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| Italy (13) 21 |
| Tries: Capuozzo, Cannone Con: Allan Pens: Allan 3 |
| South Africa (18) 63 |
| Tries: Arendse 2, Mbonambi, Kolbe, Smith, Marx, Kitshoff, Willemse, Reinach Cons: Kolbe, Libbok 5 Pen: Kolbe 2 |
World champions South Africa bounced back from two straight defeats with a nine-try win over Italy.
The Springboks led by five points at half-time but stretched away with seven tries after the break.
Cheslin Kolbe’s brilliant try straight from a restart changed the momentum of the game early in the second half, during which his side scored 45 points.
Kurt-Lee Arendse scored two tries as Italy failed to build on their first ever win over Australia a week ago.
Italy had led for much of the first half thanks to a try from Ange Capuozzo and the boot of Tommaso Allan, despite an Arendse try in the corner that had given the Springboks an early lead.
But from the point hooker Bongi Mbonambi bundled over for a converted try that gave South Africa a five-point lead at the break, they were never behind.
After Allan landed his third penalty to make it 18-16, Kolbe superbly caught the kick-off then raced over to kick-start a superb spell for the visitors.
Arendse’s second try in the corner was quickly followed by substitutes Kwagga Smith and Malcolm Marx touching down.
Italy grabbed their second try through Niccolo Cannone, but scores from Steven Kitshoff, Damian Willemse and Cobus Reinach sealed a dominant win that followed defeats by Ireland and France.
South Africa’s win came without the help of coach Rassie Erasmus, who was serving the first of a two-match ban for tweets about match officials in the Springboks’ defeat by France.
The second of those games will be against England at Twickenham next Saturday.
