“Strolling Like A Rolls Royce”: Sacha Hauls 26 Points As Springboks Demolish Italy

The Springboks got their Nations Championship European Tour off to a flying start with an emphatic 66-7 victory over Italy at the Allianz Stadium, home of Juventus, in Turin on Saturday afternoon.

The Azzurri were thoroughly outclassed as the world champions delivered a masterclass in power, precision and attacking rugby, leaving Italy with few answers to their relentless onslaught.

South Africa scored nine tries to Italy’s one, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu finishing the match with an impressive 26 points.

The Springboks drew first blood through the boot of Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who slotted an early penalty to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.

South Africa wasted little time asserting their dominance, putting Italy under immense pressure at both the set-piece and in open play.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu soon added to his tally, slicing through the Azzurri defence before racing away to score in the corner in the eighth minute. He duly converted his own try to extend South Africa’s advantage.

Matters went from bad to worse for the hosts as the Springboks capitalised on an attacking lineout to set up a powerful rolling maul. Although Italy managed to halt its progress, Morne van den Berg took matters into his own hands, sniping around the fringes to dot down for South Africa’s second try.

With the Azzurri firmly on the back foot, Malcolm Marx was next to cross the whitewash. Another dominant rolling maul created the opportunity for the hooker to break away from the back and power over for a straightforward finish.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu continued to punish Italy from the tee, maintaining his flawless kicking record as the Springboks surged into a 24-0 lead beyond the 20-minute mark.

The world champions showed no signs of easing off, continuing to overwhelm their opponents with a devastating combination of pace, power and precision. Further tries from captain Siya Kolisi and Damian Willemse compounded Italy’s misery.

Kolisi finished off a superb attacking move after Feinberg-Mngomezulu – strolling around the pitch like a Rolls-Royce – produced an outstanding 50:22. The Springbok skipper then showed his class, powering through the Italian defence to score.

Willemse soon joined the party after Jasper Wiese exploited a gap in the Italian defensive line before putting the fullback into space to finish off the move.

By the half-hour mark, Italy were being blown away as the Springboks raced into a commanding 38-0 lead.

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts when Muhamed Hasa was shown a yellow card for cynical interference inside Italy’s 22, leaving the Azzurri a man down.

The Springboks, winners of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, needed no second invitation to turn the screw. Another devastating rolling maul proved too much for Italy to handle, with Marx breaking away at the back to claim his second try of the afternoon and South Africa’s sixth.

With Feinberg-Mngomezulu continuing his impeccable display from the tee, the Springboks headed into the half-time break with a staggering 45-0 advantage, leaving the Italians shell-shocked.

HALF-TIME: SOUTH AFRICA 45-0 ITALY

The second half began in somewhat scrappy fashion, with Italy showing signs of fight but lacking the precision and efficiency needed to trouble the Springboks.

South Africa soon reasserted their dominance, working their way into the red zone before Wilco Louw spotted an opportunity and powered over the try line in the 49th minute.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the conversion, extending the Springboks’ commanding lead to 52-0.

Italy eventually found some reward for their efforts in the 61st minute. A well-executed lineout set up a ruck, from which Alessandro Fusco produced a superb pass to find Federico Ruzza out wide. Ruzza finished well to get Italy on the scoreboard, much to the delight of the home crowd.

To their credit, the Italians continued to show courage and resilience, refusing to let the mounting scoreline dampen their determination.

Nevertheless, despite Italy’s spirited response and a noticeable drop in intensity from the Springboks, South Africa continued to demonstrate their clinical edge, turning entries into the Italian 22 into points.

Following another sustained period of pressure and a powerful driving maul, Paul de Villiers crossed for a try in the 72nd minute.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu made no mistake from the tee, adding the extras to extend South Africa’s lead to 59-7.

Ethan Hooker then crossed for the Springboks’ ninth and final try of the afternoon, putting the finishing touches on a comprehensive 66-7 victory.