The Boks scored six tries, but struggled to completely dominate the Six Nations minnows.
Kurt-Lee Arendse was one of the try-scorers for the Springboks against Italy on Saturday. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
The Springboks kicked off their 2025 Test season with a far from impressive 42-24 win against Six Nations minnows and severely weakened Italy in the first of two Tests between the nations at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.
While the Boks were never in danger of losing the match, they let in three second half tries in a 40-minute period the visitors to South Africa will feel they dominated.
The world champions were the stronger team in the scrums and lineouts and at the back, but the Italians won the breakdown battle, making life extremely difficult for the home team.
The Boks looked rusty and out of sorts at times, lacking rhythm and momentum, and they found it difficult to put significant phases together. They played stop-start rugby and will have plenty of work to do ahead of the second Test in Gqeberha next weekend.
Hats off to Italy, who played their hearts out in the second period and put up an excellent defensive effort. And that with a team missing several first choice players who stayed home after a long northern hemisphere season.
Boks in charge at half time
The Boks led 28-3 at half-time, with Morne van den Berg getting two tries; the first after a good pick up and dive over the tryline after a strong Bok scrum, the second try after an excellent darting run, from anlother dominant Bok scrum.
Jesse Kriel, the captain on the day, scored the first try in the 11th minute, after a good kick into space by Damian de Allende, while Kurt-Lee Arendse scored a stunner after a good angled run.
The Boks though enjoyed the bulk of possession in the first half and spent several minutes camped in Italian territory and should really have scored a few more tries.
In the second half, Italy came to life and really made life difficult for the Boks. Vincent Tshituka, who enjoyed a good debut was denied a try at the start of the second half because of obstruction, while Vincent Koch and Marco van Staden crossed for the Boks in the second 40 minutes.
The Italians scored three second half tries, and will head to Gqeberha a confident team.
The whole Bok front row enjoyed a good outing, as did Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, while Jasper Wiese was all powerful with ball in hand. De Allende and Kriel were solid in midfield, while Damian Willemse showed signs of the player who dazzled the rugby world in 2023.
