South Africa Overcomes Red Card to Beat Italy 32-14 in Turin

South Africa Overcomes Red Card to Beat Italy 32-14 in Turin

South Africa secured a 32-14 victory over Italy in Turin on Saturday, marking their second consecutive win in the Quilter Nations Series despite playing most of the match with 14 men after Franco Mostert's early red card.

Early Setback for Springboks

For the second week in a row, South Africa faced a red-card dismissal when lock Franco Mostert was sent off in the 12th minute for a high tackle on Italy's fly-half Paolo Garbisi. Referee Luke Pearce ruled that Mostert made shoulder-to-head contact without attempting to wrap his arms, leaving the world champions a man down early.

Coach Rassie Erasmus, who had rotated his starting lineup, responded by making four substitutions within the first 26 minutes. Despite the setback, South Africa took a 10-3 lead into halftime, thanks to a converted try from Marco van Staden and a penalty from Handré Pollard.

Italy's Missed Opportunities

Italy, fresh off a 26-19 win over Australia, sought their second-ever victory over the Springboks in 19 attempts. Garbisi kept them in contention with three penalties, narrowing the gap to 10-9, but Italy failed to capitalize fully on their numerical advantage-even when Van Staden received a yellow card for a ruck infringement, briefly leaving South Africa with 13 players.

Italy's best chance came when Ange Capuozzo scored a try in the second half, but Garbisi's missed conversion and earlier penalty attempts proved costly. Meanwhile, South Africa's defense held firm, and their counterattacking play began to take over.

Springboks Seal Victory with Late Tries

With Italy's Lorenzo Cannone in the sin-bin, scrum-half Morne van den Berg extended South Africa's lead with their second try. The Springboks then pulled away in the final quarter, as replacements Grant Williams and Ethan Hooker crossed for tries.

Williams' try, set up by a brilliant inside pass from winger Canan Moodie, was the highlight of South Africa's four-try performance. Pollard and Manco Libbok added conversions and penalties to round out the scoring.

What's Next for Both Teams

South Africa, who also defeated France last weekend, will face Ireland on 22 November and Wales on 29 November to conclude their autumn campaign. Italy, despite the loss, showed resilience but will rue their missed chances against the reigning world champions.

"We knew Italy would be tough, especially after their win over Australia. The red card made it harder, but the boys showed character to grind it out," said Rassie Erasmus post-match.