment 60) : I still see Thor on the field – must have been PSDT?
Italy has been on the attack for most of the second but the Boks defence is holding
Jantjies now replaces Pollard
Dan is not on the field.
@sharks_lover (Comment 66) : Yip – only reserved not yet used I think
Mostert on the field now
@Bokhoring (Comment 67) : thought Dan was coming on when he was warming up and Vermeulen looked like hr was going off
Warwick Gelant makes his debut with 10minutes left in the game
Italians are offside nearly every ruck. Lots of niggle … springboks doing well to ignore it
@Mutley (Comment 68) : Mostert is on for Eben, eish Mutley if you be the commentator you need to be awake
😆 😆
We all called for Galant but he has already missed 3 tackles, not good.
@Mutley (Comment 69) : Makes no sense to play Thor the entire game
@sharks_lover (Comment 73) : He does look good on attack though
Jantjies gives a good little kick forward and Gelant almost scores
The in goal area is very small.
Dan rerplaces PSDT 🙄
@sharks_lover (Comment 72) : just saw Mostert come on. Thought it was for Lood lol.
@Bokhoring (Comment 78) : that must be why Vermeulen remains on the field because Etsebeth is off
What is the deal with the dude with the goggles – surely not that wet?
@Mutley (Comment 79) : Excuses excuses 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
Franco Mostert scores the Boks 5th
@Mutley (Comment 83) : no wait. Want to check for foul play
@Mutley (Comment 84) : TMO cant find anything and Poite has to award the try.
Seriously??
Jantjies converts
Bokke 35
Italy 6
77min
@Bokhoring (Comment 86) : dont know what they were looking for
@Mutley (Comment 88) : Parisse claimed lood cleaned an Italian illegally
Wonder if Owen thinks 35-6 with clock past 80 is safe?
@Bokhoring (Comment 90) : Owen thinks it’s 90minutes like soccer
Scotland 39 Australia 17 (61 min)
Toetie will now go on as if the Boks beat the WC champs at home.
Final Score
Italy 6
Penalty Carlo Canna x 2
South Africa 35
Tries: Bongi Mbonambi, Francois Louw, Francois Venter, Steven Kitshoff and Franco Mostert
Conversions: Handre Pollard x 4, Elton Jantjies
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 92) : damn. Scotland came so close to beating NZ last week. Would be awesone for them to beag the Ausies
If anyone cares scotland are still 39-17 up against australia. Anyone know what the red card was for?
@Mutley (Comment 95) : They’re playing some very good rugby 😎
@byron (Comment 96) : Kepu shoulder charged watson
@jdolivier (Comment 98) : To the head
@Mutley (Comment 65) : Pollard MOM
WP will really miss Hugh-Jones, but then they do have Ellendig
Scotland gets more than 50 against Aus. Thank goodness we are not playing them this tour
Wonder how many reports will say boks are back on track after this nothing game. Toetie will def milk it and spin it like fidget. …
This world cup going to an island nation nz scotland England Wales we probably won’t see quarters.
Just to put our results in perspective – Japan drew with France at home yesterday. What the hell is going on with France at the moment? This is a team that came second in three WC finals.
@Bokhoring (Comment 105) : you call it Top14 syndrome
@Bokhoring (Comment 105) : too many saffers playing in France .. therefore too few french players
@byron (Comment 107) : And to think Japan almost beat them too
Thomas the tank called up to go help Louis, Lukhanyo, Curwin and Ruan carry tackle bags
@Bokhoring (Comment 105) : @John (Comment 106) : @byron (Comment 107) : @Dunx (Comment 108) : yes all the foreign players playing in France (Top 14 and also second league) is a big part of the problems but also think, just like in SA, their administrators is fucking up their national team by not selecting the best coach as their national coach!!!
Similar to the French rugby situation is English soccer Premiere League. Some of the strongest teams in Europe but yet the English National Soccer team suck just like the French rugby team!
Look at Irish improvement and their National Union limiting foreign players in their domestic teams! Seems their administrators is testing it right!!
@jdolivier (Comment 109) : maybe bags are getting to heavy for the small guys!?!?!?! 😈
Unconfirmed as yet but Coetzee might be going back to Japan soon. Hopefully SARU doesn’t select a bigger turd in his place.
Just my thoughts on the Bok game. Wasnt a great performance but playing Italy on those vry narrow fields very seldom results in a good game. Boks did well in terms of the scoreboard. SOmetimes you play well and the scofe doesnt reflect it so got to give them credit in that regard. Still think we have backline issues and only ever one gy coming onto the ball if we lucky. I watch NZ/Eng/Scot and they all have multiple runners coming onto the ball which makes it tough for the defense. I must admit a lot of our issues stem from our 9 not having a strong pass.
My suggested lineup for the Wales game:
1. Kitshoff 2. Mbonambi 3. Louw 4. Etzebeth 5. De Jager 6. Kolisi 7. PSDT 8. DuPreez 9. Paige 10. Pollard 11. Lleyds 12. Venter 13. Kriel 14. Gelant 15. Coetzee.
Bench: DuToit, Chilliboy, Nyakane, Mostert, Cassiem, Schreuder, Bosch, Am
Im being a bit hopefull with the bench as i know AC will favour consistency over anything.
@Bokhoring (Comment 102) : How I wish we were playing Scotland and how, Im sure, the Sots wish they were playing the Boks.